This One’s For You, “Billy Bob”
While most of you were either tucked away in your homes watching it snow or were out on the ice somewhere catching fish, my good friend Michael Tuvell (Provo resident) and I were at Sand Hollow Reservoir, just a little northeast of St. George practicing and eventually fishing a team fishing event. I dedicated the tournament to my great friend, Robert (Billy Bob) Johnson, who passed away in December of 2018 following a courageous battle with cancer.
Billy Bob introduced me to Sand Hollow years ago, and if it were not for his friendship, I would have never decided to fish tournaments near his adopted home in Hurricane, and especially in the middle of winter.
The trip from Provo (although wet) was no real problem and we made it to our motel in Hurricane Wednesday afternoon before the really big snow began in earnest. Our plan had always been to practice on Thursday and Friday, and then fish the tournament on Saturday.
Snow on Palm Trees
We awoke Thursday morning to three inches of heavy snow coating the palm trees as well as the truck and boat and instinctively questioned our sanity as we headed to the reservoir. Not only were we the first boat to pass through the entry booth at Sand Hollow State Park, we were the only boat until 2:00 p.m. on Friday.
Undaunted, we scraped off the snow, put on every stich of clothing we brought, launched the boat, and began our first day of practice. The temperature was 26 degrees but the wind chill made it feel like 18, and quite literally, it snowed on us almost the entire day. Luckily, largemouth bass don’t mind biting in the cold but they will rarely be found shallow. So, my trusty fish finders were our friends as we watched the bottom in 30 to 50 feet looking for bass.
It only took an hour or so before we caught our first fish, a 2.89-pound largemouth that struck a jig Michael fished. I followed up with a fish of my own on a drop shot rig using a small minnow-type bait.
We spent
seven hours on the reservoir, found some quality fish, and in honor of “Billy
Bob,” we fished many of the waypoints he and I found nearly a decade ago.
“Billy Bob” was a dedicated and deliberate angler, and above all else, was
thrilled to teach others to catch fish. Several times on Thursday, I turned to
Michael (who never had the privilege to know “Billy Bob”), and told him story
after story of specific fish caught under each of the GPS waypoints.
Friday morning, we awoke to no new snow but a temperature of 16 degrees, according to my weather app. Amazingly, we caught quite a few fish as the sun began to warm the air and the wind calmed. Then, just after Noon, a cold, 20-mile-per-hour wind directly from the north chased us off the water. In the two days of practice, only one other boat dared the elements for about an hour before getting blown off too.
Tournament Victory – Thanks to Billy Bob
Saturday, as we began the tournament, it had warmed to 26 degrees and the wind was calm. Michael and I capitalized on the areas we fished the previous two days and easily caught our four-fish limit for the day. We culled several times and ended up winning the event with 11.96 pounds of bass, including a 3.72-pound “kicker” fish that clinched the victory.
I absolutely love Sand Hollow. And, even though this particular trip was perhaps the coldest of my life, the bass still cooperated and we were able to catch quality fish. “Michael,” I said, as we accepted the trophies and the money for 1st Place, “’Billy Bob’ was somewhere close by, smiling as we caught fish in the spots he showed me years before.”
Thank you, “Billy Bob” for your friendship, your dedication to the sport, and your willingness to share your knowledge with me. I miss you, big guy!
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