Captain/Deckhand Hayden Schaber was born in 2002 to Mike and Laura Schaber in St. Charles, Minnesota. He grew up hunting and fishing for everything available near his grandpa’s farm, instilling a love and appreciation for nature at an early age. He continued to pursue those hobbies after high school and was lucky enough to meet captain Jack McNamee at Bemidji State University. The two became fast friends. Jack and family presented Hayden with an opportunity to join the AU team in 2022. The rest is history. Hayden fell in love with Alaska and all it had to offer by the end of his first summer.
Hayden worked for three years as a deckhand for Captain James, the first two aboard Story Teller and then breaking in Purple Reign in 2024, He then decided to dive a little deeper and earned his captain’s license at the start of 2025. He is, “very eager to return to Sitka and keep helping his guests catch fish and provide smiles.” The new captain is looking forward to this coming season and providing our guests the best experiences possible.
In the off season Hayden builds houses back home in southeastern Minnesota. When he isn’t busy swinging a hammer, he can usually be found hunting, fishing, or on his way to catch up with the rest of the MN Angling Unlimited crew (which most of the time includes hunting and fishing as well!). Hayden also likes to spend his free time brushing up on his sports facts, specifically his Minnesota sports teams.
Favorite quote “ In every walk with nature one receives far more than he seeks”- John Muir
Sitka, Alaska, 99835