FORT KNOX, Ky. – A Blackhawk helicopter repairman assigned to U.S. Army Outdoors Team, U.S. Army Accessions Mission Support Battalion, U.S. Army Marketing and Engagement Brigade at Fort Knox, tied for ninth place at the National Professional Fishing League Tournament in Pickwick Lake, Tennessee July 07-12.
Master Sgt. John Branch, a Lakeland, Florida native, said he relied on skill, dedication and a little luck to capture the team’s first top-10 national finish out of 122 anglers on the lake.
“After the first day of the tournament seeing how the weights were stacking up,” said Branch, “my teammate told me, ‘You have a shot at winning this thing.’”
The competition meant matching wits with the Tennessee fish to reel in a lunker. Branch did.
“Day Two was a lot tougher,” Branch said. “I had a harder time catching better quality fish. Toward the end of the day, I got lucky and caught a six-and-a-half-pound largemouth bass. I was excited, and that put me back into knowing I had a shot at the top 10. At that point, I knew I wasn’t going to win the event, but I could still do everything I can to have a good, high finish.”
Branch said he hauled in 57 pounds, 10 ounces of fish over the three days. The largemouth bass was the largest. However, the winner of the tournament caught 70 pounds, 2 ounces.
The NFPL provides a stage for anglers to demonstrate their skills in front of a national audience.
“The NFPL is the Army Outdoor Team’s primary tournament circuit that we participate in,” Branch said. “They have six events throughout the year all across the country.”
The NFPL finish is a steppingstone for the Army Outdoor team, which represents the Army motto of “Be All You Can Be.”
“The competition is the biggest platform for team credibility and for us to execute our mission statement, which is to market the Army as the premiere choice for military service through a shared love and passion of the great outdoors,” Branch said.
The Pickwick Lake tournament is Branch’s top finish in an event at the national level. He said he began fishing at age 3 and has been hooked on the sport ever since.
“The freedom … it’s just you outdoors with the fish,” Branch said. “It’s something that I was born with. I was extremely young when my father got me into it. I couldn’t imagine life without it. Fishing is a part of who I am.”
Pickwick Lake was the third stop of the year as anglers cast their lures for competition points. Each fish gets weighed with the total weight determining who wins the event. Stop number four on the circuit is at Bay City, Michigan’s Saginaw Bay tournament Aug 29-31.
“You can’t really get a higher competition level,” Branch said. “There are guys that fish the Bassmaster Elite Series and guys that fish the MLF Bass Pro Tour. Pretty much every angler in the field can do those things.”
Besides providing information about fishing and sharing stories of their Army experiences, the AOT strives to win at tournaments, according to Branch. The Army Outdoor team is part of the Army Outreach Company, which also includes an eSports team, Warrior Fitness Team and a Top 40 band, titled As You Were.
But for now, the spotlight is shining on Branch.
“The top 10 finish on face value may not amount to a hill of beans,” Branch said. “But to have a finish that high against that talented of a field is an accomplishment in itself.”
The top 10 finish showcases the skill of the Soldiers on the AOT, according to Branch.
“This isn’t a ‘Hey, we’re happy to be here’ scenario,” Branch said. “We’re still out there competing and trying to do everything we can to win.”
“I been fishing for 37 years,” Branch said. “I’ve been fishing competitively in tournaments for about five years.”
Branch relies on lots of practice to get ready for competitions. His focus is on catching the big one.
“Our last day of practice, I figured out that I wasn’t going to be able to win,” Branch said. “At that point, I was just going for the highest possible finish and fished as cleanly as I could.”
“My number one fishing secret is that you have to understand a fish,” Branch said. “Any time you can get them to bite, it’s luck. Whatever lure they’re biting that day is my favorite.”
Branch credits team member Master Sgt. Josh Watkins with helping him join the team.
“We did not know each other before but he believed I was the right guy to help the team,” Branch said. “He went way out of his way to make joining the team a possibility.”
Branch said the mission is to reach people who enjoy outdoor sports with the Army message of Be All You Can Be.
“We’re the only team reaching out to that demographic and in my opinion the most important aspect of our team is simply the awareness that you are not a Soldier 24/7,” Branch said. “You have time to chase your hobbies, chase your dreams and your passions. Watkins and I are both prime examples of this. We both fished competitively in our off time prior to this team.
“To look back at my army career, I would have never imagined being in this position,” Branch said. “It is unbelievably humbling to represent the greatest military organization in the world.”
“The Army has been the best decision I’ve made in my life. It provided me with a purpose, job skill, lifelong friends, and it provided me with an honest and honorable way to support my family," Branch said. "It allows me to serve my country.”
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