For many, fishing is a leisurely hobby that isn’t taken too seriously. For junior Tyler Whitley it has become a fierce passion.
This year alone, Tyler and his friend Cody Kemp have participated in more than 15 tournaments.
They teamed up for the nationwide Fishers of Men tournament hosted on DeGray Lake this year and won it with a total catch weight of 21.10 lbs.
“It was nerve-wracking for us while they were doing to weighing [of the fish],” Tyler said. “That was probably the most exciting tournament we did this year.”
The winning didn’t end there. Among other tournaments, Tyler and Cody also won the Get5Bass Summer Series at DeGray Lake.
Tyler is industrious in his fishing and claims that he will throw back most of the fish he catches and “hope that it’ll stay in that area and come back” so he can catch it to make money off of it in a tournament.
“We [Tyler and Cody] cashed a check out of the majority of our tournaments,” Tyler said. “We had a really good year. Last year we were just learning. We did a lot of extra fishing this year.”
Tyler got his love of fishing from his dad who was in many tournaments in his youth. Both his parents went fishing together, but Tyler’s mom was happy to step aside when her son came along.
“God gave me a son so I don’t have to fish with my husband anymore,” joked June Whitley, Tyler’s mom. “I never did like it.”
Tyler does not remember a time when he did not have a fishing pole in his possession. Tyler’s mother remembers how mesmerized he was with his first fishing pole.
“When he was a little boy, he’d take his rod and reel out to the yard and practice casting,” June said. “He wanted to get more accurate.”
Tyler uses his talent for fishing in a surprising way. His major is graphic design, and he wants to design outdoor emblems.
Being out in nature so much, he is a perfect candidate for the job.
