Hank's Dad
Well-known member
I've been on here a while but there seems to be some confusion about who I am or what I'm about. So....
I'm a lifelong fisherman who spent countless days fishing with my father and grandfathers. On Nov. 14, 1996, I became Hank Lowrie's dad. As soon as he could I had him fishing. At 2 he caught his first fish with no help. He cast out the little Zebco, set the hook and reeled in the fish by himself. At 4 1/2 he caught a 5 lb largemouth in my grandfather's old pond on a crappie rod with a Zebco 33 and a Pop-R and it was over from there. He quit little league baseball over it. At 5 he won the bream division of the Take A Kid rodeo on Tims Ford.
At 6 he says to me "Daddy, I want to fish a tournament." I had never fished a tournament before that. I found the American Bass Fishing Club and we fished a couple of one days. At least one we went home early. The next year we fished 3 or 4 and still went home early sometimes. One Feb tourney, fishing out of my Pro Crappie 175, we were making the run from the ramp down Tims Ford and I turned and looked at him and stopped the boat because he was shaking. When we stopped I asked what was wrong. He was crying and said I can't feel my hands. We went home early that day. We kept going though and he grew more and more competitive.
Between 2006-2007 ABC folded and was reformed into the National Bass Fishing Trail. By the end of the 2007 season I had to take over the director's position to keep the local district going. I took it over and began to grow it. In 2011 I became a member of the national board for NBT as the Junior Director to further help the kids in the program.
In all these years I've won 2 tournaments, one by another getting a dead fish penality. I think I've been in the money five times or less counting the two wins. Many times if the fishing is tough on any given tournament I've quit and just let Hank fish because I didn't want to catch something that would hurt his chances to win. If I would have caught it it would have blind luck but I didn't want that to happen either. So MANY times I've paid my $55 and just gave it away to the adults because I'm there for Hank. And I'm not a tourney fisherman no matter how many I've been in.
Last school year I got Grundy County High to approve a bass team for the school to compete in the TBF high school fishing. There's scholarships kids can win through this program and all Hank wants to be is a tourney fisherman. I'm thinking it would be better to do that after the college trail.
Besides that I've spent the last 21 years covering high school and youth sports in part time jobs. Full time I've worked for the state for the last 12.5 years regulating child care and adult day care, and before that I worked for a non-profit working with adults with disabilities for 7.5 years. I'm also a 101st Airborne Division, Desert Storm veteran. I host reunions for my old unit annually on my family's farm and keep as many as possible from 63rd Chemical Company in contact as possible.
To make sure I'm being clear I'm into tournament only for Hank and the other kids. And for anyone thinking you want me to make a fishing report on here..... I can give you great tips on how to tear stuff up and how to have to work 3 jobs to pay for it. Other than that if you want to catch fish and want me to show you, you'll have to come to grandpa's pond.
David.
I'm a lifelong fisherman who spent countless days fishing with my father and grandfathers. On Nov. 14, 1996, I became Hank Lowrie's dad. As soon as he could I had him fishing. At 2 he caught his first fish with no help. He cast out the little Zebco, set the hook and reeled in the fish by himself. At 4 1/2 he caught a 5 lb largemouth in my grandfather's old pond on a crappie rod with a Zebco 33 and a Pop-R and it was over from there. He quit little league baseball over it. At 5 he won the bream division of the Take A Kid rodeo on Tims Ford.
At 6 he says to me "Daddy, I want to fish a tournament." I had never fished a tournament before that. I found the American Bass Fishing Club and we fished a couple of one days. At least one we went home early. The next year we fished 3 or 4 and still went home early sometimes. One Feb tourney, fishing out of my Pro Crappie 175, we were making the run from the ramp down Tims Ford and I turned and looked at him and stopped the boat because he was shaking. When we stopped I asked what was wrong. He was crying and said I can't feel my hands. We went home early that day. We kept going though and he grew more and more competitive.
Between 2006-2007 ABC folded and was reformed into the National Bass Fishing Trail. By the end of the 2007 season I had to take over the director's position to keep the local district going. I took it over and began to grow it. In 2011 I became a member of the national board for NBT as the Junior Director to further help the kids in the program.
In all these years I've won 2 tournaments, one by another getting a dead fish penality. I think I've been in the money five times or less counting the two wins. Many times if the fishing is tough on any given tournament I've quit and just let Hank fish because I didn't want to catch something that would hurt his chances to win. If I would have caught it it would have blind luck but I didn't want that to happen either. So MANY times I've paid my $55 and just gave it away to the adults because I'm there for Hank. And I'm not a tourney fisherman no matter how many I've been in.
Last school year I got Grundy County High to approve a bass team for the school to compete in the TBF high school fishing. There's scholarships kids can win through this program and all Hank wants to be is a tourney fisherman. I'm thinking it would be better to do that after the college trail.
Besides that I've spent the last 21 years covering high school and youth sports in part time jobs. Full time I've worked for the state for the last 12.5 years regulating child care and adult day care, and before that I worked for a non-profit working with adults with disabilities for 7.5 years. I'm also a 101st Airborne Division, Desert Storm veteran. I host reunions for my old unit annually on my family's farm and keep as many as possible from 63rd Chemical Company in contact as possible.
To make sure I'm being clear I'm into tournament only for Hank and the other kids. And for anyone thinking you want me to make a fishing report on here..... I can give you great tips on how to tear stuff up and how to have to work 3 jobs to pay for it. Other than that if you want to catch fish and want me to show you, you'll have to come to grandpa's pond.
David.
