The Big Step

"Discipline is knowing what you want."

There was no doubt that I wanted to fish tournaments and wanted to become a better fisherman, so now what. About two years ago I thought that I had to have a boat to fish tournaments but after reaching out to several bass clubs I found out about the boater/non boater format. Basically, most clubs are draw format which means that there are usually a certain number of boaters and non-boaters. Before the tournaments, there is some kind of lotto and the two are paired. You share the spots you go to (if you have any) and you share the trolling motor time (if you ask for your time up front).

After meeting with two clubs, I found out one was more competitive and a guy in the other club told me when I asked about them "those guys are just out to compete and win money and are affiliated with the Bassmaster Federation." He said that his club was more about getting together and fishing with good guys." I instantly knew where I would fit in. I wanted to win, I wanted to play against and learn from the best. I didn't care about stepping on toes (more about that later). I am a pretty out going person but when I went to The Birmingham Bass Club meetings I was nervous because I really didn't know what to expect. I asked a lot of questions and the guys were actually really great. I had to fish with two of them and then they had to vote me into the club. My first trip was with a guy named Eugene. He was super nice and really told me a lot about how the tournaments and club worked. We went fishing on Logan Martin and didn't catch squat. It was January and I wanted to impress him but that wasn't happening. These reservoirs were totally different from the bayous I grew up fishing so school was in session. My next trip was interesting to say the least, a gentleman (tongue in cheek) named John Nolan was my next ambassador and we were going to practice for a tournament and then fish a club tournament on Lake Jordan, AL. John was amazingly funny and was the perfect person for me to fish with because he told it like it is and shared his knowledge with me since in his mind he could "beat you with his or beat you with yours". He didn't care what anybody thought and did what he thought was best, he also voiced his opinion loudly. He was abrasive, hilarious, cocky and a damn good fisherman- needless to say I really liked him. Everything was happening so fast and now I was about to be in a tournament. I had met several people that told me it was no big deal, but I wanted to set the world on fire. I found out quick I had a lot to learn. The big step was acting on what I wanted to do. I got out of my comfort zone, was joining a club so I could fish tournaments, and before I could blink I was actually going to be in a tournament.



I was a know it all, John Nolan was about to teach me a lesson.

The Beginning

I have fished my entire life. I was raised in South Louisiana and grew up fishing the rivers on the North Shore of Lake Pontchartrain. My grandmother Evelyn Baham lived in Folsom, LA and had several farm ponds that I loved fishing in. I spent many weekends with her and she would always take me to her ponds even when she was tired, probably because I bugged the mess out of her. The same goes for my Dad and Mom, I aggravated them day and night to let me go fishing, buy me this lure, book, reel, video, it was never ending. I am indebted to them for ever for spending time they didn't have to so I could get my fix.

It was hard to get me to come in once I was out there fishing, no matter how long I had been out there. My parents had no problem letting me indulge since after all there are much worse things to be addicted to than fishing- so they thought. I had a Bassmaster membership at probably 8 years old and have amassed an impressive collection of information that I love to read. Once college came along my passion never died but it was put on hold while I went through my rights of passage. After school I got a job in Birmingham, AL and moved out of Louisiana for the first time at age 23. I worked very hard and have moved up through the ranks by always doing the very best I could and taking care of my customers and my employees. After 5 years of climbing the ladder, by chance my parents bought a house in Nashville, TN on the banks of Old Hickory Lake. I would spend endless hours fishing at the marina and it struck me like lightning. Why did I only go fishing when I went back to Louisiana? I live in Birmingham, which is considered by some as the Bass capital of the world. I loved to fish, it was my favorite thing in the world to do, yet I was spending less and less time doing it all the while living at the epicenter of bass culture. I started reading again, surfing bass club web sites, cleaning my gear, getting new gear, going to local lakes and fishing Old hickory.

I had been reinfected with the fever but where do go from here? I had never fished tournaments and didn't even have a boat to use in Birmingham. I sat down with my wonderful wife Kelly and had a talk about my passion and told her I wanted to start fishing again and that I wanted to dive head first into it. I wanted to invest a lot of time and become a better angler. She told me to go for it and she was behind me. I don't think she would have been so receptive if she would have know what I thought "go for it" meant.


Amberjack that I thought was going to pull me over board.


My Dad and I pretending to know how to fly fish in Colorado. Before I left this trip I did catch a nice Rainbow which until them I wasn't sure if they really existed.


The fam


My grandmother

My wife Kelly and son Maxwell Fisher