Country music star Randy Houser says a three-day bonefishing trip with members of the Navy SEAL Foundation at the Bahamas’ Blackfly Lodge ranks among the most meaningful experiences of his life.
“I’m a huge supporter of our military and military families and personnel,” Houser told OutKick OutDoors in an exclusive interview. “To get that time with those guys and get them in a space where they’re on the water and can relax, and just to hear stories that they wouldn’t normally talk about in a different situation, was just priceless.”
Houser said spending time with active and retired SEALs away from their usual responsibilities made the trip stick with him. “I got to hear just personal experiences from those guys,” he said. “I’ll remember it forever. It was really cool.”
The singer’s love of fishing goes back to his childhood in Mississippi, long before the sold-out shows. “Growing up in Mississippi, that’s about all we had. We had bluegill, catfish and bass,” he said. “When I get off the tour bus, I’m literally looking for some water to get on.”
These days he spends his winters fly fishing the flats of the Bahamas. “I spend a lot of time bonefishing in the Bahamas. That’s kind of my thing now, as I enjoy fly fishing for bonefish and permit and things like that,” he said. “I spend a lot of my time doing that in the winter.” He traces the pull of the water straight back to his youth: “I think that stems from all the time I spent on the water as a kid.” His wife and children often fish alongside him.
Taking the stage at The Champions
Houser will perform with fellow country artist Riley Green on Friday, Oct. 30, at The Pinnacle in Nashville as part of The Champions, a new professional bass fishing tournament hosted by World Bass Enterprises. The event takes place on Old Hickory Lake and draws top anglers from the Bassmaster Elite Series and Major League Fishing’s Bass Pro Tour, competing for a record $3.25 million purse, including $1.25 million to the winner.
Houser, who grew up fishing for fun rather than money, says he’s amazed at how far competitive bass fishing has come. He recalled learning a friend’s son was fishing on a college team: “I thought, wow, what a dream. If I was in high school, I’d have been thinking, ‘Lord, you mean I can get a scholarship to go fishing?'”
He compared the skill, sponsorship demands and resources required to compete at the top of bass fishing to those needed in professional golf, and said Nashville is the right stage to show how big the sport has gotten. “There’s a strong synergy between country music, country music listeners and bass fishing,” he said.
Houser knows the local water well, having fished Old Hickory Lake himself, and expects The Champions to pull a bigger crowd than organizers anticipate. “I think they’re going to have a lot more fans than they expected,” he said. “Not just for the music at The Pinnacle, but also hanging out at the lake waiting for the weigh-ins and things like that.”
He’s looking forward to sharing the stage with Green, a close friend and frequent touring partner, though their schedules haven’t left much room for fishing together lately — they do plan to hunt together once cooler weather arrives. The Nashville show also gives Houser a chance to bring his kids along, something his touring schedule rarely allows.
