Billy Westmoreland......

[elnutsmalljaws]

Well guys I have been trying to find more information on Billy Westmoreland over the past couple of years and I finally hit the jackpot. I inqured to several people trying to find copies of Billy's shows without any success. I did run across a man that gave me Billy's sisters email address and I sent her an email a few weeks back. Her name is Sue and she replied to me the other day. She is in the process of moving from California to Hawaii. She gave me some really good information and said that she had forwarded my email to her and Billy's brother, Bobby. She also said she had several tapes that her son had shot with Billy and would let me borrow them when she found them after unpacking in Hawaii. Bobby emailed me soon thereafter with his phone and cell numbers. I called him and spoke with him for a few minutes but he did not have much time to talk. He called me back today and we spoke for over an hour. Bobby is still living in Celina and is currently building an apartment complex. He told me several stories about Billy and him when they were growing up together. He also told me that fishing was how they made money back when they were in high school. He said it was nothing for them to go out and catch enough Smallmouth to have over 50 POUNDS OF FILLETS, that they would sale to the local restaurants. How many pounds of Smallmouth does it take to end up with over 50 pounds of fillets. Made me wonder just how many 6, 7, 8, 9 and 10 pounders were caught back then. Bobby said the day Billy caught his biggest which was over 10 pounds, Bobby had landed 2 over 8 and 1 over 9 earlier that day but "Billy had to beat me as usual". Said Billy never got excited or anything over the 10 pounder. How many big fish does a man have to catch in his life to not get excited over a 10 pound Smallmouth. Bobby talked about them fishing together from daylight to dark and easily catch over 100 smallies a day with most of them over 3 pounds. Said that there was many times when they would quit because there arms and hands were sore. Bobby said that minnows were the bait of choice back then all year around. Said them Smallies "Just loved them minners". Bobby said it was nothing for Billy to be out rowing the boat guiding all day and bring back his client to the dock only to see some kid fishing from the bank and put him in the boat and take him out fishing. Bobby said Billy's heart was as big as his boat. Bobby said that all of Billy's fishing material had been confiscated by his widow and nobody had seen it since. Billy's widow and Billy's family do not speak over several things that I will not repeat. Bobby said all of his stuff could be at the bottom of the lake, could have been burned or could end up on Ebay some day. I had a very enjoyable conversation with Bobby and when I mentioned that I was coming down next week for 4 days to fish he invited me for supper. I accepted and we will be eating dinner together at his house Wednesday night. Can't wait to hear more about the GREATEST SMALLMOUTH FISHERMAN EVER, and from what I know an absolute Great Man to boot. I have said this before on this site, all of you that knew Billy were lucky. I only wish I was as lucky for I have a passion about catching Smallmouth and can only think how big Billy's passion was, for he pretty much devoted his life to the Smallies. I can't wait to get to Dale Hollow next week to chase "Them Ol Brownfish"

Tight Lines

[elnutsmalljaws]

Went down to Dale for a couple of days to pre-fish and fish a tournament this past weekend. Started out AWESOME for I had supper with Bobby Westmoreland, his wife and eventually his son Kenny stopped by as well. I am not going to go into all the details but they gave me a hardback book of "Them Ol Brownfish" with the original cover protector on it. Bobby's wife, Merc (Her nickname, I am terrible with names and this is what he called her, sorry Merc if you are reading this for not remembering your real name), gave me the book and a 8 x12 glossy of Billy taken on his back porch a few months before his passing. She said they found 3 copies and gave me one and was giving the other 2 to Kenny and Kevin, their 2 sons. Kenny and Kevin are the 2 little boys in the picture you find on Billy's book when it says his nephews. I felt very honored to get this book from them. I know how difficult it was to find the one that I purchased a year ago and was not about to turn it down. I never expected this and it was a wonderful gesture on their part. I asked them why they would give me one of the last 3 books to someone they had never met until today. Bobby said I could tell it when we spoke on the phone that you love to catch smallmouth just as much as any other person I know. Merc found it and we wanted you to have it.

Kenny actually became Billy's right hand man the last 20 years of his life, driving him around, making his arrangements and fishing with him all over the US and canada plus other countries. They told MANY MANY stories of his life, all of which were interesting. One was that Bobby and Billy saw the world record fish that David Hayes caught the same day it was caught. Bobby was also with Billy the day Billy caught the 3rd largest, 10-4 I believe. Bobby said he had caught 3 over 7lbs that day and Billy turned around and cast way out from the bank on this point. Bobby got on Billy when he set the hook and it never moved. Kidded him that he was hung until Billy said only one word "TROPHY". Bobby wanted to inject the fish with 2 lbs of water for in his words "You can't X-Ray water" Billy would not let him have it. The fish was mounted and hung in a restaurant in Celina after Billy's passing then it was knocked off the wall one day and broke. Some worker picked it up and THREW IT AWAY like a fool. Bobby also says that a large portion of the fish on the walls at the One Stop in Celina were caught by Billy over the years. Bobby was the biggest poacher there ever live in his own words. He said that he has laid the fillet knife to 100's of 5 pounders for food and to sale for money. Bobby would catch until they quit biting. Bobby says he has had the bottom of his boat covered, layered, with smallies to take and sale for money. Bobby also told the story of not having his fishing liscense with him and the Game Warden stopped him and Billy. Billy showed his but Bobby did not have his with him. The Game warden wrote Bobby a ticket and told Bobby he would also take his rods. Bobby said you better shoot me for I'm not stopping fishing and your not taking my rods. Becaues it was Billy's boat and Billy did not help the officer he wrote Billy a ticket for interferring with an officer or something like that. Billy had to go pay a $200 fine and they also took his liscense away. Billy had to writed several letters and petition each state to get liscense when he was still fishing the circuit for a long time over this. Bobby took his liscense in and the judge dismssed his ticket. Bobby said Billy was mad for years over this.

From all that I heard from these individuals did nothing but verify what I had heard and read from others. Billy was an outstanding fisherman and outstanding man. Kenny said to this day he thinks of "Uncle Billy" many times throughout the day. I also learned some possible disturbing matters in regards to Billy's passing that I will keep to myself that makes me wonder if he should not still be on this earth catching "Them Ol Brownfish". Either way, Billy is sitting in the nicest bass boat around, even though any old beat up John Boat would be fine with him, with his spinning reel in hand, rigged up with 4 or 6 lb test line, tied to a Hoss Fly with Rind on the best Smallmouth water in Heaven looking down on us as all. I caught a 5 pound smallie on Thursday and one of the first thoughts that went thru my head was how many did Billy catch off this same bluff in his life. I have said this many time before on this site, those of you that knew him when he was alive had a privelage that the rest of us wish we had. I would have loved to just sit and talk to him about fishing, not to get his spots or honey holes, but to talk to another person that has the bug like me. I will never be as good a fisherman as Billy. I probably will never live on Dale Hollow or get to fish as much as I want to. But I do know that every chance I get to chase them Ol Brownfish around, I absolutely LOVE it and would rather be doing nothing else at that time. My Wife and Kids come first in my life but my Boat and Smallmouth are part of the family as well. This goes out to each of us that has the bug in hopes that we all have TIGHT LINES.

Elwood

[zx150]

Sounds like a very nice evening! Thanks for sharing the story with us. I wish you would share some more of the mystery stories that you eluded to but did not finish. But if you don't I can understand.

[Chubminnow]

Elnut - Amen brother...

[stratosjoe]

Elnut , you did it again great storie made myn day good luck on them smallies. Do you ever fish KY lake for smallies?

[elnutsmalljaws]

I fished Ky Lake this past year several times for Smallies. Caught some decent fish at night on jigs, tubes, and short arm spinnerbaits. Also caught a couple nice ones C Rigging deep ledges. Tried the FNF one trip recently but chocolate milk water made the bite pretty much impossible. I caught 3 on the fly the first day then the water muddied up and wind blew terrible. Nothing the day 2 and 1 very impressive small KY Bass on day 3 (caught on texas rigged tube) (impressive because I actually got a bite not the fish size) Planning on hitting KY again before winter is up to give the fly another shot. Biggest smallie at Ky all year came in a small tourney in November 4-6 on tube main lake deep point. Never really caught the good quality fish at Ky like I have at Dale this winter. My first year fishing Ky so hopefully I will learn the lake more and more this year.

Tight Lines

[masterbaiter48]

elnutsmalljaws WELL DONE

[Devils Horse]

Hey El, thanks for taking the time to share with us. We're gonna have to go fishing again soon. This time we'll take my boat. Swapped emails with Billy Westmoreland once when I was dreaming about a guide trip, and he seemed like a nice guy.

[Lundman]

Why would someone who supposedly loves them old brown fish let his brother load the bottom of the boat with smallies to sell? He's no hero of mine!

[elnutsmalljaws]

Easy Big Fella, Bobby never said that Billy was with him when this happened. Bobby never said that Billy ever Poached a day in his life. Bobby said that in Bobby's own words, Bobby was the biggest poacher around. Back then that is how he and Billy made their money by catching and selling fish plus this is what they ate most of the time. You have to remember that the regulations were no where near as strict as they are now. Bobby never once gave me the impression that Billy ever poached a day in his life. Billy did catch fish for the freezer and sale them for money but never once said Billy did anything illegal. He even told me a story of when they were fishing at Lake Erie and they saw a guy that was perch fishing catch a smallie. This guy took a bat and bashed in the Smallmouths head as he said the word Trashfish then threw the smallie overboard. Bobby said that Billy just about walked on water to get to the guys boat to defend them Trashfish. Billy defended smallmouth until the day he passed.

Tight Lines

[Gaboy013]

Easy Big Fella, Bobby never said that Billy was with him when this happened. Bobby never said that Billy ever Poached a day in his life. Bobby said that in Bobby's own words, Bobby was the biggest poacher around. Back then that is how he and Billy made their money by catching and selling fish plus this is what they ate most of the time. You have to remember that the regulations were no where near as strict as they are now. Bobby never once gave me the impression that Billy ever poached a day in his life. Billy did catch fish for the freezer and sale them for money but never once said Billy did anything illegal. He even told me a story of when they were fishing at Lake Erie and they saw a guy that was perch fishing catch a smallie. This guy took a bat and bashed in the Smallmouths head as he said the word Trashfish then threw the smallie overboard. Bobby said that Billy just about walked on water to get to the guys boat to defend them Trashfish. Billy defended smallmouth until the day he passed.

Tight Lines

I guess I grew up under a lucky star with my dad in the live fish bait busn and spending my time fishing in the chain of lakes in Leesburg Fla and any of days fishing on the St Johns river and with all the westmorelands my family and Kenny my best friend. Oh the tales I know of what really happened as told by my dad who also was raised on Dale Hollow and helped start the live bait business I the southeast. Me on the other hand never liked catching small fish my love is the big bad salt fish.

[BRS]

Westmoreland, one of the all time best SM fishermen to ever be from what I have read. Also read the article where he saved Johnny Morris and his partner at a B.A.S.S. tournament back in 1974 in Arkansas. Morris`s boat capsized with 4-6 foot waves and they were for sure in a life threaten situation and Westmorland came to their rescue. That says a lot for any man.