Bass tournament honors local war hero’s memory

Bobbi McDermott didn’t always have a passion for fishing.
It wasn’t until she met her late husband Mac, and began fishing with him that she fell in love with the sport.

” We never did get a fish all day. But it was just fun to be out. Fishing is such a sport that all ages can participate in and you don’t have to have any real skill you just need to go out and do it. You just never know when a fish is going to bite, ” said McDermott.

Sadly Mac, who was a local war hero in the marine corps lost his life this past June.

” What I believe is that he had a series of heart attacks that we didn’t recognize as such. And he never wanted to worry me. ”

Mac was like a father to Matt Yates. Yates recalled the first time he encountered the local icon.

” I heard all the stories of this legend sergeant major that was basically a hero in Vietnam. Highly decorated and all that. I was a young marine at the time. To be honest with you I was a bit intimidated when I found out I was fishing with him. ”

On Saturday, those who knew Mac honored his life by taking part in the bass tournament on fishers landing.

Yates added, ” When I made my first cast this morning, I’m thinking ‘ Alright Mac, hopefully you can help us out today. I know you wouldn’t want me being all wishy-washy. And too mushy about this. ‘ I’m going to keep head down and hope to make you proud. ”

Mac’s love for animals was well-known. It’s only fitting that some of the money raised in the tournament is donated to the humane society of Yuma.

Annette Laguna, Executive Director of the Humane Society of Yuma said about Mac that, ” He was a man who had a big heart for animals. And he really instilled in my son that you respect the land. You respect the animal. And yes this is a sport but you do it in a respectful manner . ”

Even though Mac may be gone, McDermott said his memory lives on in the lives he touched.

” He’s always with us. There are things that happen that you…that’s just typical Mac. And everybody who knew him would recognize that. ”

KYMA 2019