Bob Allen is a children’s book author from Wisconsin who chose a niche topic: fish you can catch in the Midwest.

When he retired, his wife encouraged him to take up writing. First, he had to narrow down his options to what he knows best.

“Well, I coached hockey for 35 years,” Allen said. “But I’ve been fishing for over 70 years, so I think I’m going to write about fishing.”

He was even on the professional walleye circuit for a few years.

“I thought, well, I want to keep it in the Midwest,” he said. “So the first thing that comes to mind in Midwest fishing is write about a walleye. So my first book was ‘Walter the Wiley Walleye.’ And I didn’t know if that was going to be my last book or not, but now I’ve written six books all about Midwest fish.”

Books like “Battle of the Bass” are available at local shops like the Bookstore at Fitger’s in Duluth and Lake Kids in Hayward.