Phone Fishing

by Melissa Clunn

One aspect of professional bass fishing, that I never expected is the amount of time my husband spends on the phone. Early on I knew what dock talk was, but didn’t anticipate all of the phone conversations. I personally do not enjoy talking on the phone, but it certainly in an almost daily event for Rick and other anglers I would imagine.

And who is he talking to he might ask? Well, other anglers, of course. From all over the country. There is a consistent flow of phone calls, all varieties of them. Long ones, short ones, the ones that come in rapid succession.

I can sometimes tell who he’s talking to by his tone of his voice, or the smile on his face. There’s always a smile when Cody Huff calls. Or as we jokingly call him, Ricks other son. Rick adores Cody. Their relationship is extrermely important to Rick, and it remains a very strong source of positivity in his life. Watching Cody grow as an angler has been incredibly satisfying for Rick. I have noticed that most of the people Rick converses with are of a younger generation. I think there’s definitely a reason for that. Positive attitude and new ways at approaching things.

The cast of characters in Ricks life has definitely changed over the years. People that used to call, don’t call anymore. People that Rick used to call, don’t show up in his address book anymore. Things change, people change. That’s life.

One thing I have observed, and discussed with Rick on multiple occasions is, the sharing of information between anglers. He’s expressed to me that he has watched tight groups of anglers over the years. Sharing information within that group, almost as a team. Details, fishing spots, and what they are catching them on. It eventually causes problems. One person does better than another, jealousy creeps in, and people start keeping secrets. There’s always someone in the group that continues to share, and there’s always another who takes the information but doesn’t reciprocate. It’s just so complicated.

I know Rick has learned the hard way, many times, about who to share with and how much information is too much. I’ve seen him lose friends because of it. He definitely studies human nature. Watching one of his friends give false information to another just to get an advantage in the tournament. It’s really kind of sad, but I guess that’s the only way you find out who your friends truly are sometimes. It’s not what you say, it’s what you do that counts.

As I have listened to Ricks “phone fishing” over the years I have noticed a couple of things.

If he calls someone before tournaments or the off limits starts, he’s very careful to ask non-specific information. He loves gathering details about water level, water temperature, etc. Sometimes I hear talk about what baits were talked about on stage during recent local weigh ins. What has always amused me is, no matter what people tell him, he always fishes the way he wants anyway. His style. I don’t know why he asks questions if he wasn’t going to adjust how he was fishing in an event. I can remember multiple times over the years him telling me how an event would be won and maybe even who would win it before the event started. It was freighting how often he was right.

When I would ask him, “ Is that how you where fishing?” the answer would usually be “no”. Realizing that he was going to do things his way (even if it meant losing tournaments) was something that drove me crazy over the years. I now realize it is one of the most amazing things about him. Rick recently told me that during those thousands of phone conversations, he wasn’t just listening to what the angler were doing to catch their fish, but also to what they were not doing….wow…just when I think I have him figured out he throws me a curveball. I will never completely figure this man out, and I wouldn’t have it any other way.

He’s always been adamant that he and he alone is responsible for his success and failure. That way you have no one to blame but yourself. No excuses.

Keeping things non-specific with whoever he’s talking to on the phone. Not asking for too much detail and making things uncomfortable. I know Rick has felt used by people in the past, and I know he tries hard not to make other people feel the same. He once told me,” don’t make someone have to lie to you.” I intuitively understood what he meant.

He only talks to people he trusts. When you hear an angler say one thing on stage and see them doing something different on the water… the trust is gone. He’s always told me, if you are not going to be honest about what you’re doing, don’t say anything at all. Don’t lie, it erodes your credibility. Even though you have sponsorships, don’t get up on stage and say you caught them on a Spinnerbait if you really caught them flipping a jig.. I hate to perpetuate the thought that most fishermen are liars, but if the shoe fits. When I asked Rick a couple of years ago, who he trusted the most when it came to providing accurate information, he said without missing a beat, Takahiro Omori. He was the one person that had never omitted, or given him bad information. T.O. is a very respectable and steadfast friend. Although his career has taken him in a different direction, Rick still considers him one of his greatest friends.

Rick absolutely enjoys a listening to a good fishing story. I can’t even imagine how many hours of conversation he has logged listening to them. “The one that came off right at the boat”, it’s always a favorite. I shudder to calculate how many fishing stories I have heard at this point in our marriage. If you ever see me glazing off in a public setting, it’s probably due to the fishing subject matter. Frankly I could probably tell some of Rick’s stories for him…but I know you would rather hear them from him. He never forgets a detail when it comes to fishing. ( but he does struggle with anniversaries and birthdays despite the fact that he had my birthday tattooed on his left wrist to help him remember…he still forgot)

Last week Rick reached out by phone to Lee Livesay about a tackle question. He is always so gracious to share his experiences and opinions with Rick. Concerning this matter, Lee didn’t have a direct answer for Rick. Instead of just telling him he didn’t, he called around to his friends and connections, and got back to Rick with an incredibly detailed answer. Rick was shocked. He couldn’t believe that Lee had taken his valuable time to gather information just for him. He was so impressed. Lee is quickly becoming one of Rick’s buddies for sure. Again, only talk to people you trust.

So, just to sum things up, if you marry an angler, chances are they are going to spend some time on the phone. I’m thankful Rick has friends in the industry. I’m thankful he has people he trusts. He’s happy when people still call him for advice, and he is thrilled to have such smart, dedicated younger anglers in his life to share information with. The cast of characters in his life has changed over the years. Many of the people he used to call are no longer alive. It’s sad and I know he wishes he could have one more long phone conversation with them. ( Jerry McKinnis, Ed Pardon, Guido Hibdon, Mike Dyes, Big Dave Smith, just to name a few ) Thankfully, there’s new friends that don’t mind spending their time telling stories with him on the phone. Keep making his phone ring boys. The worst thing in anyone’s life is to feel left out, or left behind. ps. just don’t call the house between 1:00 and 2:45…thats his nap time.

Happy 50 Years of Fishing

I asked Rick to write the first blog for his new website. The focus of the blog was going to be about his 50 years of fishing anniversary in 2024.

A week went by, then another week went by, and then a few more weeks went by. Normally, he’s very responsive to my requests, but he was strangely unmotivated.

I started paying attention to his mood, and it didn’t take long to realize that he is struggling. This big anniversary is definitely overwhelming him.

When we first started counting the years, and realizing this huge anniversary was approaching, Rick asked me not to tell anyone. He wanted the year to go by without anyone knowing. I just couldn’t fathom that. I am blown away by how long he’s been fishing competitively and I truly wanted him to receive recognition. Him not so much.

If any of you really know my husband, you know he is shy. When we first met, he told me a story about getting called on in class. Apparently he was so shy as a child that he cried when the teacher would ask him questions in front of the other students. If you look at pictures of him as a kid, you can see it in his eyes. He’s never completely comfortable with lots of attention. I also feel he’s afraid this season will be emotional for him and showing emotion has never been something he’s comfortable with.

Rick admits he wasn’t very good at sports growing up. He felt like he was a bit of a disappointment to his father who wanted him to be an athlete. Until he discovered competitive fishing in his mid-20s, Rick had never really ever excelled at anything his father deemed important. The feeling he got when things were going right on the water, the ability to spend time in nature, and finally having something and his life that provided a feeling of accomplishment was a game changer. He dove in and gave it everything he had. And to be frank, I think he still does.

That super skinny little kid who never felt adequate in a sports arena was now a skinny adult dominating in the fishing arena. I listen to people who knew him in his 30s tell me about the laser focus he exhibited. The intensity, the single minded pursuit.

During a visit to our ranch several years ago, Stacey King told me ,”Rick was always a little “different “”. I had to laugh, because I knew exactly what he meant. Rick is sensitive, despises confrontation, and could be perceived as selfish , that is, unless you know are incredibly generous he can be. But when it comes to his life and his passion, he would never let anything or anyone stand in his way. Ricks family and close friends know this. It’s something you have to learn to accept when you love someone like Rick. Those who have something in their life they love as much as Rick loves competitive bass fishing. It’s who he is, and I would never forgive myself if I ever did anything to interfere with that. The gift of knowing exactly what you want to do with your life, and getting to do it is an incredible concept to me. I honestly feel lucky to live with, and witness someone like him. He isn’t perfect, he’s human, but some of the qualities he possesses are downright incredible.

I guess the point I’m trying to get to is, it’s OK to be a complicated human being. It’s OK to be uncomfortable with the spotlight, but still want to succeed with every fiber of your being. It’s OK to get emotional when something touches you deep down inside. It’s a benefit to be different, not a detriment.

Even though it’s impossible for me to speak for him. I do know that I am married to a human being, who looks at this 50 years of Fishing anniversary with so much amazement and gratitude that it’s almost impossible to express. I know he never dreamed when he started that his career would last this long. I know he’s thankful for his health that allows him to continue to work incredibly hard on the water. I know he’s thankful for the ability to connect with nature in a way very few other people have the time to do. I’ve heard him express so many times how grateful he is for the people he has met throughout his journey. All the different prototypes of human beings that have showed him it’s your character, that matters. Not who you are, or what you have monetarily. And I think most of all, he’s thankful for the lessons he’s learned about how to be a decent human being. You can strive for what you want and succeed. It doesn’t have to be at the expense of other people.

Rick has a story about Forrest Woods that I’m going to ask him to share as his first blog. It will explain his philosophy about using other people in your career. Keep an eye out for it, I’ll keep pestering him until he writes it.

Please be patient with my husband during this 50 year celebration. He’s not a “pump his fists and yell “ kind of guy when he celebrates. He takes it all in, marinates on it, and his outward expression may not change a lot. But if there’s a grin on his face, ( or he raises his eyebrows) I guarantee you he’s feeling the love on the inside.

Thank you to everyone who’s taking the time to read this. Thank you to all the people that genuinely care about Rick’s accomplishments from the past, and in his future. Thank you for every positive thought that has been directed his way over the years. We are grateful, we are blessed, we feel the love.

Happy “50 years of Fishing” to my amazing husband. You drive me crazy, but I love you with all my heart.

Success

“It’s not man that disappoints me, but it’s the lack of man in man.” Ralph Waldo Emerson.

It’s natural that we compete against each other for life’s resources; food, water, shelter, fire, mates, position, etc. How well we compete determines, in our mind and others, what we call success. The measuring board of life can determine if you are successful, a keeper. Unfortunately, we put so much of the materialistic part of life on the scales of success. We forget to weigh how we treat our fellow humans in the process.

My experience in fishing is a microcosm of the two sides of success. The early tournament formats of drawing a different competitor on the tournament days was a crash course on human behavior. You had to be part psychologist and part mind reader. You had to determine whose boat you would use, often determined by the flip of a coin. You had to determine how to efficiently allow both anglers half of the day fishing on their water. It did NOT always turn out well. Sharing the boat with thousands of other anglers you had never met before was a true test. The successful anglers had different theories on what was the best approach.

At one of the early B.A.S.S. tournaments I observed, at the second day weigh-in, this conversation between a young angler ( who was currently leading the event) and his Mentor, a Legend in the Sport. After the young angler and his partner for that day walked back to their boat ,the partner reached out and shook the young angler’s hand and thanked him for a great day on the water. When the young angler’s partner walked away, the Mentor walked over and stated to the young angler, “If your partner tells you he had a great day, you f#@&ed up”.

I will never forget that day. The Mentor was truly a very successful pro, but I did not want to believe that treating your partner poorly was the only way to be successful. That day motivated me to become successful but never at the expense of another human being.

A few years later I was at another B.A.S.S. event at Kentucky Lake and Forrest Wood walked up to me and said, “I want you to know, that as long as I am in the business, you will never be without a boat.” I thanked him but walked away confused. I was currently with the largest boat manufacture in the world at that time, Glastron Boat Co. Several months later the Oil Embargo of the late 70’s put Glastron out of business. I lost them as a sponsor. A couple years later I went with Skeeter Boats. I went to Forrest to apologize for not accepting his previous offer. He was so kind and didn’t hold a grudge for my new boat sponsorship choice. He kindly conversed with me and I asked if he was worried about the state of the economy. I will never forget what he said. He stated, “No I am not. As long as I treat people right and make a quality product, there will always be 3000 people who will buy a Ranger Boat.” He was right. Forrest Wood’s success was never at the expense of those around him. He always had my respect.

I continue to observe the two faces of SUCCESS through out my career at all social levels. There will always be those whose success is at the expense of others and those who success elevates those around them. I truly believe that the quality of your life will be a direct reflection of this choice.

My middle child, Sage, asked me the other day what I was most proud of in my fishing career. I hope its been having a positive effect on those around me.