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Best Bass'n: |
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“A
Taste of Victory” |
Best Bass’n:
By Bill Decoteau
“A Taste of Victory”
A very wise friend once told me that
good things happen to good people.
It never seems to amaze me however
that his statement seems more out of
focus than in focus! That is until
this year……………when I witnessed a
good person rise to the pinnacle of
competitive bass fishing.
First let’s start with the word
‘good’, we all use it but do we
really know what it means? Turning
to the book of Daniel, Daniel
Webster that is, we find the word
‘good’ can be utilized in many
ways…noun, adverb, adjective, so
lets forgo the English class and
just list a few definitions that
frame our Mr. Good! Better, best,
morally excellent, kind, friendly,
cheerful, amiable and the phrase
that fits in this scenario,
advantageous, satisfactory for the
purpose: a good day of fishing.
Our Mr. Good is Gary Clawson of
Portsmouth, NH, a man who has
devoted his time volunteering as a
Boat Captain for the New England
Paralyzed Veterans of American Bass
Trail for many years. “Gary’s work
ethic is above and beyond any we
have witnessed before. He never
ceases to amaze us with his constant
concern for our disabled American
Veterans, and as our New Hampshire
liaison, he has helped to develop
one of the most organized and
enjoyable stops along our regional
Bass Trail,” says Tiny LaFontaine,
tournament director of the New
England PVA Bass Trail.
(www.nepva.org)
Gary Clawson, however wears many
hats and the NEPVA Bass Trail is
just one of them. Working with the
New Hampshire’s B.A.S.S. Federation
Nation’s Junior Bass Clubs, Gary has
mentored many of the states top
youth anglers via his inspiring
positive attitude and never ending
compassionate smile. (www.nhbassfednation.com)
Competing on a variety of highly
competitive bass trails throughout
the 2007 bass trail season, Clawson
somehow managed to find time to take
his little daughter out fishing
regularly to a nearby river at least
once a week, attend six New England
Paralyzed Veterans of American Bass
tournaments throughout New England,
compete within New Hampshire’s elite
B.A.S.S. Federation Nation’s
qualifying tournaments, as well as
New Hampshire’s legendary Bubba Bass
trail! (www.bubbabassin.com)
And this doesn’t include the open
and benefit tournaments Gary
attended!!!
Rick Clunn, can be quoted as saying,
“The hardest and most difficult way
of qualifying for the Bassmaster
Classic is through the grassroots
B.A.S.S. Federation Nation
qualifying events!” Nothing can be
truer as a trip to the Bassmaster
web site,
www.bassmaster.com, will
enlighten you to the long and
competitive journey an angler must
travel, throughout the year spending
just about every weekend on the
water, competing within their state
and regional waters.
“All I ever wanted to do was just go
out fishing, share my interest with
others and maybe if lucky enough
collect a check here and there along
the way,” says Clawson. Gary
Clawson’s compassion for the sport
of bass angling is contagious and
his good deeds have not gone
unnoticed! According to Diane
Johnson and Steve Kokai, owners of
Reel Time Designs, LLC, “When we
first met Gary we knew right from
the first cast he was the type of
team-individual we desire to be on
our Pro Staff. Our commitment to
growth is with the youth and support
of our military personal centered
around the development of fishing,
and Gary Clawson portrays everyone
of these attributes!” (www.reeltimedesigns.com)
“Obviously, we were thrilled when we
received the news from Gary
informing us that he had qualified
as a member of the New Hampshire
B.A.S.S. Federation Nation State
Team, and that he would be competing
in the B.A.S.S. Regional on the
Connecticut River as a non-boater.
(Only the top 6 members get to
utilize their bass boats in
competition.),” replied Diane
Johnson.
“However”, interjected Steve Kokia.
“When Gary finished the B.A.S.S.
Federation Nation’s Regional on the
Connecticut River in Hartford, CT.
and was crowned the #1 Angler on the
New Hampshire State Team, we
practically jumped through the roof
we were so excited!” Not only had
Clawson earned another accolade to
his resume, he was Florida bound for
the B.A.S.S. Federation Nation
National Tournament come November
8-10th! It is here where six of the
Nations Top Federation Anglers have
the ultimate opportunity of a
lifetime…a berth into the February
2008 Bassmaster Classic. “There is
no higher pinnacle or dream come
true for any Bass Angler. And I will
never forget my Classic ride in
2007”, voiced Chris Novack
Connecticut’s Federation Nation’s
2007 Classic Contender. (www.CTBass.com)
Sitting down with Clawson, it was
easy to see why this guy is so well
liked and admired among his
colleagues. Soft-spoken words of
kindness seemed to flow within every
sentence and yet somewhere in
between those polite words I sensed
a true sportsman with an underlying
zeal to excel in the world of
competitive bass angling. Listening
as Clawson replayed his three-days
of regional B.A.S.S. Federation
Nation competition, it was obvious
he took advantage of every
opportunity. “At first I was a
little concerned since I was
competing from the back of the boat,
but then I realized that in every
New England Paralyzed Veterans of
America Bass Tournament my NEPVA
partner has to cast behind me all
day long, and they always seem to
catch bass?”
I’m sure that most of this catching
had something to do with Gary
Clawson’s mentoring advice! Either
way once again the Portsmouth native
reflected a humble imagine like no
other. Gary’s photographic memory
during the BASS Regional
Championship on the Connecticut
River, allowed him to focus in on a
particular underwater rock pile he
had discovered while competing in an
NEPVA Salute to American Veterans
Bass Tournament earlier in the year.
“As my boat partner cruised down the
shoreline with the swift current, I
was able to position myself in the
back of the boat to make a precise
cast and it paid off big time,”
recalls Clawson who carried two bass
to the scales on the first two days.
“Going to the scales was my ultimate
goal”, laughed Clawson, as he paused
for a moment. “You see my bass
fishing hero Mr. Ray Scott was on
stage during the weigh-ins, and all
I wanted was me to get a picture of
myself on stage with Ray Scott the
B.A.S.S. Founder!”
Well as fate would have it ‘Mr. Good
Guy’ Gary Clawson’s day three
four-bass limited catapulted him not
only to the top of the New Hampshire
State Team’s Leader Board, it also
placed Gary Clawson in a series of
photographs and television clips
standing right next to his Bass’n
Hero………….Ray Scott, along with the
other eastern Division Leaders from
each state.
Gary Clawson also finished second
overall in the NEPVA Boater Division
thus qualifying for the October
6&7th Northern Bass Supply TOC on
Lake Winnipesauke. Gary and his New
England PVA partner Rick Nelson
finished #1 among the four TOC NEPVA
Teams.
At the time of this article Gary
Clawson was preparing himself for
his B.A.S.S. Federation Nation
National Championship on Lake
Tohopekaliga, Florida. There are 55
anglers in six divisions; the top
angler in each division will advance
to the coveted Bassmaster Classic,
scheduled for February 22-24, 2008
on South Carolina’s Lake Hartwell.
God Bless and Best Bass’n
Northwood’s Sporting Journal
Office: 1.207.732.4880
www.sportingjournal.com
Column: Best Bass’n
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