SHORELINES

10 Shor e l i n e S | 2014 Vol :1 Center: Photo by Joe Desciose — Bassmaster Classic champion Randy Howell celebrates his victory at the final weigh-in. We love good stories about good people doing good things. That being said, we congratulate Randy Howell for winning the 2014 GEICO Bassmaster Classic. We consider Howell one of our own for several reasons. One, he's an Alabamian from Springville who loves fishing on the Coosa River chain of Alabama Power lakes. Second, Shorelines readers got a detailed look into his life as a professional fisherman last year when he was featured in our magazine during a Bassmaster tournament on Lake Logan Martin. Howell won bass fishing's biggest event on Feb. 23 in a most dramatic fashion. Heading into the final day of the three-day tournament, he was in 11th place, but he put together the biggest final-day comeback in the Bassmaster Classic's 44-year history. Howell posted the biggest catch of his 21-year fishing career that day. "I have fished all the way from California to New York to Florida and I have never experienced a day of fishing like that," he said. Howell's win before an estimated crowd of 15,000 screaming fans at the Birmingham-Jefferson Convention Complex earned him a $300,000 payday. Experts say the win eventually will be worth more than $1 million for him in endorsements and personal appearance fees. The victory was a culmination of 21 years of professional fishing that has taken him to all corners of the U.S. He already had more than $1 million in career winnings going into this year's Classic. Howell's victory was a popular one with bass fishing fans because they BASSMASTER CLASSIC R A NDY HOWEL L , FE AT URED IN SHOREL INES L A ST SUM MER, FINISHES FIRST IN DR A M AT IC FA SHION. "I H AV E FISHED A L L T HE WAY FROM C A L IFORNI A TO NE W YORK TO FLORIDA A ND I H AV E NE V ER E XPERIENCED A DAY OF FISHING L IK E T H AT." — R A NDY H OW EL L O N HIS FIN A L- D AY COM EB ACK TO W IN T HE 2014 GEICO B A SS M A S T ER CL A SSIC .

• Cover