As I pulled through the gates at the Inn at BK Ranch, I couldn’t conceal a grin of anticipation. Like many, I had wanted for quite some time to meet the owner and legendary bait maker Gary Yamamoto. And by “meet” I mean more than the 15 seconds I get with him when he comes off the tournament stage – fish bag in his right hand and his beloved long haired Chihuahua Bella lounging across his left forearm.
Well, through a recent media retreat, I finally got to meet Gary Yamamoto. It was nice, it was cordial and it was gracious. But you know what was really cool – I got to meet “Gary.”
At his Palestine, TX property, he and his lovely wife Beverly showered us with hospitality that included several meals of fresh Kobe beef from the Wagyu cattle that graze sloping fields between the ponds we fished. Now, some might assert that media event hosting inherently brings the big welcome. It does; but Gary treated us like family – cooking for us, serving us, laughing with us and clearly enjoying his unofficial role in this event’s coordination.
Gary’s private ponds offered plenty of photo material for forthcoming media projects, but this one felt as much like a vacation as it did the highly productive work trip it turned out to be. Memory making moments were many. Among them:Gary told us all about his Wagyu cattle operation and why the Kobe beef has such incredible taste, texture and health benefits.
We met Wataru Iwahori – the stick from Kawasaki City, Japan – and heard about his life-changing
opportunity of spending a year with Gary. (Wataru has undoubtedly learned much from his time visiting and fishing with Gary, but probably his biggest takeaway will be the difference between cooking sake and drinking sake. Ask Gary about that one sometime.)
I spent time each morning and afternoon snapping photos of the hummingbirds that buzz and aerially joust around the feeders Beverly keeps on the back deck. And, of course, we got a kick out of the prominent position Bella and her playmates Chica and Carmen hold at BK Ranch.
Yeah, we’re still talking about the same guy whose professional angler credits cross the Pacific from Japan’s vibrant tournament scene to America’s FLW and B.A.S.S. circuits; the same guy who has fished a pair of Bassmaster Classics and 4 Forrest Wood Cups, and the same guy who literally revolutionized the industry with that simple little worm called a Senko.
But beyond the business, beyond the international recognition, beyond the quiet, somewhat introverted personality belying the bigger-than-life reputation – beyond all this, there is a guy who just really digs fishing.
How do I know? Well, I got to see it live and in stereo. Yep, among the many wonderful experiences I’ve been blessed with, few will ever top the honor and sincere enjoyment of tracking Gary and his pro-staffer/pal Tom Monsoor as they strolled around one of the small ponds on BK Ranch and put his new topwater baits through a rigorous workout with some serious bass.
Taking nothing away from his undeniably impressive resume and upholding the respectful view I honestly have for the man, I can say to a certainty, that there’s a very refreshing chunk of regular guy inside this industry icon. Keep read this article from our friend David A. Brown.