Growing up in Shaker Heights, Ohio, Dennis James Knowles was never into organized sports. He did participate in neighborhood pick-up games like basketball, touch football, and kickball, but he never had the calling to pursue sports-until he was introduced to fishing. Dennis first picked up a rod and reel when he was 12 years old on a summer vacation to Milwaukee, Wisconsin. His uncle Ulysses Tidwell was an avid angler, and Dennis was eager to learn. For many years to follow, Dennis returned to Milwaukee for two weeks of camping, fishing, fun, and adventure. When he went on to college at Ohio University, Dennis took along his rods and reels and went fishing on the weekends. After earning an undergraduate degree in journalism and completing his Master of Fine Arts in film production, Dennis returned to his hometown of Cleveland, Ohio, and entered the field of television. Eventually, he became a member of a local fishing club, North Coast Bass Anglers Association, serving as its president and tournament director for several years. It was during this time that he and Gail A. Grizzell founded The Fishing Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated to improving people's lives through fishing.
