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Angler Terry McWilliams written
by Jerry Saffold - Jul 16, 2002
This is the first in a series of
future articles to follow. The purpose of these articles will be to
introduce some of Indiana's finest bass fishermen, to those who may
have heard their names but can not put a face or personality to the
name. Hopefully it will also benefit them by giving exposure to
current and possible future sponsors. With any new item the task of
finding a starting point is often a difficult one.
Because Indiana has so many outstanding bass fishermen as well as
quality people this task might have been difficult however, I have
the benefit of being personal acquaintances with some of the best of
the best! I feel very fortunate to consider a few of them as my
friend. I can think of no better choice than the man whom I have
chosen to profile first, no conversation about Indiana's best bass
fishermen could take place without mention of his name. His
character is beyond reproach, while his success speaks for itself.
With this in mind I would like to begin this series with a profile
of Mr. Terry McWilliams.
Who is Terry McWilliams? Well let me start by saying that he is 52
years old. A devoted Husband to his wife Pam for 34 years now. A
father to his 2 sons Dennis age 34 and Darrel age 31. He is also
known as Grandpa to his 3 grandsons courtesy of Kelly and Abby his 2
Daughter in laws. I know that these boys Brody 7, Jacob 5, and Caleb
9 months enjoy spending time with their Grandpa, but I think that it
is Grandpa who has the best time. Terry has told me on several
occasions that his favorite hobby is playing with his grandsons.
I will not list all of Terry's numerous achievements as a bass
fisherman mainly because he has so many that it would take up to
much space for this article, I will just say that he has a very
successful career that keeps getting better. Since I can not list
all of his achievements I did ask him to tell us what he is most
proud of in his life? The answer without hesitation, "his family and
his decision to accept JESUS CHRIST into his life". As far as his
success on the water …he lists the 1990 Indiana Bass Federation
Angler of the Year as his greatest honor. I might add that he was
also the rookie of the year.
So how did he get started fishing? Well he has an interesting story
about his start in our sport. It seems that he lived near a gravel
pit that he was never supposed to go near! And about 2 evenings a
week he would go to the pit, sit on the bank and watch as an older
gentleman would fish live shiners in treetop. While the man only
caught about 1 fish a month Terry was impressed with how much the
man seemed to enjoy himself. That led him to take up fishing at the
age of 12. Then in 1967 when he graduated from High School, His Dad
gave him $100.00 that he used to buy a 14ft steal boat with a 5hp
Wizard motor. He then started fishing in salt creak, he would launch
his boat from the road at the old blown out bridge up in pine grove.
He says he fished until about 1977 or 1978 before he found out that
there was a lake around there.
In 1980 Terry began Club fishing and in 1990 he began fishing the
Federation. Terry is known for Jig fishing and lists pitchin a
black/blue Rattleback jig as his preferred method of catching fish.
(A personal observation…I have seen a few better at presenting a
bait, but Terry is far and away the best I have seen at catching
fish on a jig. His concentration and ability to detect a bite while
deciphering what the jig is telling him is what makes him the best.)
Does Terry model his fishing style after another angler? No…Does he
have a pre tournament routine? Sure, I have seen it work. He will
sit in his boat and prepare his rods and tackle for the next day
then head to town for a good dinner and hit the sack in the back of
His "custom made van". So there it is … a secret revealed! Terry has
worked for the Indiana State Police for 35 years, he currently works
as the fleet manager. His goal is to retire in 2 years, fish and
play with his grandkids. His schedule this year is quite full, he
will be or has fished the following events. The Federation National
Championship, Walmart Everstart Central Division, the Ranger
Millennium, Walmart BFL Hoosier Division, Indiana Bass Federation
Invitational's, the Dave Hire benefit, and the Mike James benefit as
well as the Seniors Bass Circuit and the Tuesday evening tournaments
on Geist Reservoir. That should keep him in good form, wow that's a
lot of fishing.
In Closing I asked Terry what he would most like for people to know
about him that they may not have Already known, the answer? "That I
am a Christian Angler and that hopefully my lifestyle and actions
show that. Also if anyone does not know JESUS CHRIST as their
personal savior, if I can help explain or be of any help please feel
free to contact me." A fitting response from our friend Terry
McWilliams.
Terry is currently sponsored by Ranger Boats, Mercury Marine, Teds
Aqua Marine, G-Loomis Rods, Solar Bat Eye Protection, Mere Image
Sports Wear, ECS Anchor Supply, the Indiana Troopers Association,
and most recently by INDYBASSIN.COM. Should anyone interested in
sponsoring Terry I am sure that all of his sponsors would advise you
that he is a great ambassador for their company and would be for
your company as well.
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