Jingchen "Tony" Zhu made a good run of schooling around Chicago.
Some of his learning came outside, literally, of traditional brick-and-mortar college. He became of true student of Chicago fishing.
Zhu also made the dean's list every time at Columbia College, earning a bachelor's in Arts Management last year. He just graduated from Northwestern with a master's in Leadership for Creative Enterprises.
"More than the fish caught, I think Tony did an amazing job immersing himself in a completely different culture," Quinn Wunar messaged on X. "He made an impact on the folks he met, folks from all different backgrounds. It wasn’t all smooth sailing and easy limits but I am incredibly confident in the image of the United States he’s bringing back to China. It’s real, authentic and truly only could have happened here in Chicago."
Asked his most memorable fishing experience in Chicago, Zhu emailed, "I've had countless unforgettable fishing experiences in Chicago, but the one that stands out the most is catching the skamania at Burnham Harbor. I’d been fishing for less than a year, and it was the first time I’d ever caught such a large fish—let alone seen one in the wild outside of an aquarium. It was a crazy 15 minutes as the fish darted around, trying to escape, diving under the pier, and leaping out of the water multiple times. With Quinn’s help, I eventually brought it in. When we finally landed it, we high-fived and cheered so many times, and my hands were shaking for a long time afterward."
Mentor Wunar explained Zhu's skill at learning new fishing, "Tony has the rare gift of patience, which is lacking in fishing today. He’s learned to research a species, as opposed to looking for magical spots. We’ve had a lot of great memories over the years, trips up to the Northwoods, lake trolls on both sides of Lake Michigan, Tony’s first White Sox game and many more bad baseball games since.
"What stood out the most though, was when Tony’s dad [Rui Zhu] came from China for his graduation. Tony took him fishing, which was kind of a full circle moment. Later, he took his dad to the Sox game for free fireworks night. (Sorry for the bad intro to baseball [Rui]) Tony’s caught every salmonoid in Lake Michigan, all of them but a laker from shore."
Other memorable catches showed what kind of young man Zhu is.
"Two moments stand out," he emailed. "The first one was when I caught my first steelhead on spoon. It was an early September morning in 2022. Quinn and I were casting spoons at Burnham Harbor, hoping to hook a King Salmon, but there wasn’t a single bite. I decided to switch to an Agent Orange spoon and started searching the surface. Not long after, a fish struck just as the spoon hit the water. After a tough battle, I finally landed it. My experience, intuition, and a bit of luck paid off, making me the only one to catch a fish that morning.
"Another memorable moment was when my father caught his first bass under my guidance. In May 2023, my dad came to Chicago for my undergraduate graduation. He’s an avid angler but had never tried bass fishing. I took him to Ping Tom Park, where I first learned how to fish bass. I taught him how to rig a drop shot, find the fish, and handle them. Before long, he landed a largemouth. That moment was incredibly special. It reminded me of my childhood when he patiently taught me to fish for carp. Now, the roles were reversed, and I felt a deep sense of pride and emotion."
Zhu holds plenty of moments to remember from Chicago fishing.
"Fishing along the Chicago lakefront is an absolute joy," he emailed. "The stunning urban scenery, excellent fishery, and, most importantly, the friendly and welcoming community make it a unique experience. Every angler I’ve met on the lakefront has been incredibly kind, and I’ve learned so much from this community. I’ve also made lifelong friends who have helped me grow in so many ways and introduced me to the pure essence of local culture. If it weren’t for fishing on the Chicago lakefront, my three years in the U.S. wouldn’t have been nearly as exciting and colorful."
Zhu will share the world with videos.
"I’ve recently started filming some fishing videos, and I plan to continue documenting my fishing adventures once I’m back in China," he emailed. "I’ll also share some of the fishing and life experiences I’ve had in Chicago with my Chinese audience. I hope my videos will help more people appreciate the sport of fishing and serve as a bridge for cultural exchange between China and the U.S."
