GRAND HAVEN, Mich. — A Grand Haven man and longtime fisherman is celebrating after reeling in a 39-inch salmon Tuesday.
Brooks Wheeler, or 'Big Fish Brooksie' as he goes bought caught the 29-pound fish early Tuesday morning near where the Grand Haven channel feeds into Lake Michigan on a 16-foot boat.
He told 13 ON YOUR SIDE he went out for a reason, "the wind blew, and it blew the cold water into the lake, I mean from out in the middle of the lake, it blew into the shoreline, so that means Brooksie has to take the day off and go fishing, because that's when the big fish come in and start to go up the river to spawn."
Wheeler had three fishing poles in the water and said it was a long fight to get the salmon into his boat.
He has been fishing since he was 5 years old and said he has caught thousands over his lifetime.
When it comes to excelling at fishing, he said knowledge is everything.
"Having the right line, having the right pole, having the right hooks, all that stuff matters if you want to catch a big fish because if you don't have that stuff, and you hook a big fish, you probably aren't even going to see it, because it'll break your line, bend your hook."
Wheeler previously caught a larger fish about 20 years ago. He said the thrill keeps him coming back for more.
"That's why you go fishing, because you never know, never know what's going to happen."
Wheeler plans to smoke the salmon and give it away for others to enjoy.