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Winter 2018
page 60
time together on and off the water.
Nate introduced me to Conroy, who was Nate’s friend first, but also his hand poured worm sponsor. Conroy, who lived in the Central Valley town of Lindsay, loved fishing the Northern California lakes, especially Clear Lake. He would often come to Nate’s house bringing his joy, and a fresh supply of worms for us all.
“I loved Conroy like a brother,” Lemons told me when I spoke to him recently. “He was the kind of guy who would give you the shirt off his back, and then loan you his boat when yours was broken, and he would borrow one to fish out of.”
Lemons reminded me of the time that he was competing in the New Bass Pro / Am Tournament of Champions (TOC) on Shasta in 1995 or ‘96. He had won the TOC the year before at Oroville, earning himself a boat in the process. He had used a new color of worm that Conroy was pouring for him called Green Ghost. Lemons had ordered a supply for the event, but as of the day we were supposed to leave for the event, they had not arrived.
“Conroy found out that his son had shipped the worms to the wrong address, and they weren’t going to be there for the tournament,” said Lemons. “Conroy stayed up all night pouring the worms, then drove nearly 400 miles the next day to make sure I had them for the event; that was Conroy, a mess, but he gave you his whole heart.”
He gave his whole heart to sharing his love of fishing as well. At some point, Conroy began organizing a youth fishing day at Pine Flat Lake. The day would pair as many as four kids from underprivileged homes for a day of fishing with the local pros. According to Lemons’ recollection, the event grew and eclipsed more than a thousand kids, and they all walked away with rods and reels and tackleboxes stuffed full of stuff; including a supply of C.O.’s Bassin’ Worms.
Cooch was the same. There were times that he almost seemed to relish in playing the pot of the pot stirrer in our community, but it always seemed that there was a method to his approach that ended with him being able to invest in the parties that he was stirring up.
I never knew Cooch and Conroy together, but I knew they were friends, and when Cooch decided to carry on as our region’s primary ambassador to share the sport with the youth, it didn’t surprise me. It also didn’t surprise me when Cooch decided to rename the Pro / Teen tournament in honor of Conroy Oakley after he passed in 2000 while fishing an event at Clear Lake.
Cooch could have probably mailed it in several years ago. However, instead of becoming one of those tragic, “could have been” figures that fishing is known for, he triumphed. When his boat and all of his tackle and equipment were
stolen from his Sandmound Slough home, the outpouring of help showed how much he was revered by the community.
When others would have likely folded up the tent and gone home, Cooch used his undeniable charm and true joy for life to share his love and joy with even more dedication. He began guiding even more fervently, lent himself to organizations as an emcee of fishing events, wrote more articles and – of course – continued on the tradition of running the C.O. Pro / Teen every year, doing everything he could to ensure that no teen wanting to fish was left on the bank.
He became famous locally for his educational articles on Westernbass.com. In fact, I bet his article called Cooch’s Jig Fishing Theory (http://www.westernbass.com/article/cooch- s-jig-fishing-theory) has been poured over by just about any serious Delta angler – I know I’ve read it multiple times.
He also made himself available on the website’s forums. He often came across as a laughable figure, but having known him for so long, I always viewed it as him having a “crazy like a fox” type of approach that would cause fellow posters to engage, so that he could begin a dialogue and become a part of their lives.
Both of them died of heart attacks. Conroy passed away in April of 2000 while competing on the second day of the Westernbass Pro / Am at Clear Lake. The year prior, he won the event, earning himself a boat in competition, something he had always wanted to do. His non-boater found his way to the launch, to get him to the ambulance, but despite him having already passed; the staff weighed his limit, and he got a check in the event; knowing him, he would have loved that.
The word of Cooch’s passing hit many of us hard. I was in Las Vegas beginning my coverage of the 2017 U.S. Open; which I have done for the past six years in an effort to help the region, and the anglers that opened the door to a career for me, get the exposure and recognition they deserve. I received a call from a friend, then began checking Facebook and Westernbass.com for details. The amount of outpouring about him was incredible; I know Cooch would have loved that.
In a way, in life and death, both of these men – friends – did things in a similar way. They were unique and colorful, often the type of people that you loved, or chose not to be your flavor. Those who knew them best could tell you hours of stories of their generosity and joy for people in general, life, and the sport of bass fishing.
They lived, and passed similarly, with a heart loving so fully that they gave all they had, and with their work here completed, they left us all to remember the full hearts they left with us. •
http://www.westernbass.com/article/cooch-s-jig-fishing-theory