Hall of Fame angler and guide, Tom Neustrom dies at 77

Grand Rapids, Minn. — After more than four decades guiding anglers in the Grand Rapids area, Tom Neustrom, 77, a pillar of the Minnesota angling community, died over the holiday weekend.

Neustrom passed away peacefully in his sleep on Sunday, July 5, at his home.

A familiar face at Minnesota fishing events and an outdoors radio host, Neustrom grew up in the Chicago area, not far from the Lake Michigan waterfront. Though he lived near the Great Lakes, he developed his passion for fishing in Antioch, Illinois, near the Northern Illinois Chain O’Lakes. During the summers, he and his family made the several-hundred-mile drive to northern Wisconsin to fish Middle Eau Claire Lake near Barnes.

As he got older, he pursued a career in law enforcement. An office in Chicago for a decade, Neustrom was involved in an incident there that left him injured before he relocated to the Grand Rapids area. In April 2005, he retired from the Itasca County Sheriff’s Office after nearly 26 years of service. At the time of his retirement, he held the position of investigation supervisor.

Mark Weller, a lieutenant with the Itasca County Sheriff’s Office, said he was a road deputy when he first met Neustrom. He described Neustrom as handling several major cases, always willing to help others, and a fine police officer and a good man. Weller said he learned how to better communicate in his role because of Neustrom, who continued to share his knowledge even while off duty.

“When you fished with him, he never could give up the fishing guide mentality,” Weller said. “Because he’s a friend of mine, we’d fish and stuff like that, and he would still give pointers on the lake.”

Weller said Neustrom represented the area well through both angling and law enforcement.

Neustrom guided anglers for more than 40 years and became known as one of the area’s top walleye and crappie fishermen. Some of his favorite waters included Bowstring, Split Hand and Sand lakes. He guided Gov. Tim Walz during on the 2022 Governor’s Fishing Opener on Lake Winnibigoshish.

Throughout his angling and professional career, Neustrom played a significant role in advancing the sport of fishing in Minnesota. He served on numerous advisory committees, including the Minnesota DNR Fishing Roundtable, Red Lake Advisory Council and State Walleye Advisory Committee. He also served on the Lake Mille Lacs Advisory Committee and helped develop a management plan for Leech Lake.

He was inducted into the National Freshwater Fishing Hall of Fame in 2009 and the Minnesota Fishing Hall of Fame in 2015. 

His passion for fishing advocacy led him to become a founding member of the nonprofit fishing advocacy group MN-FISH in 2018.

“He was on our executive board in a leadership role in MN-Fish and was very active helping us shape our agenda and communication with legislators, the DNR, and with the public,” said Mark Holsten, executive director of MN-FISH.

Neustrom’s contributions extended beyond fishing organizations into broadcasting and outdoor media. Since 1992, he hosted “Guide’s Corner” on KMFY-FM as well as Sunday nights on BOB-FM in the Twin Cities. He wrote for Outdoor News, Lindner Media Productions, and In-Fisherman Television. He also was a frequent speaker at sports shows throughout the region.

Most recently, he was instrumental in establishing the state’s bait work group for Minnesota bait dealers. John Peterson, founder and manufacturer of Northland Fishing Tackle, said Neustrom served as the link between bait shop owners, anglers and the DNR. He worked with stakeholders to improve bait availability while navigating state regulations. He brought everyone to the table to discuss issues facing the bait industry and worked toward solutions.

“Tom was a real catalyst in helping a number of those wholesalers and bait dealers,” Peterson said. “It was a big part of his passion of being on the MN-FISH board to help not only the bait shop wholesalers and dealers, but also the fishermen and bringing a lot of the issues back to the DNR and working with them to work out some of the issues that were important to him.”

Brad Parsons, DNR fisheries section manager, said Neustrom leaves behind one of the largest legacies in Minnesota fishing and that he cannot think of anyone who had a greater impact on the sport. Parsons said Neustrom led by example, particularly through citizen work groups. He worked through DNR management processes and provided input on fisheries management, primarily involving the state’s walleye resource. Parsons described him as a “weaver” because of his natural ability to bring people from different interests together to find solutions. Although they occasionally disagreed, Parsons said having different voices and perspectives at the table is important to the DNR. Neustrom recently also had been discussing the new hatchery under construction in Waterville with DNR staff.

Though many at the DNR knew him through his passion for angling, DNR Commissioner Sarah Strommen said she knew him as a steward of Minnesota’s natural resources.

“Tom was more than an exceptional angler; he was a dedicated champion for Minnesota’s fisheries and the people who care for them,” Strommen said. “His unwavering stewardship, generosity, and the example he set as a role model will be deeply missed and long remembered at DNR and across Minnesota.”

Those who knew Neustrom described him as passionate about his beliefs while always being willing to discuss issues. Through his work with MN-FISH and numerous advisory committees, he helped move the sport of fishing forward in Minnesota. During his decades as a guide, he introduced thousands of anglers to the sport and never hesitated to share his knowledge if it meant helping others. His contributions to the fishing industry and conservation efforts will be missed by those who had the opportunity to work alongside him.

Last week, Outdoor News queried Neustrom for a pro tip for the Fishing Report page in this week’s edition. His final submission was titled, “Guiding is a lifestyle.”

“Where it all begins and hopefully never ends. It’s not just a job, but a lifestyle. Being a fishing guide is not for everyone, but for me, it is what I love to do. After all these years and I mean for four decades, I still have that passion each and every morning when it’s time to partake on another adventure. Guiding gets in your blood and the total satisfaction of bringing clients on the lake for them to experience their rod bending and for them to feel the fish at the end of the rod never gets old. As Robin Williams once said in the movie Patch Adams, ‘My Job is to create happiness’ and that means so much to me at the end of the day. The smiles, the laughter, the high fives all make it all worth it,” Neustrom wrote.

Rowe Funeral Home in Grand Rapids on Monday said that celebration of life arrangements for Neustrom are pending at this time.

Captions

A well know guide and fishing volunteer and advocate, Ton Neustrom, 77, of Grand Rapids passed away on Sunday, July 5.

Neustrom was one of the featured speakers, along with DNR Commissioner Sarah Strommen and Gov. Tim Walz at the DNR Roundtable in January 2023