My Life on the Road

When I first got into bass fishing, I had no clue where it would take me. What started out as a hobby fishing ponds and creeks in my neighborhood turned into me towing my boat across the country to fish against some of the best collegiate anglers in the world.

It all started when I was four years old, and my dad took me fishing for the first time. Little did he know that his decision to take me fishing that day would be the beginning of the greatest passion of my life. I still reflect back on my early days of fishing, as I am so thankful that my dad introduced me to such a great hobby.

Sometime when I was around 12 years old, my passion for fishing became so strong that my parents decided to sign me up for a local high school bass fishing club. I ended up spending 6 years in that club and went on to become the president during my final year. I fished over 75 tournaments through that club, and many others on the side as I became and older and more skilled fisherman.

Now that I am a student at the University of Tennessee, I travel all over the country fishing in competitive tournaments hosted by a variety of organizations. I have also gotten to explore many other states during my travels back home to Northern California, where I stop and fish select lakes from each state. Some of my favorite states to fish in are Texas and Alabama. This year alone, I have caught some of the biggest bass of my life on Lake Fork in East Texas.

Some other states with notable lakes I have been to are Florida, Oklahoma, Arizona, and Arkansas. I like to say that I am slowly but surely visiting every place in the song "Everywhere", by Johnny Cash. Some places I plan to visit and fish next are Lake Murray in South Carolina and Lake Sam Rayburn in Texas. Both of these are for the Bassmaster College Series, the most competitive college bass fishing tournaments in the world.

Although I do enjoy living a life on the road, there really is nothing better than coming home to a warm bed and a hot meal. It really takes a toll on me both physically and mentally being on the road for so long. Being crammed in a truck, stuck on a boat, and sleeping in hotel rooms is not the most comfortable life. To think that there are people without a home of their own or a guaranteed meal really gives me a different perspective on life. I may act like it is a tough life traveling all across the country, but many would consider that to be a luxury.

Knowing that there are people who would sacrifice everything they have to live a life like mine saddens me, as I just see myself as an ordinary guy with a cool hobby. That is why I am glad to be running a campaign for the Volunteer Ministry Center. The VMC does the lord's work here in Knoxville, by giving those struggling with homelessness an opportunity to build a better life.

For additional information on the campaign and the Volunteer Ministry Center, you can visit this link: https://gofund.me/9aa4b8d3