As the all-time leading money winner among female bass anglers, it’s no surprise Pam Martin-Wells recently won the LBAA event on Bull Shoals. Far more astonishing. However, she claimed victory with a Toyota sun buff covering her bald head because she had received her third chemo treatment from defeating ovarian cancer just days earlier.
“There is no doubt that I am here because of the good Lord! So many factors took place from diagnosis to surgery that could have only been from the hand of God,” says Martin-Wells. “I had a CT on a Tuesday followed by an MRI and a CA125 blood test all in one day. All of which were pre-certified by insurance the same day. That doesn't happen. Only God can make that happen,” she insists.
Ten weeks after major abdominal surgery, buoyed by faith, her family’s encouragement, and competitive determination, Martin-Wells put a Stanley Top Toad and Spro Popping Frog to work on Bull Shoals to generate explosive topwater strikes that lead to victory and a Toyota Bonus Bucks check.
“My last Tundra had 300,000 miles on it before I traded for the 2021 Tundra I’m towing with now. You can’t beat the reliability, towing capacity, and comfort you get from a Tundra. As a tournament angler, Bonus Bucks makes Toyota the only logical choice for a tow vehicle,” says Martin-Wells, who continues to serve as coach of the Emmanuel College bass fishing team.
Often associated with her ability to hold her own among male anglers, including making the final day cut at the 2010 Bassmaster Classic, perhaps Pam Martin-Wells is creating an even more admirable chapter to her storied career. She is sharing great bass fishing wisdom with her college anglers and, more importantly, inspiring them to live well while never forgetting to give credit to those who buoy and guide us when life’s inevitable storms hit.
To learn more about the Emmanuel College Lions fishing team she coaches near Lakes Hartwell, Lanier, and Clarks Hill, visit https://goeclions.com/sports/fishing. And to make sure you’re eligible to win Toyota Bonus Bucks, please visit https://www.toyotatrucksbonusbucks.com/.