Meet Travis Frank

From the time he was big enough to carry a tackle box, Travis Frank had a passion for the great outdoors running through his blood. Beginning at age three, he spent as many hours as possible fishing from his grandparents’ dock in the Brainerd, Minnesota area. His mom recalls a day when Travis was only four years old. "He left for a day of fishing at 6:00 a.m., spent a long day in the hot summer sun, yet started crying when he had to leave the lake that evening. It quickly became evident that fishing was going to be a major part of this little boy’s life."

For the next 12 years, Travis fished as often as he could and as hard as he could to learn as much as he could with each cast of his lure. His mentors over the years included his grandpa, his neighbor down the street and, of course, his father. By the time he reached the age of 15, it was quite clear that fishing was not only something that Travis enjoyed, but also a passion that he was pretty darn good at. He started fishing competitively at small local tournaments and club leagues and soon realized his potential. Not only could he catch a wide variety of fish, but he developed a keen sense for where the fish would be and what was needed to catch them. He found that he could easily pass along this knowledge to others, which spawned his guide service, Trophy Encounters.

It was during the summer of his 16th year that he took his first client out on the water. By that time, Travis had developed an addiction for trying to catch the toughest freshwater fish in the world – the mighty muskellunge. Though it had always been enjoyable for Travis to catch these large fish himself, he found that it was far more rewarding to watch others land the largest trophy of their life. Seeing the look on their face when the fish came in the boat made guiding extremely rewarding. A passion to help others enjoy the best fishing possible has brought Travis to where he is today. This passion continues to drive him to always find the next hot spot and to make every trip as enjoyable as possible for the clients he guides.

Travis Frank is a 27-year old fishing fanatic, living in Waconia, Minnesota. He has been guiding clients from all over the country for the past 12 seasons. He has fished nearly every species in the upper Midwest, with his adventures taking him all across Minnesota and neighboring states. Though a multi-specie angler, his obsession and specialty is the muskellunge. The lakes he targets most are Minnetonka, Mille Lacs, Waconia, Vermillion, Mississippi River, Cass and Lake of the Woods. However, Travis has fished hundreds of others as well. Watch for him at a lake near you!