Arkansas angler and fishing expert Billy Murray recently tackled one of the highest achievements in the sport, an induction into the National Bass Fishing Hall of Fame.
His fellow inductees this year include former President George HW. Bush and Gary Yamamoto, an innovative lure designer. Murray was included in the lineup for his work as a skilled bass fishing educator.
Murray, who is from Hot Springs, said he was amazed and humbled by the honor.
“You get in through the representation of all your peers,” he said.
Murray says he is often asked what he enjoys most about fishing.
“A lot of people will say, it gives them an opportunity to escape,” he said. “To get away from their thoughts, to get some solitude, to get away from cell phones. But fishing to me isn’t an escape from something, it’s more like an escape to something. It’s what you receive once you are out there. You get to soak in all of the things that make life really worth something. It’s not hectic. You can’t fish and be in a state of mind where you are worried about everything.”
Murray’s career first started over 50 years ago as a fishing guide at Lake Ouachita.
“We not only have wonderful lakes to fish, we have some of the best rivers in the country,” he added. “From the Buffalo River, the White River, the Caddo, the Ouachita, the Little Missouri, all of those are fabulous rivers to float, fish and enjoy. The treasure that we have in the state is our water.”
Fishing is a family affair for Murray. He has a twin brother named Bobby, who is also an accomplished angler. Bobby won the Bassmaster Classic twice, including the first Classic in 1971, and was inducted into the Bass Fishing Hall of Fame in the very first group.
In the mid 1970s, Murray formed a fishing education program known as the Bass Fishing Institute, which was the country’s first on-the-water fishing school. The program started at Lake Ouachita at Mountain Harbor Resort in Mount Ida. From there, it went on to become one of the nation’s largest fishing education programs and was taught in major universities across the U.S. until the mid-1980s. Murray traveled with his crew teaching bass fishing tactics to tens of thousands of people across the country.
Murray went back to his teaching roots this year by creating a new and advanced version of the Bass Fishing Institute that is catered to the serious angler. Classes are held in the spring at Mountain Harbor Resort.
For more information on the Bass Fishing Institute, visit www.BassFishingInstitute.com or call 877-936-4520.