Young or old, having heroes is a true blessing. In the bass fishing world, heroes play a vital role as ambassadors to our sport. Looking back on my life and career, I recognize how truly blessed I am to have been inspired by some of the very best.
It was my grandfather who first introduced me to the joy of fishing. My grandfather, dad, and uncles were my first fishing heroes, for which I will be forever grateful.
But I was further blessed with many other fishing heroes, and inspirational professional bass anglers like Roland Martin, Bill Dance, and Billy Westmoreland. Their names filled the pages of early 'Bassmaster' magazines and the outdoor sections of newspapers.
Raised in Maiden, N.C., I had some local heroes who hailed from my neck of the woods—expert anglers like Blake Honeycutt and Mr. Buck Perry. Buck wrote several essential books on structure fishing before most of us knew what structure fishing was. And Blake was a friend of Mr. Buck Perry.
Blake Honeycutt was a highly successful professional fisherman who mastered the Buck Perry method of deep water structure fishing long before Hummingbird and other depth finders became commonplace. He used to live not far from where I grew up, and I'd see him at weigh-ins on Lake Wylie. As a result, I carefully watched, studied, and followed his every move, and Blake became one of my early heroes.
Blake was a great ambassador for our sport, and positively influenced many people, including myself. In 1969, he set a new record on Alabama's Lake Eufaula, catching 34 bass with a combined weight of 138-06. The fantastic photo of Blake and his giant stringer of bass made an everlasting impression on me. It left me dreaming about how someday I would love to do something like that.
Bobby Murray, whom I watched from a very young age, joined my list of bass-angling heroes. In 1978, on Ross Barnett, he won the first Bassmaster Classic that I ever competed in. I will always admire and respect Bobby as a champion... and as a great guy.
Bill Dance, Jerry McKinnis, Roland Martin, and Jimmy Houston have not only been great ambassadors for the sport, but each of them paved the way for me and others to make a living in terms of television and bass fishing. I owe my foothold in the business to these television pioneers. Each of these legends has my greatest respect, admiration, and gratitude.
As I said earlier, young or old, having heroes is a true blessing. But as important as having heroes, it is equally important to step up and become one. I believe that every angler has both the potential and opportunities to become a fishing hero.
Wherever I go, I challenge every bass angler, regardless of their level of expertise, to be a great ambassador for the sport by simply taking a neighbor fishing. In my opinion, the simple act of sharing your angling knowledge and the joy of catching fish, makes you a bass fishing hero.
It is a fact of life that our communities are filled with single parents; a lot of them are single moms who don't have a clue as to how to take their kids fishing. As an angler, you don't have to be a professional fisherman to take them fishing. And you don't have to have a long resume of tournament wins to share the joy of our sport.
The fact is, there is nothing simpler than taking a kid fishing.
Taking a kid fishing promises every angler an opportunity to positively impact the life of a young person, and the future of our sport. It is an unfortunate fact, that many of us forget how simple it is to take a young person fishing, and we don't always get around to reaching out. But the missed opportunity to become a fishing hero is easy to remedy.
In my life, I have noticed one essential thing: regardless of age, fishing positively touches people. Whether I am fishing with healthy kids or children struggling with diseases, whether I am fishing with toddlers or the elderly - there is one inevitable outcome that always results from catching a fish: everyone smiles. I don't care if you are 2 or 102, when you catch a fish, it makes you smile. And that is pretty awesome.
We all need heroes. They inspire, teach, and bless us in our lives. And when given the opportunity, it's equally important to become a hero, which is what every angler becomes when they put a smile on the face of a child or neighbor by taking them fishing.
For more articles, quick tips, and much more, visit HankParker.com.
