R
andy Howell is still walking on air
as the reigning Bassmaster Classic
champion. How he got there – and
what it means now that he’s arrived – is more
than a fish story!
Come from behind victory is the stuff of every
man’s dreams. That dream victory came to
Randy Howell at the 2014 Bassmaster Classic
on Alabama’s Lake Guntersville.
You might even say that it snuck up on him.
He was driving to the arena and eating a
sandwich for the final day weigh-in when he
noticed his wife, Robin, looking hard at her cell
phone.
to assist youth and women seeking hope and
refuge from abuse, neglect and abandonment.
He and Robin got involved in 2007. Now he
calls King’s Home, which also holds the key
sponsor location on his boat wrap, a driving
force in his life.
“It has reignited by passion to have bigger success
so that I can draw more attention naturally to
the cause, to their care, and to helping other,
especially kids,” he said. “When you see how
much bigger people perceive you to be when you
have a Classic title, it really makes you think about
things. Now our fishing platform helps bring more
awareness and more donations to this cause.”
Practice makes per…
oh, forget it!
“What does BASSTrakk say?” asked Howell, who
had entered the final tournament day in 11th
place.
“Do you really want to know?” asked Robin. “If
BassTrakk is right, you have been leading since
7:30 A.M.”
Howell, who had fished in the proverbial “zone”
all that day, suddenly felt sick.
Reenergized?
Randy Howell, a very spiritual man, credits his
faith in Jesus Christ for a life filled with the
richness of family and friends. That faith fuels
his charitable works – and the passion that
drives his fishing!
He launched his Bassmaster career 22
years ago. Today he claims that his drive,
determination and motivation have not
changed much over the years, but there’s no
denying the noteworthy upswing in his record
in recent years. Ten of his 33 Top 10 finishes
have come since 2012!
What has changed? One thing he credits his
work with King’s Home, a 40-year old effort
Faith came to fruition on tournament days at
Guntersville. Practice days leading up to the
Classic, however, felt more like the trials of Job.
Howell had prepared hard for the event prior to
the off-limits period that began on January 1. “I
live an hour from Guntersville, and I went over there
every day for two weeks in December,” he recalled. “I
marked so many places…I really did my homework!”