“It’s like an artist who truly enjoys his work; once the painting is done, he can stand back and look at what a beautiful thing he accomplished. That’s how big bass fishing is. You work hard and you fail a lot. And when you fail, you pick yourself up and try again until you get it right. The enjoyment you get is the end product, recalling every moment you battled a giant bass and that special feeling when it was finally in your hands. Nothing in the world is like that moment, and it is well worth all the pain and suffering to achieve.”
Bill Murphy In Pursuit of Giant Bass
A Heap Hunter works to locate and slay monstrous largemouth bass and mature antlered whitetail deer. Every decision this hunter makes during a mission goes towards the ultimate goal of catching the very biggest of the micropterus salmoides or odocoileus virginianus available. The standard fishing and hunting tactics are often ignored by a Heap Hunter, as he/she/they remain steadfast in purpose.
If the waterfront is fishable by men, men shall fish the waterfront. He creates fish habitat in the dead of winter. He finds giant bucks, on giant mountains, in the July heat. He builds anchors out of the clay of the land. He assesses drop-offs, bedding areas, ambush points, winds/thermals, and all other variables. He endures D.C. and NYC traffic weekly to reach his lake office. He fishes one hump an entire summer for one reason only. He hunts one spot, one time, and waits an entire year to hit it again. He makes one cast with lures so big most fish in the lake are afraid of them, and then moves on. He fishes/hunts any condition; torrential rain, whitecap wind, 95 degree doldrums, and the polar vortex. He may be at a point near you, on water or land, at any point in time, working. He feels no excitement from catching 2 lbers, and has become increasingly adept at not catching them. He is notorious for giving the pass on remedial, young whitetails: his tag is reserved for another. He works the cosmos and embraces unfiltered delirium to keep his mind and body focused on the work required. He makes a website like this, proving once again that no one does the work of a Heap Hunter. He must endure many fish-less, bite-less, deer-less days, and remain focused on his prize. He hunts, he stalks, he works: to catch the biggest largemouth bass in a given fishery, to hunt down the biggest buck on a property, to catch as many heaps as possible every mission, to hang a giant head on his wall in all its glory, and to ultimately break a state record.
He is a Heap Hunter.
“Ya have to want it. I mean really, really want it. The highlight of my huntin’ career was in the 90’s, when my skill level elevated to meet my youthful energy. I killed alot of huge bucks in that 10 year span. The main reason was that I was always plotting, always thinking of my next move, and always searching for that overlooked piece of the puzzle.” -Dan Infalt (The Hunting Beast)