Wisconsin Outdoorsman? Gov. Tony Evers’ Staff Had to Explain to Him What a Fishing Bobber, Lure & Reel Were

When he went fishing in northern Wisconsin for a photo op, Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers’ staff provided him with the definitions of common fishing terms, like angler, bobber, reel, and trolling. They also gave him a series of photos of common fish to prepare for the excursion, apparently so he would know what a walleye and musky look like, an open records request reveals.

Staff members gave Evers the bizarre instructions before a Ladysmith fishing opener in 2019, the records reveal.

“Talk about out of touch lol,” a person wrote on Facebook after we shared the instructions. Others on social media compared Evers to President Joe Biden.

Evers’ cognitive state raised concerns last month when the governor badly bungled the state’s roll call at the DNC, asking, “Where are we” as he seemingly forgot Kamala Harris’s name. Evers turns 72 in November.

The fishing memorandum shows that Evers’ staff informed him, under a section of the prep document labeled “terminology,” that the words angler and angling mean: “Fishing with a hook and line. Angling is another word for fishing and an angler is a person who fishes.”

Evers was also informed by his staff that a “bobber” is “a device that is attached to fishing line designed to float on top of the water.” He was given the definition of fishing “lures” and a “reel.” Staff described a reel for the governor as a “mechanical device that holds fishing line and is attached to a fishing rod.” His staff also provided him with pictures of smallmouth bass and panfish.

The “memorandum for Governor Evers” informed the governor, “YOU will attend the 54th Annual Governor’s Fishing Opener in Ladysmith, Wisconsin.” It then carefully laid out exactly what he was supposed to do at the event.

“DPU and Staff will be riding in DNR boats behind your boat while YOU are fishing,” staff wrote.

Social media critics pointed out after we revealed the memo on X that Evers’ lack of authentic fishing knowledge became clear years ago when he appeared in a photo holding a fish incorrectly.

Some social media users compared Evers to Biden for needing such detailed reminders and scripts.

We obtained the records after filing an open records request for emails sent to and from Evers using his once-secret handle “Warren Spahn,” the name of a real-life but now-deceased Milwaukee Braves baseball legend.

We broke the story last fall that Evers was using the Spahn moniker unbeknown to the general public. His office took until now to dump 15,000 records on us, which we are currently going through. We would note that the records show the extent to which Evers used the secret handle to communicate with staff and other state officials; our records request only encompassed a few keyword searches and Warren Spahn emails from June 14, 2019, through June 30, 2019, and from September 2, 2019, through September 18, 2019.

The tranche of “Warren Spahn” emails reveals that Evers’ staff excessively scripts every public appearance he does, even instructing him on specific questions to ask school children, what to wear, and when to pause during speeches.

Routinely, the staffers also provide the governor with photos of every participant in his appearances, even including well-known figures like then-Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett, Milwaukee Brewers baseball star Ryan Braun, and, comically, Brewers’ mascot Bernie Brewer. This is presumably so he can put faces with names.

But it also begs the question of why Evers needs to be reminded what Tom Barrett looks like. Or Bernie Brewer. Or a walleye. (His office did not provide photos to him for some well-known people like then Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes and U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin, implying that they provided pictures only of people that he might need.)

We will be reporting more revelations from the Warren Spahn email batch. Stay tuned.