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We recently had a sit down with Simms pro- Jessie Baker, about her journey to running and operating a lodge. From musky, to a masters in psychology, there’s nothing more maddening than sticking to the status quo.
“I have a master’s degree in psychology. Have you ever been in a boat with a serious angler? We all need therapy. One of the reasons I love musky fishing is because it pushes the limitations of what your mind is capable of. It’s like your own body's fight or flight response. It forces you to focus on one extreme moment. As a guide, entrepreneur, and angler I’ve realized that I prefer to live life on my own terms. Riding the waves on the way up and holding on while they come crashing down. It’s not about fearing the uncertainty, it’s about finding excitement in it.
I despise the quote “You’re living the dream.” Society teaches you to expect certain consistencies in life, but the reality is that everything about life is uncertain. It’s one of the many reasons I love musky fishing. My definition of success is not measured by how much money I make, it’s more so about filling my days with things that make me happy. I could have been a physiologist sitting in an office.”
In 2020 Jessie Baker's life changed when it became a part of her responsibility to manage her family's fishing lodge. “Your parents raise you and try to prepare you for life's challenges. Growing up on the lake my dad taught me how to do everything– step by step. I followed him everywhere. Whether it was changing the oil in the generator, fileting fish, or maintenance on our outboard. When my father suddenly passed away, I realized I never really did pay attention to all the small details of the job. Just like that, a large part of his responsibilities became mine. I had to compile the tools he gave me and use my intuition to piece together the rest. It’s a lot like musky fishing.
No matter how prepared you think you are, when it comes to that boatside encounter, you must use your intuition to guide you to success. You can’t control what happens to you in life, but you can control how you react to it. I might not have remembered all the technical details my dad taught me but his fearless approach to living life and intuition carries on through me. The adaptability of fishing isn’t just about finding different species to catch, it’s finding different ways to catch them.