John's Journal...
Entry 153,
Day 3
AMERICA'S GREATEST BASS FISHERMAN
Larry Hopson On Fishing With Clay Dyer
EDITOR'S
NOTE: He's a giant among bass fishermen, and in my opinion Clay Dyer of
Hamilton, Alabama, is the greatest bass fisherman with whom I have ever
fished. Fishing since he was five years old, Clay has tournament fished
since age 15 and has been a full-time professional bass fisherman since
1995. Clay, at 24 years old, is almost 40 inches tall and weighs 86 pounds.
He has no legs, but he does have a partial 16-inch-long arm on his right
shoulder. If you see Clay in a fishing tournament, you won't think he
has a disability either. Clay is highly competitive and fishes two to
four bass tournaments a month. Clay's sponsors include: Skeeter boats,
Yamaha outboards, Minn Kota trolling motors, All Star graphite rods, Strike
King Lure Company, Lowrance electronics and Team Fish fishing line. Rather
than tell Clay's story to you, I'll let Clay tell his own story.
QUESTION: Larry, how long have you been fishing with
Clay?
ANSWER: I live in Hamilton too, and I'm just one of the people who fishes
with Clay. We have been fishing buddies for about six years. We fish tournaments
together, and we fish together for fun.
QUESTION:
What is being in the boat like with Clay?
ANSWER: Fishing with Clay is really interesting. He does not want you
to help him do anything. And if you're not careful, he'll beat you.
QUESTION: Why do you like to fish with Clay?
ANSWER: He is a real inspiration to me. When I get to feeling down about
my fishing or my lack of catching fish, I can go with Clay and feel a
whole lot better. The only thing you have to do for Clay when you go fishing
with him is put him in the boat and put his life jacket on him. He can
handle everything. You may have to open him a soft drink or a bottle of
water every once in a while, but that's about it. He and I just have a
good time together. I enjoy his company.
QUESTION: When you show up at a tournament with Clay,
do many people ask you about him?
ANSWER: Yes, I have a lot of people asking me about Clay. The number one
question I get is "How does he fish?" I always explain that the best way
to learn how Clay fishes is go with him and watch. Clay is a totally-amazing
fisherman to watch. I have seen him cast, take lures off, put lures on,
tie knots, thread worms on hooks and tie on spinner baits and crankbaits.
I watch him run the trolling motor and see him cast with pinpoint accuracy.
And even though I have fished with him hundreds of times, I'm still not
sure how he does what he does. He is an amazing man with an amazing talent.
QUESTION:
What do you feel Clay's strongest form of fishing is?
ANSWER: He is a master at pitching docks. His accuracy in casting is unbelievable.
His pitching accuracy is much better than mine is. He can consistently
ring a Styrofoam coffee cup from 30 to 50 away.
QUESTION: When you're in a tournament with Clay, how
do you decide who fishes in the front of the boat and who fishes in the
back of the boat?
ANSWER: We usually take turns. We also take turns with our boats. We usually
fish in my boat one time and in his boat the next time.
QUESTION: What was fishing with Clay like for the first
time?
ANSWER: I was a little apprehensive at first. To be honest, I was a little
nervous about his driving a boat at 70 miles an hour. However, within
five minutes of being on the water with him, I was relaxed and comfortable
and knew he could handle the boat. When he started fishing, I just sat
back and watched for a while, to see if he could fish, how well he could
fish, and to try and figure out how he was fishing. To look at Clay, you
wouldn't think he was competitive. But if you spend five minutes with
him when he is fishing, you will know that he is not only competitive,
but that he is very competitive. He can and will beat you. I never feel
like I'm at any disadvantage when Clay is my partner in a tournament.
I believe that Clay and I have as good of a chance to win as any other
two-man team.
QUESTION:
What is the number-one question you get asked at tournament sites about
Clay Dyer?
ANSWER: Most fishermen want to know, "What do you have to do to help Clay
when you're fishing with him?" I say, "You don't have to do anything."
He knows how to get his own lures out of the tackle box and tie them on.
If his reel backlashes, he knows how to straighten it out himself and
can dig out the backlash. He lands his own fish. He takes his fish off
the hook and puts them in the livewell. Really, there is no difference
in fishing with Clay than anybody else.
QUESTION: Why do you like him as a person?
ANSWER: Clay Dyer is a super human being. He loves the Lord, and he is
fun to be around. We laugh and cut up every time we get together. Really
and truly, Clay is just like any other fisherman.
You can contact Clay Dyer at 5321 Steel Street, Hamilton,
Alabama 35570.
TOMORROW: CLAY AT HIS BEST
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