Hooked on a Dream

By Katharine Armbrester
Photos by Hudson Tinnell

If one knows anything about bass fishing, then he definitely has heard of Tucker Smith. Only 23 years old, the Shelby County native likely has as many wins as the average pond has fish, if not more.

Becoming the first, three-time winner of the Bassmaster High School National Championship is just one feat in a long list of achievements for the rising star in the world of professional fishing.

“I’m a living a dream,” he says. “I wake up every day and don’t think it’s real.”

Born into a nature-loving family, Tucker fished from an early age. His grandfather and mother ensured he explored the ponds around his home in Shelby County.

Lay Lake, a 12,000-acre reservoir south of Columbiana, is a popular destination for fishing tournaments.

“There’s lots of big fish in there,” Tucker says.

Attending sporting events near his home sparked his interest in competitive fishing.

“I figured out you could make money doing something you love to do, and I got pumped up about that,” he explains.

It was after an unexpected setback that he strengthened his resolve to pursue fishing. In the eighth grade, he sustained a severe leg injury, and it took a full year for his leg to mend.

As he recovered — first in a hospital bed and then a wheelchair — he devoured YouTube videos about angling.

“That was all I wanted to do,” he says, and when his leg healed, he leapt at the chance to fish every chance he could.

Tucker attended Briarwood Christian School, which supported his commitment to fishing, and his parents understood he was serious about his dream.

“They let me travel around fish,” he explains. “They let me drag a boat across the state on my 16th birthday.”

To sit in a boat in all manner of weather and wait for a fish to approach requires vast reserves of patience, and he obviously developed the virtue during his long convalescence. That patience, combined with the support of his loved ones and determination beyond his years, prepared him for his rapid ascent in the bass fishing world.

While attending Briarwood, Tucker became the first, three-time winner of the Bassmaster High School National Championship, co-winning the first two competitions with Grayson Morris, and the third with fellow Shelby County native Hayden Marbut. This three-fold achievement, Tucker believes, opened up a lot of doors for him and led to his first sponsors.

“It started to put my name out there into the bass fishing world,” he says.

After his acceptance to Auburn University, he was soon recruited by Auburn alum Logan Parks to compete for the Bassmaster Elite Series. The two won Bassmaster’s College Team of the Year in Tucker’s freshman year.

Then, both young men won the 2023 Bassmaster College Classic. Next, they won the Johnny Morris Bass Pro Shops U.S. Open National Bass Fishing Amateur Team Championship.

Together, they split the grand prize of two trucks, two boats and $1 million.

“It really helped out financially, in order to chase my dreams and try to make it to the professional level,” he says, humbly admitting becoming a professional bass angler is an extremely difficult feat to achieve.

When asked if his accomplishments are above average for his age, he simply states, “I’ve been very blessed to be sure.”

Getting to win both a high school national championship and a college national championship was “something that was huge for both of us,” Tucker says, and he believes the feat has been done only one time before in the world of amateur bass fishing competitions.

He used his portion of the winnings to enter the opens, which are qualifying tournaments for the Bassmaster Elite Series — the highest level of professional bass fishing tournaments in the world. He qualified for the Elite Series in 2024, winning “one of those blue trophies,” which, as he says, was “really amazing for me, a dream come true.”

Aaron Martens — the late, three-time winner of the Bassmaster Angler of the Year — met Tucker through a Briarwood connection and became an inspiration and mentor to him. Tucker considers Aaron “one of the best professional fishermen of all time” and was thrilled to fish with him before he passed away shortly before the Johnny Morris tournament.

Aaron wore purple when competing, and Tucker now pays tribute by doing the same.

“I run a purple boat and wear a purple jersey,” he explains. “I always try to implement some purple into my patterns every year, in order to try and carry on that legacy.”

The professional fishing community is small, he says, and he is thankful he had opportunities from a young age to learn how to network, market himself and grow his personal brand. As one who benefitted from constant support from friends and family, he wants to give back to the next generation of hopeful anglers.

He now enjoys participating in several kids’ camps every year.

“It’s an awesome sport,” he says. “It’s a great way to get them outdoors, and it’s fun whether you catch something or not.”

Enjoying the pastime of fishing was one of the enduring lessons from Aaron, Tucker believes.

“That’s something that not only the younger generation needs to know but everybody: Fishing is fun,” he says. “You can get caught up in the bad moments when you’re competing — like losing a fish — but you’ve just got to remember to have fun and don’t take it for granted.”

Looking to the horizon, Tucker plans to keep Aaron’s memory alive, doing what they both love — fishing, appreciating the fun of the pursuit and the peace in the moments that impress upon one after the line falls slack.

To follow Tucker Smith’s professional fishing career, follow him on Instagram (@tuckersmithfishing) or on Facebook (Tucker Smith).