Husband/wife team fishes their way into first place at tournament

Published 10:58 pm Thursday, February 21, 2019

On any given week on a lake in Texas, there is going to be a bass tournament. It used to be bass clubs, but nowadays it is more likely to be regional circuits that are professionally run.

In most cases the winner is going to be a really good fisherman in the case of an individual event or pair of guys who have been fishing together for years in team tournaments.

In the case of the February Media Bass tournament on Lake Palestine, it was the husband and wife team of Robert and Mendy Baxter that came to the scales with 26.76 pounds, enough to win the tournament by more than two pounds.

With a number of husband-wife circuits around these days, it is no longer unusual for couples to compete. However, Media Bass is not a couple’s tour. It is normally a male-dominated field. In fact, tournament director Tommy Morton said that while he has had another couple competing in the events for several years, the Baxters’ win was a first for him.

Like other boats on the water that day, the Bullard couple had to battle adverse conditions including cold and fog. Not wanting to start the morning having to deal with wet rods, Baxter kept the gear stowed during the ride from the ramp to their first hole on Palestine’s north end.

“I stopped a little before we got to the first spot we were going to fish and started getting the gear out. I handed her a rod and I didn’t even have the tackle out of box or the trolling motor in the water and I saw her set the hook,” Baxter said.

On her third cast, Mendy had a 7.9 in the boat.

It was their only fish until they moved to a second hole. On her first cast there, Mendy had a bite but came up empty handed. Baxter, a guide on Palestine, threw into the hole and landed their second bass, then threw in again and landed another keeper.

They struggled throughout the day, landing only seven bass including four keepers until they started the boat right back down the lake.

“We pulled up to a dock headed to the weigh-in and before I could throw in, she threw a Texas rig in there and caught a 5-pounder,” Baxter said.

Their five-fish stringer was worth $2,500, something Baxter said is one of the perks of fishing with your spouse.

“It is nice fishing with my wife. We are spending time together. Even if we have a bad day, we are still spending quality time. And if you get a check, it goes into the same checking account. You don’t have to split it,” Baxter said, and then actually admitted Mendy gets up to get the check.

Celebrating their second wedding anniversary last week, Mendy is actually a newcomer to fishing.

“When we first got together, we went out on a date. The next date we went and fished the Lake Jacksonville Thursday night tournament. She had never bass fished in her life. Now she does everything I can do, she just does it better,” Baxter said.

Mendy fishes with a bait casting reel and her favorite technique is worming, either a Texas rig or a Carolina rig.

“She will drag a worm all the way to China, but if she says get the net she has a good one on,” Baxter said.

He said in comparison he is more of a power fisherman, and, while fishing, his wife will act as his coach reminding him to slow down if he is not getting bites.

“I determine where we go and what baits to throw. She makes it happen,” he said of their teamwork.

The Baxters are somewhat limited in the number of tournaments they can fish because of Mendy’s career as a trauma nurse at Christus Trinity Mother Frances Hospital. The couple has been fishing Media Bass for three years, finishing in the top 10 in season standings last year. They also fished one of the couple’s circuits, but had to drop out because of a rule restricting guides from competing.

While the February win was their first as a team, Mendy did win big bass in a Lake Jacksonville big bass tournament with a 9.63.

“When she caught it I said ‘you win.’ She asked how I knew and I said if someone beats it, it is their turn,” Baxter said.

Knowing he better not mess up her chances of earning a check, they fished the remainder of the night within close proximity of the weigh-in site. His reasoning was if something happened to the boat, he was still going to make it to the scales on time.

Like with any couple, the pair can have their disagreements, even on the water. Generally they are not long-lasting.

“We do and then it gets quiet for a little bit, and then we go back to catching them,” Baxter said with a laugh.

With both being into fishing, Baxter said it can mean more time on the water at times.

“If she is off and it is nice, I will say ‘Hey do you want to go fishing or go to the movies’ and hope she picks fishing. It depends on what is on at the movies,” he said.

Lately during tournament season, it has been Mendy who suggests more time on the water pre-fishing.

“The first year we did not do a whole lot of pre-fishing. Maybe one day a week for a couple of hours. Then she said we need to spend more time out here because we are donating,” Baxter added.

With Media Bass tournaments on Lake Tyler and Lake Palestine next Saturday and Sunday, the Baxters have a busy weekend planned with hopes of another paycheck or two.