I have been bass fishing since I was about five years old, caught my first bass on a Strike King spinner bait that was white and had double willow leaf blades. Man that was a long time ago.

I have loved to fish ever since I can remember. When I was going to high school I volunteered at the Possum Kingdom Fish Hatchery for one summer, and boy did I learn all kinds of good information. When I worked there, I fed the fish, did studies on the fish, and all other kinds of biology work. The fish we raised were Rainbow Trout, Largemouth Bass, and Sauge Eye, the fresh warm water version of walleye. While I was there I learned all about the feeding habits, habitat, and the spawning ritual of bass. I also learned how the cold fronts effected fish in general and how the moon phases played a part in Mother Nature during the spawn. The knowledge I gained volunteering at the hatchery has been very useful to me over the years.

I graduated high school that next spring and went off to college where I studied Marine Biology and Fish Farming (Aquaculture). I did an internship for Texas Parks and Wildlife as a Marine Biologist and extended my knowledge on all types of  marine fish as well as any and everything about the ocean. I worked with sharks and dolphins and a variety of fish and shrimp.

I spent a lot of time during my studies around the saltwater, but I have spent more time around fresh water bodies of water. I have always loved freshwater bass fishing more than saltwater fishing. I have tried numerous techniques and fishing styles. I have Fly Fished in the Rocky Mountains for Rainbow Trout and Fly Fished for Red Fish on the coast. I have also tried saltwater shallow fishing for Redfish and Speckle Trout. I also endevoured into some offshore fishing for Marlin, Shark, Tuna, Maui Maui (the common name is Dorado or Dolphin Fish) and Tuna, plus numerous other saltwater species.

Freshwater fishing has taken me all the way over to the western side and southern end of the United States for Bass, Crappie, and Catfish. Besides seeing a lot of this beautiful country, I have also learned numerous regional fishing techniques. Even with all my travels, I still enjoy fishing Lake Fork more than any other place I have ever fished. Lake Fork still fascinates me on a daily basis, and I would not rather fish any where else in the United States because you never know if on your next cast if it’s going to be a huge bass on the other end of your line. I enjoy seeing my customers face when they hook a huge fish, there is nothing more exciting than watching them fight that big bass.

Before starting my guide business, I competed in a variety of tournament circuits like the FLW TTT, The East Texas Christian Trail, and numerous other open tournaments through out the years. My participation in these circuits helps me to understand the needs of other angler that are competing in these events. My understanding of the fish helps anglers to adapt their patterns when the conditions and the weather changes on tournament days. I also work with the anglers on proper fish care. Losing weight at the scales because a fish has died in your livewell can mean a huge difference during a tournament. There are some misconceptions on how to actually maintain proper conditions for fish to be able to survive, and to tell when the fish are in trouble. I want to insure that the fish we catch today will continue to live and grow in the beautiful waters of Lake Fork.

So please, come and experience this incrediable fishery know as Lake Fork. I am sure you will come to love it as much as I do.

Randy Hutto