She knew “her guy” was into fishing, but she couldn’t have imagined the degree to which that commitment reached. That’s a truth Pat Gilliland has come to respect, and as she said, the work it took to get there was worth the effort.
Pat’s husband Gene, who retires this December after 13 years as B.A.S.S. Conservation Director, is a diehard outdoorsman who’s carried the banner of sound resource management for nearly five decades. Nationally-recognized, he literally wrote the book on fish care.
Admittedly, there was a time when Pat thought Bassmaster and BassPro Shops were the same company, but while she pursued her own rewarding career, she also enjoyed seeing her husband’s commitment to something much bigger than himself.
“For many years, he had his career, but I always knew it was more than a career, it was a passion,” Pat said. “He does it because it’s important and I like to be alongside that.”
Throughout their journey, Pat’s story is one of enlightenment, appreciation, and renewal. For the latter, she has the BassmasterHER program to thank.
Converging Courses
Pat grew up on a farm in Cooke County Texas, about 9 miles from the one where her future husband was born. The families attended the same church, but she and Gene went to different schools.
So, despite their childhood proximity, it took both of them heading to Texas A&M University, some 240 miles from home, to officially start a relationship spanning 48 years. Gene’s three years older than Pat and, after two years of local community college, he was a senior Aggie when Pat started her freshman year.
Mmm-hmm.
As Pat recalls, she and Gene briefly met the Christmas before at a hometown holiday party. However, during a geology class, Gene leveraged his academic leanings to advance the conversation.
“He was good with science and geology and I was just taking that class because I had to,” Pat chuckled. “He was a lot of help and that got us started on getting to know each other.”
Smooth.
The funny part is that, decades later, Gene’s still enamored with nature and that point arose during a past Bassmaster Elite event in Waddington, N.Y.
“I remember us going from Waddington, to Clayton, N.Y. (for a brief visit) and some of the geological formations along the road looked like little waterfalls coming out of the rock,” Pat said. “I made some comment about that and he gave me the whole explanation.
“He said, ‘Don’t you remember what we talked about back in college?’ I was like, ‘Uh, no.’ But I loved it, though.”
Getting us to that point, let’s take in the quick overview.
Their Paths
Shortly after earning her Journalism degree in 1981, Pat landed a job at what is now the Oklahoman newspaper, where she’d spend 34 years as a writer and editor. Meanwhile, following a distinguished career with the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation, Gene served as the B.A.S.S. Nation’s Oklahoma Conservation Director prior to taking job as B.A.S.S. National Conservation Director in 2013.
Pat’s unexpected layoff in 2016 found the couple with enough stability for Pat to leave the workforce, travel with Gene and actually start assisting with the annual Conservation Summits he has produced during Bassmaster Classics.
“It’s been interesting since 2017 to see, ‘Oh, so this is what you’ve been doing all these years,” she said. “I think it’s really neat to see that that’s how he was able to cap his career. It gave him a platform for carrying the conservation message.
“Assisting with the Conservation Summits has been very rewarding because the B.A.S.S. Conservation Directors are all so passionate about their work. It’s been fun to be part of that community.”
Differences Defined
In recent years, Pat and Gene have spent a lot of time together on the water, but Pat admits that earlier years often found her casual angling interest conflicting with her husband’s driven passion. She grew up fishing a stocked farm pond with cane poles, but he was all-in from a young age.
“Once I got to know Gene, I knew fishing was his thing; I don’t know if I knew how much it was his thing,” Pat said. “Pretty quickly I knew he was serious about fishing. To me, going out on the boat was a pleasure ride, but he wanted the person with him to be fishing.
“I was a slow learner, but despite those struggles, he didn’t give up on me.”
Claiming an 8-pound, 4-ounce largemouth as her personal best, Pat’s proud of her baitcaster competence. Still, trailer duties at busy ramps were stressful and on-the-water intensity levels didn’t always synch.
“The majority of our marriage, we didn’t fish together,” Pat said. “I realized it was important to him, so I supported him by encouraging him to go by himself.”
A New Outlook
Pat’s perspective changed when she started attending BassmastHER workshops held during Elite events. The more relaxed setting helped her build confidence and regain her enthusiasm.
“BassmastHER helped me get to the point of wanting to try again and realize that, because I want to spend quality time with my husband, I’ll learn to do this,” Pat said. “I see God working in amazing ways in the bass fishing community and I think he worked a little miracle with me.
“I went from being someone who was afraid to be on the water, even with a life jacket, to wanting to spend time with my husband. Something changed in me as I started going out with Gene as we got older. Now I enjoy it more and I enjoy being with him.”
Along with lure selection and casting accuracy, Pat said the BassmastHER program has helped her realize that her level of fishing interest is just fine. Not everyone wants to fish tournaments and not everyone wants to run the boat solo.
In some ways, that comforting peace renewed Pat’s interest in spending time on the water with her husband.
“I’d say my story is that you can be a BassmastHER if you just learn enough about the sport to be a good partner with your spouse (or significant other),” she said. “I’m very grateful that Gene appreciates what I’ve learned. I try to keep learning just to be comfortable out there and enjoy it together.”
Pat also points to a moment of revelation that occurred when Gene took her to Lake Erie to experience the fantastic smallmouth fish he had long enjoyed. Fishing with a local guide was a difference-maker, because Gene could fish freely knowing his wife had assistance whenever needed.
“We realized what we were missing,” Pat said. “I never dreamed that we would so enjoy fishing together and I’m so grateful. I can’t will myself to fish better, but as I will myself to try, I see God do wonderful things.
“I’m grateful that we were able to find our way back to fishing together.”
The Deeper Meaning
Finding that comfort zone for shared fishing time was certainly rewarding, but as Pat explains, this growth has also fostered a deeper appreciation and respect for what she sees as the recreational extension of Gene’s longstanding professional commitment.
“Conservation is a big part of B.A.S.S.’ mission, but it can be taken for granted,” she said. “I don’t know that people really appreciate how hard it is to carry that message and do that work.”
In addition to the helping with summits, Pat has also joined her husband for lake cleanups. The totality of her behind-the-scenes perspective amplified the significance of the moment Gene received the coveted blue jacket.
“Conservation is not the thing that grabs the eyeballs, and yet if you’re not using the best practices in lake management, fish care, and water management, ultimately, you’re not going to have fisheries,” Pat said. “It’s the basis of everything.
“It means a lot to me that his work was recognized by the Bass Fishing Hall of Fame. I’m so proud of my guy.”
A Song In Her Heart
While Gene Gilliland has been the face of B.A.S.S. conservation for many years, the fishing world has seen Pat make several appearances as the guest vocalist for the National Anthem, which precedes every Bassmaster Elite takeoff and weigh-in. Her curiosity plus encouragement from several B.A.S.S. folks who had seen videos of Pat singing led to her debut at the 2024 St. Johns River event.
“A lot of the singers have a stage voice, but I’m not trained, it was just whatever came naturally from my mom and singing in church choirs,” she said. “The small town church choirs I’ve been in have been blessed to have some really good choir directors and I was able to learn from them.
“I have a desire to sing and I want to trust God. I practice to try and do the best I can and trust God. It’s not about me, it’s about Him.”
Fittingly, Pat sang the anthem at the final weigh in for the 2026 Elite season — Gene’s last Elite event as B.A.S.S. Conservation Director. She cherished the honor of singing at the conclusion of her husband’s well-respected tenure, but Pat still entertains a pinnacle vision.
“There’s something fun about being up there and the attention, but it just feels like something I should be willing to do,” she said. “I enjoy singing the Anthem. It’s patriotic, B.A.S.S. is patriotic, so it’s been my version of the Big Stage, Big Dream.
“If I have one other dream, it would be to sing at the Classic. I think it might be terrifying, but that would be a pretty cool deal.”
Sounds like the next chapter in Pat Gilliland’s BassmastHER story.
