Quote Originally Posted by mhall View Post
Did you know there would not have been a Bass Pro Shop if something like this had not have happened. Many years ago in the early days of tournament fishing and before Bass Pro Shops was even a dream Johnny Morris and his partner had a bad boating accident on the Big O and were in bad shape. Morris was laying in the water unconcious and not doing well at all, his partner in about the same shape.
Along came Billy Westmoreland the greatest smallmouth fisherman to ever breath air alive or dead. Billy stuck that big hand of his down in the water and scooped out both guys and rushed them to safety.

Story has it up until Billy's untimely death that he could go in Bass Pro and pretty much help himself, but refused to do it and payed retail likeeverybody else.

True story, pretty cool Huh.

Absolute true story for Bobby Westmoreland told me the same thing a couple of years ago when I first met him and we sat and talked about Billy for a couple of hours with Bobby's wife and Bobby's son, who traveled with Billy for a long time when Billy was fishing the circuit. Heard a lot of great stories about Billy and sure do wish I could have met him in real life. Hopefully when I am done with this world we can spend a day on Dale chasing the same fish that we both love, THEM OL BROWNFISH.