The trail to Mississippi River Monsters (MRM) for David Wood and his fishing partner Hugh Thompson passed through the 2016 Catfish Conference. “I attended the Catfish Conference to learn more about the sport,” explained Woods. “I kept in contact with Steve Douglas and found out about the Memphis tournament through that.”
Thompson lives near Ackerman in Choctaw County and Woods lives near Ethel in Attala County. The central Mississippi team saw the MRM as a chance to participate in their first tournament near their home. They accepted the challenge of the Mississippi River in true outdoorsmen fashion. Woods and Thompson (aka Tractor Man) spent 3 nights camped out on the river.
“Camping is usually what I do when I can,” said Woods. “I like to be close to the water to get the most out of a day. The weather was very nice with a breeze keeping the bugs at bay for the most part. We camped about 7 miles upriver on a sand bar created by the rock jetties. I have found that situation to be a very safe place to camp.”
For anglers that want to give camping a try, Woods makes it sound inviting. “It’s a must to get camp set up before dark,” advised Woods. “You want to start with a tent free of bugs. Cooking over a fire is a nice change of pace after a day on the river. An air mattress and the breeze off the river with barges going by makes for a nice night of sleeping.”
The new tournament anglers were very impressed with the MRM tournament and the Big Muddy. “I fell in love with the Mighty Mississippi River,” said Tractor Man. “I met leaders in the sport like George Young Jr., David Shipman, Bill Dance and too many more to name. I watched and learned bass fishing from Dance as a child.”
“Honestly it was the conversations with Larry Muse that meant more to me than anything,” continued Thompson. “That man has a passion for catfishing and love for Christ and mankind that are beyond measure. I left, not just with new knowledge, but new ways of thinking and a new found appreciation for the word professional.”
“It became clear to me just how much precision and skill that Muse has with a rod in his hand. He inspired me to set goals I may never fully reach, but every step I make towards achieving them will certainly have a huge impact on my skills as an angler. I’m very thankful to him for his time and for the long days and nights everyone put in to make the Mississippi River Monsters tournament happen.”
“The tournament was ran in a professional and efficient manner,” added Woods. “It was enjoyable for all no matter where they placed.”
There are many important elements contributing to the growth of the sport of catfishing. Sharing experiences is one. Whisker Whackers Catfish News and Views intends to be one of those contributors to the sports growth by sharing positive stories like this one related to a couple of dedicated catfish anglers and their trip to the Mississippi River Monsters catfish tournament in Memphis.
