In our interview, Hale talks some bass fishing, but we really focus on the health and fitness aspects of the sport. Here is part one:
Pat Kellner: When did you start fishing?
Hale White: I started fishing when I was 5-6 years old
PK: How and why did you start? Was there one person or reason that introduced you or really got you hooked on the sport?
HW: Both my parents started taking me from an early age. That is most certainly responsible for my love of fishing today. I believe parents are the most effective means for instilling love of outdoors and fishing.
PK: I know you’re a bass fishing guy. Have you always been a bass angler or did you start somewhere else?
HW: I started with bream and bluegill like many of us did. Occasionally I would catch a bass. Upon catching my first bass, I was enamored with it--its anatomy, its larger size, the way it jumped and fought, the ability to easily hold it by the jaw, I just loved it. Something about it just felt right. The extra allure and excitement of catching this gamefish became immediately clear to me. Every time I caught a bass, it felt like a bigger accomplishment. I derived more satisfaction from it because I knew there was extra skill required to make them bite. I made a conscious effort to seek bass from then on.
PK: Do you fish tournaments? If so, how did you get started in this?
HW: Yes, I do. I started fishing tournaments when I was 15. Even though I technically had to be 16, a local bass club let me join anyway. I guess they saw I was serious! By the end of the first season I was 7th in the points out of 18-20 guys. You would've thought I had won a Classic! Lately, I've fished FLW Everstart and FLW Tour events as a co-angler, along with some charity and local tournaments with buddies.
PK: Outside of bass fishing, what other hobbies do you have?
HW: I guess you can say that FishStrong.com is a hobby, although I treat it like a job and make some money off of it. Other than that, I'm an accomplished piano/keyboard player, having formerly worked in Nashville for many years before moving to Alabama recently. I've been playing piano for 28 years. I like pretty much everything outdoors related. I would consider myself a constant learner, so I like reading a lot about history and free market economics.
PK: If you could only pick one place to fish the rest of your life, where would it be and why?
HW: Okeechobee. It reminds me of all the fishing I did in the Everglades growing up. I like the sounds, smells, scenery, and savage bass it offers. I'm a fan of the pure Florida strain bass. I just think bass that have to live around gators big enough to eat people develop a certain attitude. It's very appealing. I also like being on a natural lake. Nothing against impoundments or other man made waters, but being out in the middle of Okeechobee feels like it might as well be 10,000BC. It's kind of cool to think that you're looking at pretty much the same view ancient Mayaimi Indians saw before this country even existed.
PK: What do you consider to be some of your greatest achievements in fishing?
HW: I once caught a Peacock Bass in a canal down in South Florida that was probably the state record at the time. I've caught some other big fish and won a few bucks in tournaments here and there, but I think starting FishStrong.com is my biggest achievement. There's lots of evidence out there that it has had an impact on some anglers and changed the way they view the sport. I feel I made a small, but significant contribution to the sport and am giving it a dose of something it has needed.
PK: I know health and fitness are important to you. Has it always been, or did something trigger this for you?
HW: I've always been a little more active and health conscious than the average person out there. There was no one single thing that triggered a sudden surge of interest. It was just a slow and gradual progression of interest that led to seeking more knowledge, which led to more appreciation for the way our human bodies work. You only get one body, so you need to take care of it. I want to be able to fish 50, 60, even 70 years from now! Most people start becoming health conscious much too late in life. By the time they develop an interest in getting fit, they are at an age that makes it so much harder. They try to play catch up from decades worth of neglect and nutritional abuse. HOWEVER, it's never too late to start. I managed a wellness program at a retirement community during my last job. I worked with people in their 80's and 90's who made impressive physical turnarounds. I literally watched them become younger and act younger before my eyes!
PK: Have you been able to influence other professional anglers to stay fit, have they influenced you?
HW: I've equipped and informed a few of them, but not as many as I would like. Several pro angler friends of mine approach me on a semi-regular basis with nutrition or workout questions. I try to counsel a lot of guys on the matter and help them with their wrist, elbow, and shoulder injuries.
Continue to Part 2
Continue to Part 2
Other related posts and interviews:
Fish Tattoo Fitness
Interview With Drew Gregory
The Importance of Fitness to Kayak Fishing
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