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tournaments can all add up.” But the prize money is
incentive enough to keep fishermen in the game. “That
may be why there are so many fishing teams in schools
now. A lot of young people are getting into the sport.
Those programs are impressive. They must have an adult
sponsor to go out and supervise the students while they
are fishing. The schools now have big tournaments, and the
students travel, and advance up the ladder. There are a lot
of scholarships available for those who do well.”
Tommy has spent a good amount of time teaching
fishing techniques through B’n’M Poles and Bass Pro
Shops. “For one week every year, there are fishing
seminars taking place at 75 to 100 different locations.”
Tommy has also taught fishing at the Mississippi
Natural Science Museum.
As a member of the Magnolia Crappie Club, Tommy
says he is seeing more and more husband-and-wife
fishing teams as well as a good number of fathers and
sons. “The Crappie Club has chapters in a lot of southeastern
states. Our club is the oldest – we have been in
existence over thirty years.” The Magnolia Crappie Club
fishes ten tournaments a year at local lakes and reservoirs
around the state. They also work closely with the
Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks.
“They do studies on growth and numbers, and we push
them to do more.”
Tommy says his favorite thing about fishing is being
out on the water at sunrise. “It is always different, but it is
always pretty and peaceful. I try to be the first one there,
about thirty minutes before sunrise.” He enjoys fishing in
the Ross Barnett Reservoir, Grenada Lake, and in the
oxbow lakes off the Mississippi River. “I also have a
friend who has a place at Eagle Lake that I like to fish.
I probably fish three or four days a week.” He says that
over the years, he has fished from Mexico to Alaska and
many places in between.
Retired from working in the grocery business as an
executive for Jitney-Jungle, Tommy has been married to
his wife, Linda, for 51 years. “She doesn’t really like to fish,
but she loves eating what I catch!” Tommy says he goes
deep sea fishing two or three times a year, and he takes
his family to Destin for a week each year in June. He and
Linda have two daughters, ten years apart. “I have two
young grandsons coming up, ages three and five, and
I’m going to introduce both of them to fishing!”
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