The “ Pursuit ” of Happiness
1991 , Oh what a year ! A gallon of milk cost $ 1.05 , Silence of the Lambs was the number one movie at the box office and Color Me Badd was heard from almost every teenager ’ s radio . But , the sounds coming from the cab of Rusty Faulk ’ s diesel truck were far from some hip hop tune or some creepy movie . Rolling down the highway , he dreamed of a fishing hole . It was all about that bass , not just any old fishing hole , to Rusty . A young man and his beautiful young bride , well , they just wanted to fish ! Eventually , they would bait the hook , cast the line and pull in a bigun ! Through the love of each other and the love of the outdoors , the young couple flourished and grew to have a gorgeous family to follow in their footsteps .
Let ’ s back up a little . Rusty had always wanted to be in those big bass tournaments . The ones with the fancy boats and all the high-tech equipment . The problem with that was that it took money .
Rusty and Donna didn ’ t have a fancy boat ; they didn ’ t have a boat at all . Surely they weren ’ t the only people that wanted to fish those tournaments that didn ’ t have a boat , they thought . The creative duo came up with an idea . They began their own bass tournament .
Around 1992 , Heart of Dixie Outdoors Bass Tournament was born . The tournaments were set up for people like them . The couple would book private lakes and have 50-100 participants to join in the fun . It didn ’ t take long for the big boys to catch on to the excitement .
Gene ’ s Marine reached out to Rusty and Donna . Gene ’ s didn ’ t fund or sponsor the events ; however , they ensured that the young couple had a boat and gear . That boat and the act of kindness from Gene ’ s Marine opened up the door for a whirlwind of adventure for the Faulk family .
Troy Cable and WTVY would come out and film Rusty on his outdoor excursions . Rusty would explain his process , how everything worked , and tricks to tag those prized fish and game . Rusty had the voice . Rusty had the good old boy look . Rusty had the skills and knowledge to teach others how to value the environment and use it to their advantage .
Red Holland was a local television personality on WTVY out of Dothan who enjoyed outdoor adventure as much as Rusty did . People would watch and laugh at old Red every week . He had celebrity status in these parts . When Red ’ s time was up and he was
Hank Parker swings by to talk fishing with the Pursuit Channel gang .