Nation: All in the family

LAKEPORT, Calif. – The majority of the field fishing the 2018 Academy Sports + Outdoors B.A.S.S. Nation Western Regional presented by Magellan Outdoors traveled hundreds of miles to California’s Clear Lake. Most found it necessary to leave their spouses or significant others home to tend to everyday business, while a handful were able to bring their families along. Some, however, take staying together one step further.

Jeff and Jaquoy Gibson, husband and wife fishing partners on team Wyoming, loaded up the truck and boat and headed to the Golden State to participate in the tournament together. The couple has been sharing a boat for five years and will be married for three in July.

“Jaquoy wasn’t used to fishing for bass [when I met her],” says Jeff. “She was a go-down-to-the-river-throw-your-line-in-and-wait fisherman. So I took her bass fishing. When we got back from our first day on the water together, she told me that she really loved it.”

With Jaquoy hooked the couple eventually starting competing in tournaments together. It took the Gibson’s 13 hours to travel the 900-plus miles to fish this week’s Clear Lake event. Being together that much can strain some relationships, but not theirs.

“We fish together so I don’t have to call home and talk to her every day,” explains Jeff, “because she’s right here with me, and that makes doing this a lot easier. But even more importantly we’re doing something that we both really enjoy doing.”

“I never really liked fishing all that much before we got together,” says Jaquoy, “but that’s changed now that I have a fishing partner that I really like being around. And I believe that if I had to stay home alone it would make the relationship harder because we’ve always done everything together all of the time.”

When asked whether their fishing styles were similar or different, they admitted that they couldn’t be further apart in that respect.

“We fish very differently,” acknowledges Jeff. “Jaquoy is a very good finesse fisherman and I’m more of a power guy – it definitely gets heating in the boat sometimes. Who does better depends on the day, and we compliment each other. When it’s a slow bite she’s catching them and pulling the tournament out for us, and when it’s a reaction bite I’m catching them.”

The bottom line, according to Jeff, is that “it’s better than going and spending a week with some dude!