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When It Comes To Walleye, Obama Won't Bite

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) - President Obama's former personal assistant has penned a new book revealing some of the president's likes and dislikes. He loves exercise and basketball. But fast food and mayonnaise made the list of dislikes.

And one of his least favorite meals is a Minnesota favorite.

Obama is known for his healthy lifestyle, but he'll try most foods. Like when he loved the Juicy Lucy from Matt's Bar.

But to the shock of Minnesota fish lovers, he hates fried walleye.

"Walleye is a very neutral tasting freshwater fish," sous chef Jamie Bosch said. He prepares 40,000 pounds of walleye a year at Lord Fletcher's Old Lake Lodge on Lake Minnetonka. "I always say, 'It kind of tastes like how you prepare it.'"

The president's former assistant, Reggie Love, shares some savory details about the commander-in-chief in his new book.

Love never lived down serving the president fried walleye.

Any "dubious" meal Love served the president thereafter was met, the book says, with, "At least it's not fried walleye."

According to the Department of Natural Resources, walleye is the most sought-after fish in Minnesota. It is, after all, the state fish. Each year, anglers in Minnesota keep roughly 3.5 million walleye, totaling 4 million pounds.

"He hasn't had the right walleye," one diner said. "I can have steak at home, but I like the walleye."

But the president isn't alone.

"I don't like walleye [either]," another diner shared,

To be fair, it was Iowa walleye. It wasn't Minnesota walleye.

Reggie Love's book is called "Power Forward: My Presidential Education." It's due out in February.

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