No X-box, just a tackle box.
Thirteen-year-old Connor King has a passion for fishing. Connor hails from Mt. Vernon, Indiana, where he lives with is mom and dad, Jennifer and Wayne King. “He fishes pretty much every day,” reported Jennifer.
After school on weekdays he fishes for bass, blue gill, and crappie in a pond in his backyard. On weekends, he catfishes for fun on the Ohio River with his dad. As far as catfish knowledge is concerned, Connor looks up to his dad. “He has taught me everything I know,” says Connor.
When summer rolls around he fishes a lot in lakes around Mt. Vernon with his Grandpa Keach. He fishes for catfish in his home waters of the Ohio River and has travelled as far as Barkley Lake in Kentucky for catfish.
“My favorite place is right here at home on the Ohio River,” said Connor. “This is where I caught my personal best 50-pound blue cat.”
It is probably not by accident that Connor has a passion for catfishing. He names it as the number one priority around the King household. “We all agree with him,” confirmed Jennifer King. “We schedule and plan all our vacations around fishing. We live by a credo of faith, family and fishing friends.”
Connor attributes his passion for the sport to plain old fun and the thrill of the catch. “When you are reeling in a fish you get the adrenaline rush that sends you over the edge,” declared Connor. “It’s like nothing you ever felt before. I even love going bait fishing.”
The excitement and anticipation of tournament fishing is attractive to Connor. It started at the early age of 7. In those days, mom would back the trailer and park the truck. Connor has progressed in his boat handling abilities to the point where he now drives the boat off the trailer and back on at the end of the day. Now Wayne does the trailer backing and mom is taking care of other duties.
“Tournament fishing was totally Connor’s choice,” explained Jennifer. “Wayne and I had been fishing tournaments before Connor started. He had to make some really hard decisions related to playing sports. If he played, and there were Saturday games with his friends, he would miss fishing tournaments. Every summer he would think long and hard, but always choose fishing. I always tell him he has to keep his grades up if he wants to fish. He keeps making Honor Roll so I’m happy!”
“I’m getting less needed in the boat this year,” joked Jennifer. “That’s fine with me. Now I will be there at weigh-in to cheer them on and take pictures!”
“I like the competition and I love the take off,” explained Connor. “I like hitting the big waves, and of course I enjoy winning and getting some money.”
Connor also enjoys the social part of catfishing. “I like the great sponsors you get to meet and the people you get to know,” he said. “I really enjoy talking to all the sponsors and other fishermen at weigh-in.”
He describes his perfect day out fishing as 80 degrees and overcast. “I would be out fun fishing on the Ohio River with my dad and grandpa,” visualized Connor. “Of course, I would catch more than either one. It would be just a nice relaxing day. Then I would catch a monster and have to call Mom to stop shopping and come to the river front to take pictures. When I pull it out of the live well there are tons of people at the river front that see it and take my picture.”
Conner can be very proud of having 2 sponsors at age 13. He is a Jr. Prostaffer with Cabela’s King Kat and JKV Catfishing Trail. Connor often expresses his love for fishing with a favorite proclamation. “I don’t have an X-box, just a tackle box.”
