FLW’s Hoot Gibson is back on track after heart problems derailed his hopes for Co-angler of the Year
Eminent bass fisherman W.D. “Hoot” Gibson is determined to fish in next year’s Wal-Mart FLW Tour. His resolve to re-establish himself as one of the tour’s premier co-anglers is strong; now he must simply wait for his heart to catch up with his will.
Gibson of Bryant, Ark., was the undisputed tournament points leader among co-anglers following the fifth of six regular-season tournaments this year on the FLW Tour. A heart attack kept him from fishing at the Forrest Wood Open, where he would likely have earned the points necessary to take home the Co-angler of the Year title.
Despite missing a crucial points opportunity at Lake Champlain, Gibson still managed to end the season ranked 11th with an impressive 898 points – only 81 less than Fred Hill, Roxboro, N.C., who earned 165 points at the Forrest Wood Open and ultimately netted the co-angler title. The title couldn’t have gone to better a guy, if it couldn’t be his own, Gibson said.
“I’m just so happy for Fred,” he said. “He’s probably one of the best fisherman out there.”
Gibson spent more than 20 days of June in intensive care at a hospital recovering from a heart attack and consequent challenges to his health. He has spent more time both in and out of hospitals getting better. Though his recovery is not complete, Gibson said he is doing well and plans to fish in tournaments next year – if not sooner.
“I’ve lost quite a bit of weight … physically, I’m in good shape,” he said recently. “I feel like I could go fishing tomorrow.”
However, doctors have told Gibson his heart is still not supplying his body with all of the oxygen it needs for extended periods of activity.
“It’s just going to take some time,” he said. “It’s just a matter of getting my heart stronger.”
Gibson is qualified for the FLW Tour Championship in mid-September, but he said “it doesn’t look like I’ll probably be able to make it.” Gibson said he is now hoping he might be ready to reel in bass at the EverStart Series Championship in November, another championship for which he qualified even after missing the final tournament.
It was while prefishing for the final 2002 EverStart Series Central Division tournament on the Red River that Gibson said he started to realize something was wrong. On June 9 he headed toward home because of his condition. As his health worsened, Gibson said he drove to a hospital in Hope, Ark. He was later transferred to a facility in Texarkana, Texas.
“It was a good place to be. They have some good doctors,” he said. “I feel that they kept me from dying.”
Gibson underwent a quadruple bypass operation last October, so he and his heart have had a long year in terms of health issues. With the worst behind him, Gibson has spent many hours on treadmills and lifting weights to rebuild his strength since his heart attack.
He said he is “doing a lot better” in terms of his recovery, but he is getting anxious to return to the tournament trail. He said if he can’t compete this year, he will have to be content planning for a comeback in 2003.
“Of course it’s a little bit depressing … but I just have to face my own situation and make the best of it,” Gibson said. “You have to play the cards that are dealt to you.
“My goal would be to get back into tournament fishing,” he said. “Everything I’m doing and planning on is getting better and being able to fish.”
At 65 years old, Gibson is still at the top of the co-angling game. He absolutely loves the sport of bass fishing. Though he wishes he could have attained his goal of being the points leader at the end of the 2002 FLW Tour, he said he only has one other regret.
“I just wish I would’ve gotten into the FLW a little earlier,” he said.
With seven top-10 finishes in the FLW and EverStart – including two FLW tournament wins – and a fantastic FLW Tour finish in 2002 despite his health concerns, Gibson’s future is likely as bright as his past. The noted co-angler said he has learned a lot from the pros as well as other key anglers in his life through the years, but the most potent ingredient in his formula for success is tied to his age.
“I’ve fished with some great people over the years,” Gibson said. “… but experience helps you a lot in these situations. I feel like it’s carried me a long ways.”
Links:
Hill reaches co-angler pinnacle
2002 Wal-Mart FLW Tour co-angler year in review