On his Facebook page, Hunter Baughman describes himself in this way: Son of God, dad, husband, motivational speaker, professional angler and avid hunter.
On Baughman’s website, www.hunterfishes.com, under the heading “Meet Hunter,” you learn this about the man:
At 9 months old Hunter lost both legs below the knees and multiple fingers due to a form of meningitis. Though he looked a little different than everyone else, he tried to live a normal life. As a kid, he played soccer and basketball. It wasn’t until 14 that his passion for fishing led him to fishing bass tournaments. Hunter had a boat before he had a truck to pull it! Today he lives in Judsonia, Arkansas, with his wife Andrea and their daughter Kinley. They are expecting their second child, a little girl, in November 2022. Through many years of climbing the ranks of bass tournaments, Hunter started his dream job in March of 2021 as a professional angler fishing The National Professional Fishing League. When not on tour, Hunter fishes many local tournaments, enjoys spending time with Andrea, Kinley, and their family, going to church and has a passion for deer and duck hunting.
Taking First on Truman
Despite his physical challenges, Baughman recently won Major League Fishing’s Toyota Series Presented by A.R.E. at Truman Lake. On the final day of the three-day event, he brought a five-bass limit to the scale that weighed 19 pounds, 1 ounce. His event total of 15 bass for 48 pounds, 10 ounces, topped second place by 1 pound, 10 ounces. For his victory, Baughman received a check for $32,429.
A press release from Major League Fishing provided more details of Baughman’s inspirational victory:
Baughman moved into the top five on Day 2 before bringing the biggest bag of the tournament to the stage on the final day to solidify the biggest win of his career.
“I’m tickled about this win,” Baughman said. “I’ve been doing this for a long time at this level, and I’ve fished nationally with another league for two years, but I’ve never won anything outside of a statewide tournament. I’m just absolutely beside myself.”
Having never fished Truman Lake before, Baughman said he leaned heavily on the 100-plus waypoints he logged during three days of practice. He targeted bass in offshore brush and rock piles, ranging from 5 to 15 feet in depth.
“Everyone else was graphing, but when I’d find several piles, I’d go 700 or 800 yards graphing with the LiveScope and find little stumps no one was seeing on their side imaging,” Baughman continued. “I might catch one on every tenth stump, but it would be a good one.”
Baughman said he caught the majority of his weight from 8:30 to 10:30 a.m. every day and caught all his fish on a 3/4-ounce Brazalo football jig and a 5/16-ounce Brazolo finesse jig.
Baughman, who lost both of his legs below the knees, his left hand and digits on his right hand to bacterial meningitis as an infant, said he counts the win as another huge blessing and an additional opportunity to show others that with hard work, they can do anything they put their mind to.
“God is so good and has just blessed me in my life,” Baughman said. “I got sick at 9 months old, and the doctors said I wouldn’t make it, so to just be here is amazing – and to have the ability to catch some fish every once in a while on top of it, is just awesome.”
P.S. In the video below, longtime successful professional bass angler Randy Blaukat describes Baughman’s win as “one of the most remarkable feats in bass fishing history.”
