WWA Board

Nick Ingoglia

# YEARS FISHING WWA:

I have fished the WWA since 2009, 2019 will be my 10^th year

1. HOW OLD WERE YOU WHEN YOU STARTED FISHING? ON WHAT LAKE DID YOU GET STARTED FISHING?

I started fishing when I was 7 years old, I would ride my bike to local ponds.

2. WHO WAS YOUR FIRST HERO OR MENTOR IN THE FISHING WORLD?

My Father, I have learned so much from him over the years, We would go fishing every minute we could.

3. HOW DID YOU GET STARTED TOURNAMENT FISHING? AND WHAT MADE YOU JUMP IN?.

My friends and I would fish the Mississippi River and Winnebago system for years doing very well. Then one day my best friend Mike and I were fishing the Wolf river while there was a AIM tournament going on, After seeing that tournament we decided to jump in head first and have never looked back!

4. WHAT IS YOUR BREAD AND BUTTER, GO-TO TACTIC ON THE WATER?.

Vertical Jigging

5. OUTSIDE OF COMPETITIVE FISHING, WHAT DO YOU DO FOR YOUR 9-5 JOB?.

Heavy equipment operator/excavation

6. WHAT ACCOMPLISHMENTS ARE YOU MOST PROUD OF IN THE TOURNAMENT WORLD?.

The proudest moment along my tournament fishing journey was from 2011 when Ron Levin and I took team of the year in the Masters Walleye Circuit Central Division.

7. OTHER THAN THE FOX CHAIN, WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE BODY OF WATER TO FISH AND WHY?.

The Winnebago system is on the top for one of my favorite bodies of water to fish due to being very diverse, Which overall helps you learn a lot while fishing it.

8. OUTSIDE OF FISHING, WHAT ARE YOUR HOBBIES? WHAT DO YOU DO FOR FUN?.

Fishing and Hunting

9. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE TOURNAMENT MOMENT?

Last season we set up on a spot and put a 27” fish in the box within 10 minutes

10. HOW BIG WAS YOUR BEST WALLEYE AND WHAT LAKE DID YOU GET IT ON?.

My biggest Walleye was 30” 13.6 lbs on Lake Geneva

11. DO YOU HAVE ANY SPECIAL PEOPLE YOU WOULD LIKE TO THANK THAT SUPPORT YOUR FISHING?.

I want to thank my girlfriend Lisa for putting up with me always fishing, Mike and Ron for being great friends and tournament partners.

# YEARS FISHING WWA: 1st season was 2009

1. HOW OLD WERE YOU WHEN YOU STARTED FISHING? ON WHAT LAKE DID YOU GET STARTED FISHING?

I started fishing when I was four or five, the first lake I fished was Sterling Lake in Wadsworth.

2. WHO WAS YOUR FIRST HERO OR MENTOR IN THE FISHING WORLD?

My dad.

3. HOW DID YOU GET STARTED TOURNAMENT FISHING? AND WHAT MADE YOU JUMP IN?

I had always wanted to start tournament fishing, but had not had the right opportunity. In 2008 I fished the PWT as a co and was hooked.

4. WHAT IS YOUR BREAD AND BUTTER, GO-TO TACTIC ON THE WATER?

Vertical jigging, pitching jigs and Trolling

5. OUTSIDE OF COMPETITIVE FISHING, WHAT DO YOU DO FOR YOUR 9-5 JOB?

I am an estimator and purchaser for James W. Smith Printing Company in Gurnee, IL.

6. WHAT ACCOMPLISHMENTS ARE YOU MOST PROUD OF IN THE TOURNAMENT WORLD?

Winning Master’s Walleye Circuit Central division team of the year in 2011.

7. OTHER THAN THE FOX CHAIN, WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE BODY OF WATER TO FISH AND WHY?

Lake Winnebago because it is a walleye factory and there are so many different techniques you can use to catch walleye.

8. OUTSIDE OF FISHING, WHAT ARE YOUR HOBBIES? WHAT DO YOU DO FOR FUN?

I enjoy spending time with my family, archery deer hunting and taxidermy.

9. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE TOURNAMENT MOMENT?

Pre-fishing a tournament with my daughter, then winning that tournament with my son.

10. HOW BIG WAS YOUR BEST WALLEYE AND WHAT LAKE DID YOU GET IT ON?

My biggest Walleye is 31” and 13.6 lbs from Lake Erie. My Longest was 32” from the Detroit River.

11. DO YOU HAVE ANY SPECIAL PEOPLE YOU WOULD LIKE TO THANK THAT SUPPORT YOUR FISHING?

I want to thank my wife, Kris and my kids. I spend a lot of time away from home and they are all very supportive and understanding.

Sean Pettibone – WWA Board Member, 2017-2019
Fox Lake, IL

# years fishing WWA:
6 Years

1. How old were you when you started fishing? On what Lake did you get started fishing?

I started fishing when I was four, on a pond at New Mexico State University in southern New Mexico.

2. Who was your first hero or mentor in the fishing world?

My Dad taught me how to fish. Thank you, Dad! We spent a lot of time fishing in New Mexico and he visits me now in Illinois and we get out a few times a year on the Chain. We have also fished together in Alaska, Oregon, Michigan, and Canada.

3. How did you get started tournament fishing? And what made you jump in?.

Like many others, I saw the tournaments happening around me when I was out fishing. My neighbor knew a friend of his was looking for a partner and introduced us. We fished a couple of tournaments together and then he moved and my current partner and I finished that first season together.

4. What is your bread and butter, go-to tactic on the water?.

My go to is pitching jigs for Walleye.

5. Outside of competitive fishing, what do you do for your 9-5 job?.

I am President of a life-safety company and I am very proud to lead a team of people dedicated to keeping people safe.

6. What accomplishments are you most proud of in the tournament world?.

I have really enjoyed working with a great team to build up and improve the WWA. It is great to see how it is all coming together.

7. Other than the Fox Chain, what is your favorite body of water to fish and why?.

As long as a body of water has Walleye, I enjoy fishing it. I do appreciate the Lake Michigan fishery, especially Green Bay and Big Bay de Noc.

8. Outside of fishing, what are your hobbies? What do you do for fun?.

I enjoy spending time with my family, pleasure boating, and exploring new places.

9. What is your favorite tournament moment?.

We had been fishing one tournament and we were not doing well in the first six hours. We continued to change locations, lakes, and tactics and finally found a combination that worked and salvaged the tournament with five keepers in the last two hours.

10. How big was your best Walleye and what lake did you get it on?.

My biggest Walleye on the Chain is 27” on Fox Lake.

11. Do you have any special people you would like to thank that support your fishing?.

I want to thank my wife, Shelly, who puts up with my constant focus on fishing! Thank you, Mom and Dad, for teaching me to love the outdoors with our frequent camping and fishing trips.

Mike Baron – WWA Board Member, 2018-2019
Fox Lake, IL

1. How old were you when you started fishing? On what Lake did you get started fishing?
I started fishing as soon as I was big enough to hold a rod. I believe I began on Blue Spring Lake in Palmyra, WI or Lake George in Rhinelander, WI.
2. Who was your first hero or mentor in the fishing world?
Both my Dad and Grandfather
3. How did you get started tournament fishing? And what made you jump in?
My Dad and I fished a few Charlie Chain tournaments back when that was around and wound up taking First place in one. On the car ride home I was holding a couple hundred bucks cash… for spending a day fishing with my Dad!
4. What is your bread and butter, go-to tactic on the water?
Trolling – it’s what I’ve spent the most time on. I also enjoy pitching jigs, but there’s room for improvement in that department.
5. Outside of competitive fishing, what do you do for your 9-5 job?
I’m a Sales Manager for a technology company based out of Orange County, CA. We provide a real-time GPS Vehicle & Equipment Tracking Software to companies with fleet vehicles such as Ryder and the US Dept. Homeland Security.
6. What accomplishments are you most proud of in the tournament world?
One of my first tournaments, winning a Charlie Chain qualifier to pocket a few hundred bucks cash.
7. Other than the Fox Chain, what is your favorite body of water to fish and why?
I have had a few awesome experiences fishing Little Bay de Noc in November. Back in the day we used to get out night fishing on Lake Geneva – ask Joe Baron about his netting skills…
8. Outside of fishing, what are your hobbies? What do you do for fun?
Snowmobiling and Boating. I’m simple.
9. What is your favorite tournament moment?
Other than winning, seeing the WWA grow to where it is today is awesome.
10. How big was your best Walleye and what lake did you get it on?
Largest Walleye is just over 28” around 9 pounds on Little Bay de Noc in November 2013.
11. Do you have any sponsors or special people you would like to thank that support your fishing?
My Dad, Joe, and my Grandfather, Papa Don! It’s always an adventure when you’re in the boat with those two.

Joe Baron – WWA Board Member, 2017-2019
Hawthorn Woods, IL

# years fishing WWA:
16 Years… wow, seems like only a few.

1. How old were you when you started fishing and what Lake did you get started fishing?
I started fishing when I was very young, maybe 5. My earliest fishing memory was fishing off a pier on the Fox Rive in McHenry.
2. Who was your first hero or mentor in the fishing world?
My hero was Babe Winkelman at a young age. The real heros would be my mom and dad who introduced me to fishing. I have great memories of day trips to Deep Lake with my dad and brother. Also awesom memories of fishing the Fox River off a pier with my mom (pic above).
3. How did you get started tournament fishing? And what made you jump in?
Brian Wilson and I fished a Bass tournament on Lake Geneva on a whim….. Took second place and I was hooked on tournament fishing ever since.
4. What is your bread and butter, go-to tactic on the water?
I love pitching jigs but I would have to say that trolling is the butter on my bread.
5. Outside of competitive fishing, what do you do for your 9-5 job?
Who has a 9-5 job these days??? I have been in manufacturing my whole professional career. For the past three years I have been leading the startup of a manufacturing company in Elk Grove Village, IL. We supply the aerospace industry with electrical connector pins and sockets, currently working on large projects for Boeing and Air Bus.
6. What accomplishments are you most proud of in the tournament world?
My first tournaments win with my son. I will never forget boating the 26” kicker walleye that wrapped it up for us. We had been stuck giving five 14” to 18” fish a ride in the livewell for hours.
7. Other than the Fox Chain, what is your favorite body of water to fish and why?
I like fishing Green Bay because of the quality of the Walleye.
8. Outside of fishing, what are your hobbies? What do you do for fun?
Other than fishing, I love spending time with my wife, family and friends. I also enjoy cooking, trying to perfect the wood fired pizza and honing my bread making skills.
9. What is your favorite tournament moment?
Making the right decision, started the day off trolling, beat it to death till close to 1PM with only shorts and maybe a slot fish to show for it. We switched gears to rigging an area and were able to bring 6 in. Not enough for a check, but close.
10. How big was your best Walleye and what lake did you get it on?
Personal best walleye was 32-1/4” 12.25 Lbs from the north end of Little Bay De Noc.
11. Do you have any sponsors or special people you would like to thank that support your fishing?
I would like to thank my wife Lisa #BEST WIFE EVER!