Memoirs of a Co-Angler

By Bill Poirier as told to Wille P. Coltrane

Dear Club Members,

     Chuck has been after me to write a story about my travels as a co-angler with the Bassmaster Tournament Trail. Guess it is about time I got down to business and did some creative narratives on the subject.

     I got started in 1996 in Elberton, Georgia, with friend and fellow angler, Jeff Hutchins. He had been signing up years before that and encouraged me to do the same. Jeff and I were both drawn for that tournament, and we traveled together to the tournament.

     It was November and very cold out. I fished with Mickey Bruce, Robert Tucker, and O.T. Fears III. I fell out of O.T.'s boat on the third day. He had no seat in the back for me and had his trolling motor on high. He jerked the boat to one side.

     I was changing crankbaits and stuck a big treble trough the meaty part of my hand when I was trying to brace myself when I stumbled, and rolled off the deck. I remember it in slo-mo detail as I went into the 40 degree water.

     O.T. got me back into the boat, and, after removing the treble hook from my palm, asked if I wanted to return to the dock. I told him that I had paid $400.00 so I could learn from professionals, and he had paid $1,700.00 for his entry. "If I start shaking, then you can take me back" I told him.

     I caught three fish that tournament and finished in 62nd place I think. It was an awakening for sure. O.T. did mention that I was the first co-angler to fall out of his boat. That's a distinction I didn't need.

     Fished in 1999 at Toho with Paul Elias, Gerald Swindle, and Kevin Wirth. They all caught their limit with me. I caught one fish with Gerald Swindle and finished in 90th place. He was a hoot.

     I had a terrible cold that week, and was standing on the back deck with my arms at my side feeling miserable. Gerald turned around and uttered those magical words "chunk and wind, chunk and wind" to me. No sympathy for me at all.

     Paul Elias and I were flippin' down a bank to our right. Coming the other way is Shaw Grigsby and his partner.

     Between Paul and Shaw there were no openings left unflipped. Shaw caught two fish after we passed him in water that we had just flipped. These guys are great.

     Fished in Tennessee in Megabucks that year at Old Hickery Lake with Randy Berringer and Jeff Barnes. Almost got in the money on that one. Finished 53 (payout was to 40 at that time).

     Fished in 2001 at Toledo Bend, Lousiana with Homer Humphries and Curt Lytle. Caught two bass with Homer Humphries, and missed a big one with Curt. We got fogged in the first day, and sat in Homer Humphries's boat for five hours until they officially cancelled the day. No paychecks in the first four tournaments I fished.

     2004 was a magical year. I got drawn for three tournaments in Alabama, and was 29 alternate for the Harris Chain of Lakes out of Leesburg, Florida. The Florida tournament was in January.

     On January 16th (two weeks before the tournament) I was called as an alternate to fish. Had trouble getting a motel room, and only got it for Wednesday and Thursday nights. I was going to drive back home afer weigh-in on Friday.

     I fished the first day with Jack Wade. Wonderful partner, but he was bed fishing in a canal for four hours, and I didn't catch anything. Finally gave that up and he went spinnerbaiting in Harris.

     I was throwing a 7 ½ inch Culprit Ribbontail Junebug worm in the Kissimmee grass and managed to catch one keeper one pound 12 ounces, and was in 119th place after the first day.

     Fished the second day with Terry Scroggins of Palatka, Florida. We were in a large pad field all day. He said that the bass were bedding at the roots of the pads. He was joined by Kevin Wirth, and Steve Daniels. They razzed each other all day. It was hilarious. I caught four fish that weighed 11 pounds, 11 ounces and found myself in 10th place at the end of the second day (the top 12 professionals and co-anglers fish the third day).

     After the second day, the 12 pros and co-anglers met in a room at Leesburg and got a box dinner, and were paired for the third day. Ron Massaro from Citgo came in and gave all of the co-anglers jackets, shirts, and a couple of hats, and said that if we were wearing the shirt and hat, on Saturday, and won the tournament we would get a years supply of gasoline. I shrugged that off as I was a good five pounds behind the co-angler leader and met my partner for Saturday.

     I was paired with Marty Stone of North Carolina. Great individual. I met Jerry McGinnis there also. He informed my partner and I that we were going to be accompanied by a camera boat and that we woud be "miked up". Great, I thought. I'll either fall out of the boat or say something really stupid. I'd like to report that I did neither, and that was a great relief.

     Forgot to mention that the weather was not the best during the first and third days of the tournament, but was somewhat tolerable.

     Marty told me that we would be flippin' the front edge of the Kissimmee grass with 10, 12, and 15 pound test line. I was relieved at that. A lot of the anglers fish beds in January, and that leaves little chance for the guy in the back of the boat to harvest any fish.

     We began our quest along the Kissimmee grass, and Marty had three fish by 9:00 a.m. I caught my first fish a little later. Marty was very supportive in encouraging me to fish a bit further back in the grass where he was not. A little while later we were fishing past a dock, and I threw up under the dock and got an immediate tug.

     I set the hook, and pulled out a 4 pound 10 ounce largemouth. Marty turned to me and said, "You may have just won a boat". I said, "No, I was five pounds behind when I stated today."

     He said, "You just made that up !" So I began thinking that maybe I am getting closer to the top. I caught one more fish in the afternoon, and was feeling quite good about being in the top four or five. About a half hour before we had to leave, Marty switched from a worm to Spinnerbait and caught about a four-pounder. He had already his limit, but that fish was the "kicker fish" he needed.

     We got back to the ramp on time. The twelve anglers and co-anglers were in boats provided by the Bassmaster folks so that everything would be equal on the third and fourth days.

     We co-anglers were dropped off behind the third base dugout at the local ball field. We then took our fish into the dugout and put them in water filled cattle type tanks with aeration and chemical additives for the protection of the fish. I noticed that there weren't a whole lot of fish caught.

     I met John Hendry of the Lakeland Bassmasters. He introduced himself, and, noting that he and I were the only ones with three fish, wished me good luck.

     Then I heard the biggest fish story I had ever heard. The guy who was in first place after the first day said that he had never been "skunked " before. Anyone who has bass fished has, at one time or another, been zeroed on a day on the water.

     The tournament director began calling us up on stage in the reverse order of the first day standings. I was the third one called up there. We were instructed to not wear sunglasses and to wave to the crowd in the stands.

     I figured I'd either fall going across the field or trip on the stairs leading up to the scales. Happy to say I did neither.

     They weighed my fish. I had nine pounds three ounces and a shot a "big fish" for the day. One of the announcers escorted me to the "hot seat" as I was in first place at the time.

     He asked me questions (I don't remember what) as the other announcer was weighing in the other contestants.

     John Hendry was in second after the first day, and after the other contestants had weighed in, I knew he was my main competition. He weighed in his three fish, and they were just over five pounds. He told me afterwards that, when he heard what my fished weighed, knew he didn't have enough to beat me.

     When I realized that I had won, I was in a dream world. I knew I had accomplished something great, but had a hard time grasping the significance of it all. I got the big cardboard Citgo sign with the years worth of gas on it. Turns out that was $1,090.00. Nothing to sneeze at, I'll tell you.

     I was interviewed by the local newspapers. It was one of the greatest triumphs of my life. It is so great that an organization like Bassmasters gives folks like me an opportunity to fish with the best in the world, and to have a chance to do what I did. The biggest factor in this whole deal is the luck factor.

     I consider myself a pretty good fisherman, but I have a mountain of learning to scale in order to get better. I am a very lucky angler.

     P. S. Marty Stone finished in 5th place on Saturday, and fished Sunday and won the tournament. I was sure proud of him. He confided in me that he had not even gotten a bite the year before. From zero to hero in one year. Way to go, Marty !

     I fished Lewis Smith Lake with Tom Burns and Randy Howell. Burns front ended me all day, fearing my great prowess as an angler. Ha ! Ha ! At least that is why I guess he did it. Maybe he is just a rude person.

     Randy Howell, on the other hand, was a class act all the way. I caught one keeper with him and finished 37th and got $766.67 back from that tournament. Did I tell you it was between 47 and 57 degrees during the tournament in February ?

     Did I tell you it rained all the first day, and that the lake came up 10 feet overnight ? Lots of hard fishing, to say the least.

     Randy came down to pick me up at 7:15 AM. He was late because he had boat problems. Automatic bilge did not work, and he was tied up to a dock overnight. Boat filled with water and ruined his cell phone and cordless drill.

     Next tournament was on Lake Guntersville. I fished the first day with Charlie Weyer, a "dude" from California who had won $102,000.00 on Smith lake a few weeks before. We were staying at the same motel so I met him at 5:00 AM. It was snowing out.

     I got in his truck to go to the lake, and he asks me how to get there. I always check out the routes to the ramps we fish, in case I have to meet my partner down there, so I knew the way. In all fairness to him, he had put in for his practice days at the closest ramp to the motel.

     On the way there he was explaining his $2,000.00 stereo he had one of his friends in Calif. installed. Outstanding sound. Got to the ramp, and many trucks that were at the top of the hill had snow on the roofs of their vehicles and on their boats. Cold day.

     Charlie blasted off and went 20 minutes down the lake. The only problem I encountered was that we were doing 75 MPH in the snow and cold. I was frozen after the 25 mile trip down the lake. First stop was to throw red Rat'L Traps.

     Red on Guntersville was the early cry. I tried one at the first stop. Neither one of us got a bite. Next stop I changed to a Chartreuse (ugly) Rat'L Trap, and began to catch fish. Put three in the boat in a little over an hour. I then had a really big fish on. Got him beside the boat, and Charlie tried to get him into the boat (no net rule in effect).

     Instead, I heard this yell from Charlie. The fish had come off and two of the treble hook prongs were in his hand. He pried them out, and bled most of the day.

     We left there and went to meet Jason Reyes at another location they had found in practice. Jason's co-angler had two fish of his own in the livewell. Jason had none. They decided it was co-angler day.

     I caught my fourth fish there, and lost another big one. Keep in mind that Charlie does not have any fish on board. We leave there and go back to where I had caught the earlier fish.

     On my first cast back I caught my fifth keeper. I had a limit that weighed 16 pounds even after the first day. Charlie got skunked. Many of the other pro anglers congratulated Charlie on his previous win and offered condolences for being brought back to earth so quickly. I was in fifth place after the first day.

     Fished with Elton Luce Jr the second day, and could only manage one fish. I fell three pounds short of fishing for a second boat. Finished in 20th place and got $1,000.00 for that tournament. Not too bad for an old angler.

     Went on to Lake Eufaula for the final entry of 2004. Fished with George Cocharan The first day and had four fish weighing just over six pounds, and was in 30th place. Second day was with Skeet Reece and caught zero fish. Finished the tournament in 60th place and got my entry fee ($650.00) back. It was a great year overall, and never to be forgotten.

     I got drawn for one tournament in 2005, at Lake Norman in North Carolina, near Charlotte. Fished with Tim Loper and Jay Yelas. Both great people and fishermen as well. Caught one fish each day. 2005 was the first year that "shared weight" was introduced. There are mixed feelings about that rule.

     Pros get five fish and the co-anglers get three. It was conceivable that a co-angler could win the tournament without catching a singe fish. I finished 65th and got my entry fee back (payout is to 75 anglers).

     I also fished the Bassmaster Series in the "Big O" Division. These are one day tournaments in 16 divisions around the country. I finished 18th and got to go to a divisional tournament at Clarks Hill Resevoir in Georgia that was a free entry.

     Finished 70th with one fish each of the two days. Top 24 fished the third day. The top ten from that days fishing will fish this year in Florida.

     That brings us up to 2006. I have been drawn for four Bassmaster events, and I am fishing in the Cypress division of the Bassmaster Series (four one day tournaments). I will provide a new story after the years is complete. Wish me luck !

     I want to take a moment to thank a few folks for making my dreams come true.

     First is Ron Ackerman who lived across the street from me and got me interested in bass fishing. We spent many days on Lake Seminole and Walsingham Reservoir catching black bass. Learned a lot from him.

     Jeff Hutchins and I spend several years as teammates in Outcasts and the Last Casts. Learned great stuff from Jeff. He got me interested in going to the big boy tournaments.

     And last, but not least by any means, the Clearwater Bass Club and all its members. I have learned from all of you, and will remember you always as my friends.