Samantha Sukupcak and Mike Yee Wisconsin tournament anglers

When Hanna organized a trip to El Salto for women several years ago, I was introduced to Samantha Sukupcak by our mutual friend Dan Brovarney.

“Everything she touches turns to gold,” Dan said of the young woman from Wisconsin. Indeed, she was active in Wisconsin Women Fish, gave seminars, and went on to qualify for and compete in a B.A.S.S. Nation Central Regional on Toledo Bend.

Samantha Sukupcak Wisconsin B.A.S.S. Nation team at Toledo Bend

Samantha came on that trip, and we got to know her a bit, but only partway into the trip did we learn that her significant other – Mike Yee – is every bit as avid as her.

Mike came along the next time, and we also met up with them when we went ice fishing in Milwaukee, where they took us on a brewery tour, complete with Friday night fish fry and a polka band.

Hanna and I have plenty of friends, and plenty of friends who fish, but few couples where both members of the team are equally devoted to the sport. It’s part of what makes Sam and Mike fun to fish with, and we’re thrilled that they’ll be joining us in Panama in April.

On our recent trip to El Salto we delved a bit into what makes them tick individually and as a bass fishing power couple.

Samantha Sukupcak El Salto Anglers Inn Personal Best Largemouth Bass

First we interviewed Samantha by herself….

HPFC: Do you remember when you first met Mike?

Samantha: It was at one of our bass club meetings. He walked in and I thought it was cool that there was someone my age doing this – because I was the youngest in my club at the time. Everybody who was coming in was older.

HPFC: So how did it progress from just knowing each other to a relationship?

Samantha: He asked me to go fishing with him. I think he maybe let me catch more that day. Now we’ve been together five years.

HPFC: What’s the best thing about fishing with him?

Samantha: We are like the perfect team – we balance each other out. He likes to fish fast and I like to fish slow. We’ll do different things when we’re fishing team tournaments. He also keeps me from spinning out.

HPFC: What is he better at on the water than you are?

Samantha: Definitely power fishing – jigs and crankbaits, that’s his wheelhouse over there.

HPFC: What are you better at than him?

Samantha: Finesse. I’m a slow, methodical angler.

HPFC: What’s the best fishing gift you’ve ever received from him?

Samantha: I don’t know. I’ve gotten so many. He’s gotten me a bunch of really nice reels, like a Daiwa Sol lefty. He had one and I coveted it so badly. I really wanted one of those. He looked and looked and got me.

HPFC: What’s the best fishing gift you’ve given him?

Samantha: Again, there are have been so many. Let me get back to that.

HPFC: What is the best memory you have of fishing together?

Samantha: I think when we fished the NABC Sturgeon Bay tournament together as a team. That was our first spring tournament. That’s when all of the heavy hitters are out. We practiced for like two weeks. We were right there, we were catching fish and it was just really cool. We had a good time. It was a fire drill constantly because one of us was always hooked up.

HPFC: What was your favorite long-distance fishing trip you’ve taken together?

Samantha: So far, probably our first trip to Costa Rica. It was his first time out of the country, neither one of us spoke Spanish, we drove across the country. Fishing was so-so, but just being out on the ocean, and we caught roosterfish, we caught tuna, it was fun.

Samantha Sukupcak fishing in Costa Rica roosterfish

HPFC: Who spends more at Tackle Warehouse?

Samantha: I definitely do.

Then we caught up with Mike alone….

HPFC: Did you ever imagine when you were younger that you’d end up with a partner who fishes as avidly as Samantha does?

Mike: No. I would not have thought so.

HPFC: What is your first memory of seeing her?

Mike: Cool. A girl that fishes and is attractive.

HPFC: How did it progress into a relationship?

Mike: It started with friendship. Hanging out, talking. Sam was the pursuer. On our first date, we went out fishing on Lake Delavan, I can tell you that.

HPFC: What’s the best thing about fishing with her?

Mike: Her passion for fishing. She’s always striving to do better.

HPFC: What is she better at than you?

Mike: Fishing a tube.

HPFC: What are you better at?

Mike: Dropshotting.

HPFC: What’s the best fishing gift you’ve ever received from her?

Mike: The replica of the bass that I caught on my last trip to El Salto from Lawrence Taxidermy.

Mike Yee Personal Best Largemouth Lake El Salto replica

HPFC: What’s the best gift you have given her?

Mike: Does an engagement ring count?

HPFC: No, a fishing gift. I should have made that clear. (laughter)

Mike: Canvas pictures of her trophies.

HPFC: What is your best memory of fishing with Samantha?

Mike: Every one is a good memory. Probably one of the best was down in Costa Rica when we caught a big marlin and a huge roosterfish.

HPFC: Who spends more at Tackle Warehouse?

Mike: Sam does – three or four times more, at least.

Finally we brought them back together for the speed round….

HPFC: What’s the dream trip to take together if money was no object, fishing or otherwise?

Mike: I don’t really know. The next one we have on the schedule is tuna fishing in Panama.

Samantha: That’s going to be good. I’d also like to go to the South Pacific, someplace like the Seychelles.

HPFC: What do you think you two will be doing fishing-wise in 10 years?

Samantha: Guiding on Sturgeon Bay.

HPFC: Why is Sturgeon Bay so special to you both?

Samantha: It’s special to me because that’s where I cashed my first check in a tournament and I just fell in love with it. Finesse fishing, smallmouth, light line – you’re not beating the bank all day. You can be offshore. And he just came along for the ride.

HPFC: What’s your favorite thing to do together other than fish?

Samantha: Probably hunt, or shoot archery.

Mike: And cooking.

HPFC: And what was the number one thing you looked for when buying a house together?

Samantha: Boat space.

Samantha Sukupcak and Mike Yee Wisconsin tournament anglers at Lake El Salto Mexico

That’s a marriage – and a home-buying team – I can relate to. When I was single and buying my first home, it could’ve had no bathroom or kitchen, as long as it had appropriate boat storage. Fortunately the one I ended up with had all three. I don’t know how much tougher the search would have been if I’d been with Hanna and she’d had a bass boat of her own. I can only hope that’s a problem for us in the future.