50,000 Fish and Counting (12-18-2006)

[rsimms]

I had the honor of fishing with Bill Wills today. We've been "electronic friends" for years. Today was the first time we met in person... fortunately it was at the lake. Mr. Wills is a hardcore angler, and a hardcore statistician. He's been keeping incredibly detailed records of every fish caught from his boat since he retired here in 1994. This year Mr. Wills' broke the "50,000 fish" barrier.... that is 50,000 fish captured from his boat in the last 12 years (almost all released, by the way). If you don't like math, that equals an average of 4,166 fish per year. We added 31 to his totals today. You can read more details about Mr. Wills in Sunday's Chattanooga Times Free Press.

 

[DHaun]

Wow - Congratulations Mr Wills! If you are still after them after 50,000 I figure that certainly proves the longevity of the sport. Although I have had some years where I did not go at all, I don't think I'll ever get tired of fishing. emoThumbsup

 

[paulj]

Congrats on 50,000 fish. Does he break it down to species, temp, water temp, size and all that good stuff? That would be interesting if he did and look at the trends over the years. Rsimms, you need a nice big, red, Georgia Bulldogs shirt for Christmas.emoBigsmile

Paulj

 

[TennesseeTalker]

Mr. Wills has an amazing accomplishment! I can't imagine catching 50,000 fish in 12 years! How cool that he has a record of it. It would be interesting to see the biggest, the most, the smallest, the least.

Wish I could peruse his records just for fun.

Looks like you fellas had a fine time. Made me smile to look at the pictures.

TT

 

[Biofisher I]

That is amazing. I would love to spend a day or two on the lake with this guy. He has a wealth of knowledege that anyone could benefit from. There are only a few days of the year that he doesn't score a major catch. Thanks for making a mark that we all hope to one day achieve. I hope that he is writing a book. I certainly want a copy.

 

[shocker]

Good story there Mr. rsimms, can't wait for the paper to read more about the love for fishing he has. Congrads to Mr. Wills.

 

[flip1up]

You know most of us have had fads come and go over the years but I'll bet alot of yall are like me. The one thing that has been present in my life since I was able to walk, fishing and the pure passion for it. 50,000 fish and counting, my hat is off to you sir, congrats.

 

[polo-dog]

I just hope that I'm able to fish when I get a couple of years older like Mr. Wills.