Kenneth O’Malley

The ever-developing passion for the outdoors is something that has been passed on to my children, and I take every opportunity to enjoy it in all four seasons wherever my travels take me.

I can thank my dad for introducing me to the outdoors at the early age of five, when we would take trips to northern Wisconsin and Florida where I learned to fish. My fondest memory is catching my first northern pike with a sucker minnow under a bobber one evening at our favorite lake up north. I was hooked for life and became a multi-species angler, and my favorite fish to target is the smallmouth bass.

I fish from my boat, from shore, wading rivers, and of course on the ice. I mainly fish my local waters of Illinois, but I do travel to other states. I truly believe in catch and release and will only take a few fish for the dinner table when time allows. The resources we have been given are something I want to pass on to my children and their children.

When time allows, I participate in musky and bass tournaments, and I am very active on social media every day with my group page, Husker Outdoors, and others. Local fishing clubs and shows have allowed me to do seminars where I go into detail on the local waters I visit frequently. My niche, and what really got me into this side of the sport, is fishing smaller bodies of water. Many anglers can relate to that, especially when they don’t have a boat.

Promoting products that I use and believe in is one of my strong suits, even when I get no return from it. Sharing knowledge with others is one of my biggest attributes. When I write my reports, I go into detail on the catch and how I went about it. One of my loves is teaching the sport I have such a passion for to others, whether in person, at group and youth events, or on social media.