RIP Tom. We've all gotten better because of your knowledge. I'm shocked to hear this news. We will miss you here Tom.

I missed this very sad new earlier.

He loved BR...and will live in his posts here for many years to come.

Oh no. So sorry to hear this -- I will miss his deep knowledge, generous advice, and stories of his own long and vast angling experience.  

 

A first-ballot Bassresource Hall-of-Famer if there ever was one. 

 

RIP Tom.  

Wow, just hearing about this now. This is incredibly sad to hear. Tom gave me so much great advice over the years and I always learned something from his posts. He will truly be missed. 

I'm reminded of questions I asked here over the years. Some were off the wall things. How to dye pork rinds trailers, how to remove old grease from a reel, or old forgotten baits like the Pedigo Spinrite. Tom knew the answers to my questions every time.So many years of experience. He was a wealth of knowledge on all things bass fishing, and I'm sorry to hear of his passing.                                                                     He was a teacher for many of us. RIP WRB.Your knowledge helped me become a better angler. I'm sure many members of BR would agree.

First Catt ( Tommy ) , now Tom this year 😢.

Will miss his knowledge and desire to teach and share his expertise.

 

I was wondering why AJ posted up his 5 biggest bass, I had completely missed this thread.

 

The first year I joined this forum I was having knot and line issues, Tom reached out and got my squared away. I've been tying his recommended knot ever since. That act was one of the main reasons I decided to stick around on this particular forum.

 

Really nice guy with a ton of useful information not just on bass but the lake and forage too. Going to miss seeing his replies. 

 

Been a tough year for all of us with who we have lost here this year.

Tom was a great forum member and fisherman.  He will be missed tremendously.  If there is something beyond this life, here's hoping Tom is spending time with his son now.  Godspeed, Tom.

Even in my limited time here I’d come to recognize Tom. Why? Because if there was ever a thread where someone wanted help, insight, or knowledge, he was there, eager to lend his expertise. 
 

His legacy is defined by helping others, and that is something we all should strive for in our own lives. 
 

And even if he is no longer physically with us, his spirit lives on not only through his tips still widely accessible on BassResource, but also through the anglers he’s helped become the next stewards of fishing. 

 

RIP. 
 

 

I'll summarize this thread: Tom was the best.

Although I have not, nor will ever have the privilege of shaking his hand in this lifetime, BR has afforded me the privilege of making his acquaintance from the other side of the country. 

Tom was blessed to have been able to enjoy such a rich and fruitful life.  His passion and devotion to nature encompassed far more than the fish of the waters, both sweet and salt, the beasts of the land and birds of the air.  His tireless pursuit and drive to understand the mysteries of the sport, endowed him with a wealth of knowledge and experiences few will ever possess.  Knowledge that he happily shared.  

I have no doubt that Tom is in paradise, banging em up with his son.  

God Bless Tom and his family

God Bless BR

 

 

So sad and shocked to read about this when it happened. He was really excited about BFS. It sounded like he was reopening some fishing doors with that technique.

 

Condolences to his family.

 

Thankfully both his and Catt's musings and wisdom are immortalized here.

9 hours ago, Kev-mo said:

He was really excited about BFS. It sounded like he was reopening some fishing doors with that technique.

 

He was excited. He reminded me, in his fresh, unfettered joy, of a kid first fishing from the bank with his cane pole. Before Tom passed, I noted his happiness and committed myself to fishing happy, thus my signature below:

The passing of such great forum members, or indeed anyone on here is a great loss, and I am truly sad at their passing. I can't help but think that along with their great advise and help, the best gift for us is a reminder of just how swift and fleeting life can be, and how we should make the most of every day, and to just enjoy the fact we are still here. No matter if we get skunked, or stuck behind an idiot at the boat launch, life is just too good not to enjoy it to it's fullest. 

God bless Tom and his family. He always presented respectable  even when he disagreed.He seemed like a realgood dude anytime i read his stuff or commented on it. Just the other day i was checking his bfs stuff because im just getting into it now myself. RIP 

Sorry to hear. I always made sure to read Tom's posts and comments he was a wealth of information. 

So sorry to hear.  He was a great resource.  😞😢

On 1/3/2026 at 7:24 PM, GetFishorDieTryin said:

Although I have not, nor will ever have the privilege of shaking his hand in this lifetime, BR has afforded me the privilege of making his acquaintance from the other side of the country. 

Tom was blessed to have been able to enjoy such a rich and fruitful life.  His passion and devotion to nature encompassed far more than the fish of the waters, both sweet and salt, the beasts of the land and birds of the air.  His tireless pursuit and drive to understand the mysteries of the sport, endowed him with a wealth of knowledge and experiences few will ever possess.  Knowledge that he happily shared.  

I have no doubt that Tom is in paradise, banging em up with his son.  

God Bless Tom and his family

God Bless BR

 

 

Very well said good sir 

Tom was going all in on BFS. We had a heck of a topwater season in 2025 that lasted from Spring and into the Fall. This is from the last time we fished together in late September. He bagged a six-plus pound striper on his BFS rig.

 

 

This next one was a six plus largemouth he boated in the Spring on spinning gear. After one heck of a battle, as soon as he grabbed the jaw, the hook fell out.

 

 

Tom told me he missed doing the boat related tasks too, so I liked to have him chauffer us around the lake. The boat rode better with me in front anyway.

 

 

 

 

Big Hands, thank you for putting a face to the legend...

What a loss for the fishing community.  He was a wealth of knowledge, and a true great!  He will be missed by everyone that followed this site.  My thoughts and prayers go out to his family and true friends.  Tom will always be with us through the wisdom he shared.  I know he will be with his son and talking fishing .  RIP Sir!  🙏❤️

I didn’t really get the opportunity to directly interact much with Tom but I know he was a valued member of this community and will be sorely missed. Rest in Peace.. if there’s a heaven I’m certain as you walk through the gate Saint Peter hands you a Shimano combo and a tackle box with every favorite lure you’ve ever lost.

Everyone leaves a legacy. Some people leave one that's big, and wide, and good. 

We can all aspire to leave the kind of wake Tom left in his life. 

 

Missed, but not forgotten. See you on the water, Tom. 

This was SOOO sad to hear, and what a terrible time for this to happen! I haven't been on here as much lately and hadn't been on the General Fishing section to see the post. 

 

I always enjoyed hearing @WRB-2.0 stories and him sharing his mass amount of experience. He will be greatly missed on here!!

 

My sincere condolences to all his family and friends!!

Very shocking and disheartening news. I've always enjoyed his posts. I have some of his thoughts saved in various files on different aspects of fishing.

Condolences and prayers to his family.