This Friendship Had Its Beginning on the Water

Until July 20, John Goodman was just the name of "a well-known angler here in Tidewater whom I had never met," said Jerry, in a recent email to me. On that date, Jerry (in photo at right, taken July 20) and his son met up with John while fishing the Northwest River, where they exchanged names and talked about how their day of fishing was going.

Three days later, Jerry went searching and found John's email address through a link on the Stateline Bass Anglers website. "We compared notes on how our day on the water that Saturday had ended," explained Jerry, "and also discussed his and my plans for the following Saturday, July 27." Jerry learned that John would be fishing the local Dewey Mullins Memorial Bass Tourney. He then told John he couldn't fish that day because he was hosting a Gospel Concert at his church, to which John responded, "My wife and I will be there."

Jerry admits that he initially doubted what John had said, given the tourney John planned to fish and the fact the concert started at 7 p.m. And he never knew otherwise until July 31, when he received an email from John, saying how much he and his wife had enjoyed the concert. As it turned out, Jerry even had shaken hands with John at the concert without knowing it was him. Jerry had been headed to the rear of the church to take some pictures of the guest singing group, when a gentleman sitting with a lady reached out for a handshake as Jerry passed by. "With handshakes being the 'norm' in church, it didn't 'click' with me who this guy was," he said.

As Jerry learned, John and his partner had taken 3rd place at the tourney but had chosen not to stick around for pictures so he could keep his word and attend the concert. "I am pleased to say that the good man my son and I met on the water that day was John Goodman," noted Jerry. "I really appreciate you and your wife for attending and supporting our concert. Hope to see you on the water again soon," he concluded.