There is heaviness over the docks this summer in Fishtown, where the historic fishing village moves on without one of its own, Griffin Arends, a 22-year-old charter fishing captain known to nearly everyone who spent time on the water passed last month.
Griffin’s father, Creig Arends, said its been extremely difficult day-to-day not having their son around.
“Griffin was one of those truly authentic kids; He pretty much told you what was on his mind, whether you wanted to hear it or not. You knew where you stood with him no matter what, good or bad or whatever. Griffin give his whole heart and he was very, very loud,” Creig said. “Fishing was his number one passion in life and starting from a very, very early age. He started fishing on the dock at his grandma’s at around 2-years-old, and we could never get him off the dock after that.”
Arends, of Traverse City, died unexpectedly on July 26 after a medical emergency at the docks of Fishtown Arends was born March 24, 2004, the son of Creig Anthony and Lisa Soojung (Griffin) Arends and brother to Elena. He attended GTACS and West Middle School before graduating from West Senior High in 2022.
After graduation, he built a career out of his favorite pastime, earning his captain’s license this past March and going to work for Mega Bite Charters, fishing the waters he loved most.
During his schooling days, Griffin played lacrosse as a faceoff attacker at TC West and on the TC United team.
Griffin was passionate about all things outdoors including hunting of all varieties.
“If it wasn’t fishing season he would go turkey hunting and try to get a turkey. As soon as he’d get one, he’d go right back out fishing ... He would shoot his deer, then as soon as he could get back out on the water,” Creig said. “Griffin gave himself to everybody and would teach anybody to fish, whether they were 4 years old or 45 years old. It didn’t really matter. He just had that passion and love to share that with people and, um, always just really, really enjoyed, you know, showing people how to fish. He’d take kids on the dock. (Fishing) was his passion and his love and his joy. He just loved to share it with everybody.”
According to Leland Township Fire Chief Dan Besson, who described the emergency response, crews were dispatched and found Arends in cardiac arrest. People on a nearby boat and along the dock began helping immediately. CPR was started on arrival, and advanced life support responders from Leland.
Arends was transported to Munson Medical Center, where he did not survive. Benson thanked the bystanders and responders who acted immediately.
“We are having to get ready for the next call for service,” Besson said, “But that doesn’t mean we aren’t impacted by this one. We have an obligation, and there’s always a next call — but this one will stay with us.”
Away from the boat, friends and family remember him chasing gobblers and deer hunting, cooking venison steaks he insisted were better than beef, and “river cooking” on his Blackstone grill along the water’s edge.
According to his obituary, He is remembered as larger than life — his size-14 feet, his afro, his booming voice — and for a way of making the people around him feel loved, cared for and safe. He made friends wherever he went, whether pouring into conversation at a local bar or teaching strangers to fish off a dock or riverbank.
The loss has rippled through Fishtown, where Arends worked, fished and, by all accounts, made an impression on everyone he met.
Noah Phillips, a co-fisherman with Griffin at Mega Bite Charters, remembers meeting the youngster on the river with a big afro and even better fishing skills. Phillips and Griffin knew of each other on the East Bay then became mates at Mega Bite.
“We ran a lot of trips the last two summers together, whether it’s doubles or triples, and you’re at the dock at 4 a.m., leaving at midnight, and you’re doing it seven days a week, you quickly become very close with those guys that you’re running with.
We all ran together was, it was just a very tight knit group and like a little brotherhood there, and it will never be the same,” Phillips said. “Every day that you walk down the dock you look at the spot and hop on the boat with all sorts of different emotions running through your head ... We know darn well that Griff is up in heaven looking down and saying, there are fish out there, you better go catch them. That’s exactly what he would want. We are going to keep his name alive with the stories that we share, remembering the fantstic, good, and the funny ... We can hold on to those memories and that’s what keeps you moving along.”
Mega-Bite Captain Adam Collett knew Griffin was larger than life the moment he met him.
It didn’t matter where the body of water was, Arends was fishing it.
“This is one of the greatest salmon fisheries that we’ve seen in years (Leland, 2026), and it’s almost like Griff is smiling down on us,” Collett said.
Collett admires Arend’s attention to detail that was second to none along with his love for fishing.
“ I’ve never seen someone that loved to fish like they him. (Griffin) would get done with charter season and wouldn’t go sit. They’d get up at 2:30 in the morning and fish the river for salmon for two weeks straight … I’ve never seen that kind of love and passion,” Collett said.
“We’d have kids on the dock, and his nickname was Uncle Griffey, he was just great with the kids. Any kid that needed help he was there,” Collett said.
This is the second summer Mega Bite has been in Fishtown.
MegaBite didn’t shut down after his passing because they don’t think that is what Griffin would have wanted.
“He would of said get your butt out there and keep fishing, you know, that’s just who he was. Griffin was full of life. You can’t ask for a kid that was more full of life and loved fishing … words can’t describe the type of person he is. (Griffin) would get done fishing 10 hours and go fish that night. And then get up for a charter and run a triple and then go mousing in the boardman for four hours, get an hour of sleep … I’ve never seen a kid fish like that,” Collett said.
