Biggest Fishing Celebrity you've met

[Jmcfarland]

Just wondering how many of you guys have met a fishing celebrity? I'm talking about anyone you may have seen in bassmaster magazine or is a fishing icon. I have so far only met in person Louie Stout. I met him at a local gas station in northern, MI this fall. Nice guy and didn't even know who he was until after I was done talking with him. I was a little star struck even, after I found out who he was. He had his bass boat in tow and when I see a boat and I'm on coffee break at work well.... lets just say I turn into our public relations manager. He talked to me like I was every bit as good a fisherman as he was and I even tried to give him a few pointers on what the fish may be doing. As I said I didn't know who he was until he had to go. I asked him his name he said "I'm Louie Stout"  I said "oh Louie Stout like the guy from bassmaster" and he replied something like "yeah Louie Stout from bassmaster" that's when I figured out who it was. He was running late to get out fishing and I had to get back so the whole thing only lasted maybe 5 minutes but I'll never forget it.

[djkimmel]

Louie Stout is one of my favorite persons. Super nice. Been a Michigander for a while now.

[fasttrack]

KVD (of course, do that get any bigger than that?!) I worked for a place when he was starting his pro career and we filmed a couple commercials with Kevin. One was for Seeley Ford in Kzoo and the other for Nichols spinnerbaits, I believe. We also produced a show he had for a couple seasons called Great Lakes Angling Adventures. Anyways, I remember meeting Kevin and Randy at Big Boy for breakfast before a shoot. They realized they forgot something at the store so Kevin and I drove back to D&R to get it and chatted along the way. Once we finished shooting the commercial, we all went back to D&R and filmed some more to do a commercial for Randy. I was even in it (drawing a bow back, etc). Neither one of them would probably remember that, but that's my 2 minutes of fame.
The next best time was with Mark Martin and Gary Roach. We were supposed to go do a walleye ice fishing show but weather stopped us. So we filmed stuff in the studio with them instead. Got to go to Meijers with Gary and buy some fish fillets, then we filmed a session of him cooking with his new (at the time) namesake batter mix. Good memories!

[djkimmel]

Roach batter?

[djkimmel]

Keep the stories coming!

[Durand Dan]

I fished an Everstart tournament on Lake Champlain back in 2003. The first day I fished with the guy who won, Allen Cauthen. The second day I was paired with Dion Hibdon. Friday evening I met Guido Hibdon and his wife. The whole family was traveling together and staying in a camper. Well the next morning remnets of a hurricane canceled the second day and I was on my way home! Talk about bummed. But I sure didn't want to fish in 8 ft waves

[djkimmel]

I remember you and few others talking about that one.

Thinking about various stories over the years... I remember one day going in to pay for gas at a station in Clewiston and Roland Martin was in there with his girlfriend. cameraguy talked to him quite a bit. I went back to the truck because I was on a mission. I was surprised that he is shorter than I expected. That was the week I came in from one of the tournament days and cameraguy told me he had a date later that night with Roland's ex-wife (guess the shopping trip to Roland Martin's Marina went well...?) I don't recall cameraguy actually leaving the motel that night for any date though... That was 9 or 10 years ago.

[djkimmel]

I wonder if I said David A Rose, he'd come over here and join?

[dartag]

Kevin Barrows..     Lola has his photo in her dog bed.

[Skulley]

I have met KVD of course.  If your from Michigan and fish, you have probably met him.  I have also met Gary Klein.  His daughter and my daughter were born on the same day in the same year making both girls 16 now.  I wonder if Gary is having the same issues with his 16 year old that I am having with mine?!?!  I have also met Ray Scott, Roland Martin, Jimmy Houston, Ken Cook, Peter T, Mark Martin, Dan Kimmel    , Mike Iaconnelli, Jim Bitter, Rich Tauber, Hank Parker, Tony Beane, and more that I just can't think of off the top of my head right now.  


BD                  

[Genie]

Dan Kimmel in the 2010 Fall Open ....

[joshimoto son]

A few years ago I was lucky enough to qualify for the Forest Wood Cup as a co-angler. Quite literally, my wife agreed to make that trip our honeymoon since we had just got married a couple months earlier. So we headed to South Carolina. After three days of practice (fishing practice!!!) Racheal and I were at the banquet/tournament meeting carrying all the good free stuff I recieved going through the registration line trying to find a table to eat dinner at.

As we were standing there surveying the room, a couple of ladies overheard us talking about our dilema and invited us to sit down with them. They said their husbands were out and about and would be joining us soon.

As it turns out, they were the wives of Larry Nixon and George Cochran. As we ate dinner, George asked me if this was my "first time" (fishing!!!!) and my lack of response was more than enough for him to formulate my answer as he chuckled at me. It was a dinner that I really didn't want to ever end as we talked about hunting and fishing mostly and a little bit about Michigan when they asked me were I was from. The hole experience was sureal and I will never forget that moment.

I've been very fortune to have met and fished with a lot of the people we see on TV and in magazines. I think I'll save some of those stories for later.

joshimoto son

[djkimmel]

Kevin Barrows..     Lola has his photo in her dog bed.

Which end of the bed does she keep the picture at?!?

[djkimmel]

I did not know we had so many comedians on the site...

[Dan]

I guess the most memorable experience and the person who had the most impact was Ray Scott. I got to spend the night at his place and fish his ponds. Ray's youngest son cooked dinner for us, and we ate in Ray's Kitchen. We spent the night talking with Ray and Don Corkran (Former Fed Nation Director). Lots and lots of stories. (If you never have read Ray's book, Bass Boss, you need to. Very good read on several levels.)
Ray was someone who put you at ease immediately. We met him in his office, and he then took us around Pintlala to visit several places. We then toured his estate and had dinner.  
We spent the night in his guest house. He built it to resemble a mountain cabin. When we walked in to hit the hay, he had set up the kitchen table with a huge basket of goodies. There were pictures of all kinds of famous folks who had stayed there before hanging on the wall.  
The next day we fished and then went for an early dinner in Montgomery. Ray was, classy, extremely generous, knowledgeable, personable, honest, historical, and very appreciative of the every day angler. He is a strong advocate for the Federation.
After Ray, I have had the pleasure of spending an entire day in the boat with Marty Robinson, Matt Herren, Kenyon Hill, Tommy Biffle, Derek Remitz, Shaw Grigsby, Dave Wolak, Clark Rheem, Kevin Wirth, Cliff Crochet, and Britt Myers. I've also had lunch twice with KVD. He filmed last year for a day at a private lake that my buddy has access to. He set up the filming when he drew Kevin at the Wheeler event that he Marshaled.
I am planning on Marshaling the Pickwick and Wheeler events in 2011 and will be adding another 7 or 8 more Elite Series pros to the list. I really enjoy the opportunity to connect with them, and watch them fish. A lot of good talk time. Some really great guys.
If you're interested in seeing the pictures from my Marshaling experiences I have it all blogged out day by day. Check out the archive section of my teardropbass.com blog.  
January 4th, is the first day of registration for 2011 Elite Series events. A chance to sign up to Marshal and ride a day with an Elite pro.

[jcox7]

I am actually really good friends with a few my wife and I have stayed at there places as they have stayed at mine while in town however the biggest name I have met was durring the TBF Junior Championship in Pitt.  I actually got lost walking in Downtown Pitt with Jimmy Houston he was sure we needed to go one way and after walking like two miles out of our way we finally asked a cop and he gave us a ride back to the hotel that was like 5 miles the other way the walk went fast however with his funny stories about Hank Parker

[thedude]

kvd - but the story is pretty good.

fishing a tournament right before the TBF qualifier on muskegon. Fishing along some docks when a guy goes walking past me and Cy down the dock. Stops, turns around comes back and says "hey get out of my fishing hole". Apparently he and the fam were staying on a big boat there. We could see the z9 in a slip a few docks over. Shot the shizzle for a while and went he went on his merry way. We were both just like "huh, well that don't happen everyday...."

[karol]

 let's see, doug stange at lunkers, babe winkleman there too, gary roach, spence petros, and joe bucher. all at lunkers fishing extravaganza-first weekend in march. Bob mesikomer at the first indiana muskie classic.Pete mania, crash mullins.
at grand rapids, saw the redheaded wonder-Dan and the master of st. clair, wayne carpenter. jimmy houston in south bend- what a nut!!my biggest celebrity i saw in a national paper was me for my 44" muskie back in "03" but i didn't get my autograph- rattss!!

[oldjigger]

Over my 35 years of fishing tournaments I have met quite a few.  but last year at Freedom Outdoors open house after the first day Scott the owner had dinner catered in.  Well for 2 + hours I set in between Kelly Jordan And Denny Brauer, with Mike McClelland setting accross the table.  There were a lot of stories told in that situation that yu don't hear at seminars.
PS  Kevin Barrows was there too

[Revtro]

I used to go to those Bassmaster Universities and have gotten to meet many and get lots of signatures on my hat.  Denny Brauer, KVD, Mike Iaconelli, Mark Menendez, Larry Nixon, Jimmy Houston, Shaw Grigsby, Zell Rowland, Ray Scott, Mark Davis, geez... too many to name.  I have been blessed to meet so many awesome fishermen and role models.

I think the most memorable was Mike Iaconelli.  I met him at one of those Bassmaster Universities and after the event, I wandered up to him to chat and to my amazement, he not only gave me his undivided attention, but took a lot of time to answer my questions and give me some of his extensive knowledge of fishing big water.  He didn't act bothered or short on time.  He was super nice and willing to chat with the "average Joe" as long as needed.  He was very kind and extra encouraging.  I left that day feeling like "this guy who seems so hyper on TV is really a nice, genuine guy".  I really like it when big names don't forget about the average guy. 

In contrast, I was one of the last people at a Pistons game a couple of years ago and we had 2nd row tickets right by the Pistons bench.  After the game, we were allowed to hang out and I tried like crazy to get the attention of a former player turned announcer and he wouldn't even give me the time of day, an autograph, or even a nod acknowledging my existence.  I thought that he was a real jerk who obviously forgot who the fans were that used to cheer him on and support his career.  Nice.  But Iaconelli was different.  It was an awesome experience.  A few years later I read his book and got a lot of insight into the kind of guy he is.  I recommend it...it was a good read.