So sorry to hear, especially this time of the year. I didn’t know him as well as a lot of others here but definitely enjoyed reading his posts and comments.

So impressed with his PB’s when I first seen them listed. Unbelievable.  
 

Sending prayers to his family!!  

A truly great bass angler. I have been reading and learning from him on BR for many years. Tom you will be greatly missed. Prayers to family and friends.

I am deeply saddened by Toms passing. I was searching FleaMarket looking for his post on the St.Croix rods he had for sale recently and was about to message him and ran across this thread.

I’ve had several messages with him, as many have had and received several of his articles gleaning knowledge from his enormous body of work.
This is a gut shot that is totally unexpected.

 

May his family find peace and comfort in the coming days and his legendary legacy will continue through his passionate writings.

 

RIP Tom

from here….
“This bass is actually my second biggest bass; 18 lbs 11 oz., caught at Lake Casitas, February 9th 1981, pre-spawn on a my BBP hair jig. The bass was in about 17 feet of water on a major point. The bass was 28 1/2" long with 28" girth.”. Tom

Sad news.  Tom was very generous with his knowledge.  Condolences to his family.

I would like to offer my deepest and most sincere condolences to all who knew Tom. He was a wealth of knowledge and every post I made I knew I would receive to sound and well rounded advice from him.

RIP Tom. Thank you for everything you contributed to all Of us. Deeply saddened by this 

This is truly heartbreaking news.

 

Losing a member like him leaves a hole that can’t really be filled. For nearly 20 years, he wasn’t just part of the forum — he was the forum in so many ways. His willingness to share decades of hard-earned knowledge, to patiently help others, and to contribute thoughtfully to discussions is exactly what made this community special.

 

What stood out most was not just how much he knew, but how freely he gave it. He made newcomers feel welcome, helped seasoned anglers see things differently, and elevated the conversations simply by being part of them. That kind of generosity leaves a lasting impact far beyond individual posts.

 

He will be deeply missed, but his legacy lives on in the countless threads he contributed to, the people he helped, and the standard he set for what this community should be.

 

Our thoughts are with his family and loved ones during this difficult time. Rest easy, my friend — and thank you for everything you gave to this community.

Dang... Rest in peace Tom. We're gonna miss ya. Prayers for his loved ones. 

 

Well said @Glenn. Tom's kindness and generosity were attributes that always stood out to me in his posts. 

I didnt know Tom personally, but I certainly did appreciate him. Truly sad to see this post

 

Praying for comfort and strength for his family

That was beautiful, @Glenn. Thank you.

I can’t believe this. He was such an integral part of this forum and a wealth of knowledge. This is truly a major loss for all of us fishermen here at bassresource or in general.

 

My sincerest condolences to his family and friends. I pray you find comfort and peace.

 

Rest In Peace, Tom. 

WOW!

He truly will be missed.

My thoughts and condolences to the family.

I’m saddened beyond what words can express.

 

I just got back from immuno-therapy to see this and it hits hard. Tom has been one of the mainstays of the board, and while he-and-I occasionally disagreed, we always did so with respect and honor.

 

Losing Tom is gonna leave a very large hole in the ranks.

 

"Come from star-dust, return to star-dust. May your spirit happily wander the universe."

Oh, wow. Not news I expected to see upon logging in. I wasn't close with Tom, but his presence was like a monolith here on the forum. His wealth of knowledge was incredible, but his eagerness to share that information with others to help them on their journey spoke volumes to his character and he will be missed deeply. As other said, his legacy lives on through every angler he has helped, what an incredible loss to the bass fishing world, but my deepest condolences to his family and friends close to him.

 

Very sobering reminder just how fragile all of our lives are. Rest in peace, Tom. One of the best to ever do it.

Hello BR Fam,

 

I had a very heartfelt conversation today with Tom's wife. I let her know that I had posted the news of Tom's passing on this forum earlier today, and that there were quite a number of forum members that had posted their condolences and shared thoughts about our interactions with Tom. She knew how much posting and sharing meant to him and how he loved to interact here. She also said she would very much like to read the posts. I let her know that I would do my best to find a way to share our posts from this thread with her. 

 

I don't know if there is a way to easily convert this to something like a pdf file, or if there is some other way to share this with her.

 

I would also like to say that reading these posts has also helped me to understand just how many people he profoundly impacted while sharing our mutual passion.

Sorry to hear this as he was a good man. 

 

 

Allen 

Dang, this hurts. Picked up some big swimbaits from him a couple years back and really wanted to send him a pic of a giant I'd catch on 'em someday. Also can't believe we lost Tom and Catt within a year of each other. 

 

RIP WRB... we'll miss you but find peace knowing you're up chasing DD's in heaven and reunited with your son.

I never know what to say when I get news like this. To the members of the BR family, I say; We will keep his memory alive as he helped so many of us better understand bass and his stories will entertain and enlighten us for years.

To his close friends and family, Condolences. I feel your loss and share your sorrow.  

RIP Tom

I am without words!!!

 

RIP bud.  I will miss his presence here..that guy oozed knowledge.  

The amount of expert advice and experience Tom shared with us on nearly a daily basis is immeasurable.  I can't begin to guess how many fishermen he educated and encouraged, including me.  He was an outstanding teacher and he will live on with all of us that learned from him.  Rest in peace, sir.  

1 hour ago, Big Hands said:

Hello BR Fam,

 

I had a very heartfelt conversation today with Tom's wife. I let her know that I had posted the news of Tom's passing on this forum earlier today, and that there were quite a number of forum members that had posted their condolences and shared thoughts about our interactions with Tom. She knew how much posting and sharing meant to him and how he loved to interact here. She also said she would very much like to read the posts. I let her know that I would do my best to find a way to share our posts from this thread with her. 

 

I don't know if there is a way to easily convert this to something like a pdf file, or if there is some other way to share this with her.

 

I would also like to say that reading these posts has also helped me to understand just how many people he profoundly impacted while sharing our mutual passion.

Sent a PM on downloading .

Thank you

16 minutes ago, Motoboss said:

Sent a PM on downloading .

Thank you

 

I responded to your PM. Thank you.

Even being new here and an infrequent poster, Tom was someone I sought out and listened to. I wish I would have had the honor to meet him in person. Rest in peace, Tom.

This news is heartbreaking.  When I first became a member, WRB was one of the first members to stand out to me.  I so much appreciated Tom and his willingness to share so much of himself.  Tom was always a giver.  I am blessed to have some reels I purchased from Tom. Now they have a new story and a new meaning.  Tom was a mentor, quick to share with all of us.  He will be a part of BR for years to come.  My thoughts and prayers go out to the family.  Tom showed me he was old school before being old school as cool. 

Rest in peace Tom! I’ve talked to Tom on here several times and he has simply been the best. He just sent me his cosmic clock a few weeks ago. I never met him in person but really liked the guy. I’d say the only way I can properly honor his legacy is to try to catch some big girls in 2026. His wife will be in my families prayers.