Currents
BUZ Z BA I T
MARTY MOOD ENJOYS THE LIMELIGHT AFTER WINNING THE HOBIE FISHING
WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP. PHOTO: JOSE CHAVEZ
KAYAK TOURNAMENT ANGLER MARTY MOOD MAKES WINNING LOOK EASY MR. LUCKY
Marty Mood is Hobie Kayak’s first pro, a kayak fishing world cham- pion and a global ambassador of the sport. But he’s also a U.S. Navy pilot and father of three. How does he keep it together? It takes equal parts preparation and opportunity…and a little luck.
You never know where you will end up in life. Growing up in the mountains of Pennsylvania, I never dreamed I would be a United States Navy pilot and a sponsored kayak angler. After four years in the navy, I graduated from college with a degree in fisheries biology. I ex- pected to work as a biologist but the navy offered to train me as a pilot. In 2003, while I was stationed in Corpus Christi, Texas, I joined
Team Oso, a hardcore wade-fishing club, with Chad Hoover (Hook 1). Back then I fished with Dean Thomas (Wilderness Systems), Scott Null (Kayak Fishing: The Ultimate Guide) and Tom Stubblefield (
TexasKayakFishermen.com)—who knew they would become some of the biggest names in kayak fishing? The first time I saw a kayak fisherman I was wading a flat and I
could see reds on the opposite side of an eight-foot-deep channel. Out of nowhere, this guy paddles up in a kayak and heads right for the fish. I knew then that I would be a kayak angler. A few days later, I saw Hank Parker’s Hobie Outback commercial on TV and I was sold. Boat anglers looked at me funny because I was fishing out of a
kayak. Kayak anglers looked at me funny because I was fishing out of a Hobie. I didn’t care. I liked being able to fish without having to paddle. In 2004, I moved to Jacksonville, Florida. That sum-
30 PADDLING MAGAZINE || December 2013
mer, Rick Roberts started the Extreme Edge Kayak Fishing Tour- nament Series. The first tournament was in Punta Gorda, Florida. For kicks, I joined a team from Jacksonville. We got lucky and won the team division. Right before the next tournament, Tom Stubblefield asked me to fish with his Texas team. We did real well. After that, Hobie offered to pay my way for the next tourna- ment and that’s how it all started. I didn’t expect to be a tourna- ment angler, it just fell together. I love kayak fishing tournaments because the simple format and
even playing field gives anyone a chance to win. A regular guy can win a tournament and, the next thing you know, his name is all over Facebook and he’s getting sponsored and his life is changed. I like saying, “I knew that guy before he was famous.” I’ve met kayak anglers from all over the world. I try to learn something new from each of them. I’ve been stationed in Florida, Texas, Maine and Virginia. Over
the past 10 years, I’ve watched kayak fishing explode all over the country. It starts with a core group of eight or 10 guys and blows up into thousands of kayak anglers. Juggling kayak fishing, my commitment to the navy and my
family can be a challenge. My wife is tired of hearing me ask, “How’s the kayak fishing?” every time we get transferred or go on vacation. After the navy, I hope to make a living kayak fishing. It just takes being in the right place at the right time, knowing the right people and a little luck. —As told to Ric Burnley This article first appeared in Summer/Fall 2013 issue of Kayak Angler.
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