It was the holiday season at its peak in December, 2003, when we found out we lost a great friend. I announced at the 2004 tournament the naming of our first place trophy after Jim Flower. Jim was a great person more than anything, but his contributions to this event will be long remembered. His wife Deb was thrilled to learn of our naming our championship after her husband. I truly felt Brian and Laura Maloney were honored to win it.
As I stated at the 2004 tournament, the people that travel the farthest to attend this tournament annually are here because they knew Jim Flower. The quality of these people, as well as our SBC folks, is high and represent the spirit in which this event thrives. My right hand man, Bruce Brothers travels from Muncie, Indiana each year to conduct our weigh-in, help set up the hall and anything else I ask him to do. The numerous things he does for me and the group that travels with me to this event cannot be mentioned in the space of this story.
Mike Harrelson travels from Thornton, Colorado to attend this tournament. He, Jim and Bruce worked for Mobile Tool International, the company that supplied us the Telsta bucket trucks used throughout SBC. Some of Jim’s friends from Louisiana also have attended our event. I truly believe many of our own SBC employees came to this event because of their friendship with Jim. Jim was truly an ambassador for this event.
Many of you will remember the soft plastic baits we handed out at the check-in a couple of years ago. Those were the doings of Jim Flower and one of his many fishing buddies who simply wanted to give the folks at this tournament some free items. The laptop and printer I used at weigh-in as well as the excel program we use at weigh-in are products of Jim Flower.
Jim was a competitor. Pairing him up with my oldest brother Joe was not only a fishing bonanza for Joe, but also a new friendship. A friendship started in a boat at this event that grew until the day Jim died. Joe can tell you how competitive Jim was, but also will tell you of the many times that Jim would share his secrets, just so someone else could experience some of his success. We all were better anglers after knowing Jim, but I sincerely think we were also better people for knowing him as well.
There were a few times over the years that I wondered if this event could survive. Job losses, retirees, people passing away and the 2004 strike have taken their toll on our attendance. Despite problems in the past, Jim would always encourage me to keep at it. In his last conversation with me before he died, he told me to keep the tournament going. It was that conversation that kept me from not throwing in the towel last year because of the strike. That same conversation will keep me at it for some time.
My three brothers, my dad, nephew and a whole assortment of friends provide a pretty good nucleus of support for this event. With all that support along with my wife, Kathy helping me each year; I still operate out of the fear that Jim will forever haunt my ass if we don’t keep the show going.