By Daniel Day
Wisdom suggests it’s never a good idea to assume you know a person’s story before you get to know him or her. You never know with whom you might be talking. You may think it’s just a barista or server, but in reality, your barista or server could be the next professional athlete, successful politician or best-selling author.
If you walk into Asheville Burger and Mugshakes—a new restaurant in Asheville’s Fun Depot— there’s a good chance you would meet a guy named Ryan McLaughlin. You might find him cooking a burger, making a milkshake or describing the menu to a new customer, but his restaurant skills are only a part of Ryan’s story. Ryan has qualified for and competed in the previous three FLW College National Championship Fishing Tournaments and the previous two BassMaster Collegiate Series Tournaments. In fact, if you picked up this magazine on the day it was released, you could check out his progress in the 2018 FLW Collegiate Tournament, which ends June 1st.
Ryan has been fishing for nearly 20 years and since, as he put it, “I was able to hold a pole.” His dad taught him to fish on Lake James, and Ryan’s first fishing memory is of dropping a baby cat fish on his foot. “I was seven or eight years old and it dropped right off my hook onto my toe! My toe started bleeding. That’s how I knew what a catfish was.” I asked him if he cried, but he said “no.”
In fourth grade, Ryan met Justin St.Onge, a friend who shared his passion for fishing, and who is now his teammate. In college, Ryan decided to pursue Division I football, and played for Western Carolina University. After two years, however, he decided to transfer to Haywood Community College and pursue a degree he was sincerely passionate about—Fish and Wildlife. Justin also attended Haywood for a Fish and Wildlife Degree, and the two jumped right in, literally. Ryan smiled as he told me about a field trip on the Little Tennessee River where the students were equipped with fishing poles and snorkeling gear. They were studying the different species of fish in the river, and it was during this trip that Ryan hooked up with the largest small-mouth bass he’s ever caught. The fish, however, swam into a submerged tree and tangled him up in the branches. Justin jumped in the water and used his snorkeling gear to see what type of fish was on the line. He came up and declared, “It’s a giant small-mouth! But it’s all tangled up in the trees.” “Well go down and untangle it!” Ryan replied. Justin dove down with his mask and snorkel, untangled the fish and Ryan brought it in.
It was during college, that Ryan and Justin decided to compete professionally. “I’m competitive by nature,” Ryan told me, “and after playing D.I. football at Western, I needed something else to compete at. Fishing was a growing and competitive sport, and Justin and I were getting better at it. I thought it was something I could do well at, so I went for it.”
It was a good thing, too. These guys are talented. In order to qualify for the FLW Collegiate National Championship, the team had to place in the top 18 out of 240 boats. Ryan and Justin finished 14th. Their best finish to date is 12th at a BassMaster Regional Tournament. Last year, not only did they qualify for the national championship, but they were doing really well—until they made, what Ryan called, “our biggest mistake, ever! We already had 5 fish in the boat, but we got greedy. We knew of one more spot where we could potentially get an even bigger bass, and although time was running short, we went for it. As a result of that stop, we arrived at the dock 2-minutes late. Those two minutes cost us a 2-pound penalty, which meant that instead of being in the top 20, we were in the top 40. Only the top 20 boats were invited to continue in the final two days of the tournament. It was a hard lesson to learn, but it just shows you that you need to be satisfied with what you have.” If only all of us could learn the lesson Ryan learned that day—I think we’d all be more content in every area of our lives.
The final question I asked Ryan had to do with the role of “luck” in fishing. I’ve heard it said that the harder you work, the luckier you get. I asked Ryan if he thinks that has anything to do with successful fishing. “Absolutely! You have to put your time in and work hard. When we qualified at Hartwell, we went up there three days early to practice. We didn’t catch anything worth talking about! The morning of the tournament, we woke up extra early to get in some more practice. Again, this time we were completely skunked. During the tournament, however, we found a spot that is probably best described as a wind-blown bank. We threw out a spinner bait near the shore and pulled in the biggest fish of the day. That spot, and that fish, pushed us to 14th, and that’s how we qualified for this year’s national championship tournament. Was it luck? Maybe a little! But I think we were only lucky because we worked hard and put in our time.”
I asked Ryan to offer some advice for anyone who’s interested in bass fishing. Here are a few ideas for you:
1. What are some lessons you’ve learned that have led to your success as a fisherman?
“First, don’t try to do something outside of your comfort zone. Find a lure or two that you understand, and throw something your confident in. Also, keep it simple! There are two colors you need in your tackle box: something black and blue for when it’s muddy, and something green or pumpkin for when it’s clear. And don’t let the weather scare you away! I hear people say, “It’s too cold for the fish to bite” or “It’s too warm for the fish to bite.” It’s not true! Fish have to eat. A few months ago, it snowed on nearly every day off I had. I still went fishing and I still caught fish. Commit to it, put the time in and you’ll succeed.”
2. Any particular spot at which you would encourage people to try their luck?
I really like Lake Hartwell because there are a bunch of docks. Look for docks with rod holders. A lot of times, people have thrown stuff off the dock to create a place to attract fish. I find that fishing docks with rod holders usually leads to some good fish.
Ryan’s Bio: Ryan grew up in Western North Carolina and has a degree in Fish and Wildlife from Haywood Community College. He has been fishing professionally for four years and has competed in multiple Collegiate National Championship Tournaments. Specifically, Ryan competed in the 2016-2018 FLW National Championship Tournaments and the 2016-2017 BassMaster Collegiate Tournament Series. Ryan is also the Restaurant Manager of Asheville Burger and Mugshakes—a new restaurant within Asheville’s Fun Depot.
Daniel Ryan Day is the author of two books, including his most recent work: Intentional Christian (now available). He’s also the COO of Cascades Mountain Resort, Old Orchard Tavern and Asheville’s Fun Depot. Daniel lives in Fairview, NC with his wife and three kiddos. Connect with him on Facebook, Instagram or at intentionalchristianity.com