What’s in a name?

Scroll through the final standings from the Basspro.com Bassmaster Central Open on the Arkansas River and you’ll see one of the coolest names in bass fishing, Spike Stoker in the 10th place spot. Because we know there’s a cool story behind such a name, we asked and the affable Texan proudly explained.

“My dad was a Marine who served in Viet Nam and the Marine Corps mascot is a bulldog named Spike,” Stoke said. “My dad’s name is Gaylon Willis Stoke, so he named me Gaylon Spike Stoker. I named my son Braden Spike Stoker.”

So, what are the implications of the name “Spike”? Well, Tournament Director Chris Bowes’ inquiry about any volleyball relevance was quickly shot down; but Stoker offered an amusing retort. 

“Every girl I ever dated, whenever they said they were going to go on a date with a guy named ‘Spike,’ their dad said they expected a biker to walk into their home, instead of a bass fisherman.”