Local angler featured on cereal box

By David Bailey

Local pro angler Marty Fourkiller may soon be recognized across the country.

Fourkiller, who travels the country as a competitor in the Citgo Bassmasters and Wal-Mart FLW Tour, can be seen on Raisin Bran boxes in Wal-Mart Supercenters nationwide.

His success has landed him a spot on the Kellogg's Professional Angler Team and he is currently featured with the rest of the team on the boxes.

"It's kind of a neat deal (moving to the Cherokee area)," said Fourkiller. "I've been taken in by this area. There is a lot of spiritual stuff to it. Just knowing that (this) could have been your homeland had things gone differently"

"I grew up in a house where Cherokee was spoken everyday," Fourkiller said. "But as I've grown older, I've kind of made a commitment to myself that I'm going to learn to speak the language fluently. I can understand a lot of it, but I can't carry on a conversation with my dad (and) that's important to me." His love for fishing began at a young age.

"I started fishing when I was probably 5 years old," he said. "My mom took me fishing many afternoons on the creek banks of northeastern Oklahoma that feed the Illinois River. I was basically a country boy."

Years later he experienced his first day of bass fishing while fishing with his dad on a pond, said Fourkiller.

The experience of reeling in a largemouth bass created a love for fishing that has endured. After Fourkiller competed in his first fishing tournament and caught three fish he decided to quit his oil company job and concentrate on fishing full time.

His love of fishing and the outdoors gets him up at the wee hours of the morning to compete in the next tournament.

"There are some mornings when it's hard if it's cold or raining," Fourkiller said. "Basically the outdoors are your office, and I love the outdoors and now I'm out there 200 plus days a year."

Professional anglers practice "catch and release" fishing.

"In addition to protecting our resources, returning the fish helps there to be plenty for our young anglers," Fourkiller said.

Fourkiller's busy schedule of tournaments and sponsorship appearances has kept him from doing a lot of fishing locally.

Fourkiller grew up bass fishing and since moving here has picked up trout fishing and tries to fly fish local waters as often as his schedule permits, he said. His success has landed him several sponsorships on the pro tour. Fourkiller is now backed by Kellogg's, Citgo, Ranger Boats, Mercury Outboards, Rapala, Ocean Wave Sunglasses and Zoom Bait. Sponsorships play and important role and are part of his livelihood.

"When you're sponsored, it helps take the pressure off," Fourkiller said. "Everyone is working to make fishing more of a spectator sport. Sponsorships and television coverage are a big step in that direction."

Fourkiller was filmed recently for the weekly Cumb-erland Stories on ESPN 2. Those episodes will air through July.

"They come to an area which has a lot of history, like Cherokee, and film as we fish the streams," Fourkiller said.

ESPN will also film an upcoming fishing tournament for children 11 and under that Fourkiller is involved in.

The "Talking Trees Trout-fishing Derby," that will take place August 3 in Cherokee will include games, instruction for the kids and even an appearance by Tony the Tiger.

Fourkiller is involved with local youths and often takes time to talk to schools and youth groups.

"Fishing is for all ages, Fourkiller said. "It doesn't discriminate for any reason - regardless of race, sex, religion, size, weight, whatever."

The 2002 season was not as successful as Fourkiller would have liked.

"I guess you could call it a mediocre season," said Four-killer. "I had two top-finishes this year."

Fourkiller finished 104th in the Bassmaster Pro Tour and is currently ranked 79th out of 212 on the Walmart FLW Tour.

It is now the off-season and Fourkiller's time is occupied by personal appearances and sponsorship obligations before the new season starts in January.

The new season is expected to be a hectic one, Fourkiller said. The Bass-master Tour and FLW tour will hold events closer together and are planning to have three weeklong tournaments a month.

"It is almost getting to that athletic part where we'll have to drop weight and start lifting weights," Fourkiller said. "The sport has always been mentally challenging, but now the physical aspect is going to come into play."

Like any competitor, Four-killer has high expectations for the upcoming season.

"My hopes are high," Fourkiller said. "We've got different lakes on the schedule and I'm looking forward to it."

Back to Sports: 07/04/02.