Fishing has been a part of Michaels life for as long as he can remember. He used to fish for trout in streams and mountain lakes and spent every minute of his free time somewhere near the water. Later, he tried his hand at fishing for various non-predatory fish with a pole and stalking rod for several years. A key moment for his love towards native predatory fish came about 10 years ago. At a small lake near Salzburg, Austria, after a cloudburst, he happened to outwit his first zander with artificial bait. First the hard strike and then this fascinating fish at the surface - Michael was hooked right away. After this event, it didn't take long before he had his first encounters with perch and finally pike. Today, he spends about 150 days a year on the water and, in addition to pike, perch, and zander fishing, works with his team to promote sustainable management and healthy aquatic habitats.