“ It turned out that Orlando liked Roland’ s theme song the best, so he got me to switch them around,” recalls Bare.“ It was an awkward thing to do because of Orlando’ s name having three syllables in it. I think Roland wound up getting the best of that deal.”
Martin’ s intro music contains references to famous bass lakes around the country, but Bare usually confines his fishing to south Florida waters or lakes closer to home. In January and February, he spends about 45 days fishing. Dale Hollow is a favorite, and Bare will spend a couple of weeks there targeting the lake’ s giant smallmouths. Kentucky Lake is another popular destination.
“ When I’ m home in the summer, I might fish a Tuesday nighter at the dam [ on Old Hickory ] with maybe 25 or 30 other boats, but it’ s so doggone hot we only fish from about 5:30 to 8:30,” adds Bare, a member of the Grand Ole Opry and the Country Music Hall of Fame.“ I would say Old Hickory is my least favorite lake. It’ s pretty tough.”
Bare has outlived many of his fishing buddies, including Dickens and Reed, but his interest in fishing has never waned. Though he demurs from naming them, he has his favorite pros whose career paths he follows and techniques he employs. Nowadays, he’ s more interested in finesse-fishing tactics and how to apply them successfully. In that respect, he’ s like every other aspiring angler.
Bare fishes out of a Ranger Comanche, circa 1999, that’ s outfitted with a 225-hp engine. He had the boat’ s front deck lowered to make it safer for him to move around.
“ I’ m getting old, and my balance isn’ t what it used to be. And my family doesn’ t allow me to go fishing by myself anyway,” he notes.“ But I love that Ranger. It’ s loaded down with Power-Poles, electronics, remote-control trolling motor. Shoot, it’ s got everything I need.”
Bare’ s latest album cover attests to the fact that his has become a household name like Cash or Jones. It features a stark black cover with the name“ BARE” and the title,“ Things Change,” under it.
Most things do change in a lifetime, but, even at 82, there is much about Bare that hasn’ t. Two of the most important motivations that have helped define his life remain the same:
A singer has to sing, a fisherman has to fish.
PHOTO BY RILEY BARNES
Bobby Bare and two of his favorite trophies; at top, with his Grammy for his hit song,“ Detroit City,” and, at bottom, with a Lake Okeechobee toad caught during a recent trip.
OCtOber 2017 I FLWFISHING. COM
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