Jim is publisher, editor and owner of Musky Hunter magazine, the largest musky fishing publication in North America. He is also host and executive producer of the “Musky Hunter” television series and is a seven-time musky tournament winner. Jim is operations manager for the Professional Musky Tournament Trail and has produced a series of highly acclaimed musky videos. He is also a contributing writer for In-Fisherman, North American Fisherman and Fishing Facts magazines; and has a monthly column in Midwest Outdoors magazine. He also co-authored the book “The Complete Guide to Musky Hunting,” and he conducts more than 30 seminars annually.

Perhaps his greatest credential: Jim has boated more than 100 muskies of 50 inches or longer.  

Jim grew up in Homewood, Illinois, a southern suburb of Chicago, and spent time at his family’s cabin in northern Wisconsin. He has a master’s degree in hydrogeology and a bachelor’s degree in geology.

Mercury V8 Verado Outboard Testimonial 

I spent the entire 2019 season fishing with a Mercury 4.6-liter V8 Verado, and it is absolutely incredible.

Besides looking really cool – and it does look amazing – Mercury Verado is all about performance, something important to all boaters, especially anglers. In fact, the first thing I learned about the new Verado is that it’s an eight-cylinder vs. a six-cylinder outboard, and that means more power. You put the throttle down and this thing goes!

Second, the whole lower unit and Advanced MidSection are much larger and beefier, yet the whole engine is lighter and that creates a lot of torque . . . so your hole shot is that much better. You put the throttle down and the boat just jumps out of the hole and goes. It’s amazing, but it isn’t surprising because Verado has been known for its great holeshot and incredible midrange punch since it was first introduced in 2004. We spend a lot of time on big water with big waves, and midrange torque makes every type of water more manageable.

The third thing about the V8 Verado that’s really important to me is fuel economy. Throughout the 2019 season, I think I used about 20% less fuel. It’s kind of incredible that this 300hp outboard can save so much on fuel.  Again, that’s something that’s important to all types of boaters but especially tournament anglers. Even with great torque and top-end speed, I get excited about the fuel I’m not using.

Verado also offers a list of available features that improve so many aspects of boating, including Digital Throttle and Shift and Joystick Piloting. There are many features that come standard with Verado, such as Active Trim, Adaptive Speed Control, Advanced Sound Control and others that create an exceptional boating experience.

Something that’s simple and awesome at the same time is the Top Cowl Service Door, which lets you check or fill your engine oil simply by popping open a small access door on the cowl. I couldn’t believe how much time and energy this little innovation saved me. And it helped me remain faithful to checking my engine oil.

In addition to all of these, you still get all the great things Verado is known for – its smooth power, its quiet performance under any condition, and the fact that it’s ultra-responsive. It’s an amazing outboard.

Whether you’re going to purchase a new boat this year or repower your existing rig, consider the new Mercury 4.6-liter V8 Verado – it’s a premium engine that offers a lot of advantages to a lot of different types of boaters.