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EVERYONE SUPPORTS THE CHANGE. WVTM 13 ON THE ROAD AGAIN TODAY, BRINGING YOU SOME OF THE MOST IMPACTFUL STORIES FROM AROUND THE STATE, ALL OF WHICH ARE BEING TOLD BASED ON WHERE THE DART LANDS ON THE MAP. LET’S JUST SAY THIS ONE HOOKED US FROM THE START. ALL RIGHT, LET’S SEE WHERE WE’RE HEADING. BLOUNTSVILLE BLOUNT COUNTY. LET’S GO. AND HERE WE ARE. LET’S GO FISHING. MOST PEOPLE FISH WITH BAITED HOOKS AND THE PATIENCE OF A SAINT. HOPEFULLY, WE WILL BE ABLE TO GET ONE. BUT SOME RARER SOULS FISH WITH THEIR HANDS. I’VE HAD SOME PEOPLE TRY HERE. AS FAR AS I KNOW, ZERO CAUGHT, BY OTHER PEOPLE. NO RODS, NO REELS. JUST INSTINCT. I HAVE STUDIED THE BASS BEHAVIOR AND EYE TO EYE CONNECTION. A HANDSHAKE WITH NATURE AND ANTICIPATE THEM MOVING. BECAUSE IF YOU WAIT TILL THE FISH HITS YOUR HAND, IT’S TOO LATE. OH, MAN, I DIDN’T SEE THAT. AND RESPECT, IT TURNS OUT, IS MUTUAL. BORN IN 1951, JUST ACROSS THE ROAD FROM THIS VERY POND. THIS WAS MY GRANDDADDY’S FARM. HE PURCHASED IT IN 1917 FOR $300. ROBERT EARL WOODARD GREW UP BETWEEN THE FIELDS, THE CLASSROOM, AND THE WATER FOR NEARLY FOUR DECADES, HE TAUGHT P.E. KINDERGARTEN THROUGH SIXTH GRADE. I DON’T KNOW IF IT’S TRUE, BUT I MAY HOLD THE RECORD FOR THE MOST STUDENTS EVER TAUGHT IN ALABAMA, AND I AVERAGE ABOUT 500 STUDENTS A DAY. BUT AFTER RETIREMENT, THE POND BECAME THE OFFICE HOME TO BASS. HE RAISED LIKE FAMILY, SOME 16, EVEN 18 POUNDS. TOO VALUABLE TO LOSE, TOO LOVED TO LET GO. THESE FISH ARE LIKE OUR PETS. IT’S A BABY, BUT IT’S A FISH. WE KNOW SOME OF THEM BY NAME AND I CANNOT AFFORD FOR ONE TO DIE. WOODARD NEVER CHASED FAME, DIDN’T EVEN WANT TO BE ONLINE. BUT ONE DAY HIS SON FILMED HIM CATCHING A GIANT BASS BY HAND. HE POSTED IT AND IT WENT VIRAL. THEY HAD. YOUR VIDEO HAS GONE VIRAL. AND I SAID, WHAT DOES THAT MEAN? HE SAID, IT’S BEEN SHARED 180,000 TIMES. THAT IS WORTH HOLDING UP WITH THE WORLD WATCHING. HE STAYED THE SAME. I DON’T LOOK AT MYSELF AS BEING FAMOUS. I’M JUST A AVERAGE GUY. HE DIDN’T SET OUT TO BE AN AUTHOR EITHER. I WAS ALWAYS A PRETTY GOOD STORYTELLER, DID NOT CLAIM TO BE A GOOD WRITER, BUT HE SAT DOWN ONE FINGER AT A TIME. I’LL JUST TAP IT ONE FINGER AT A TIME. AND SHE SET ME UP ON MICROSOFT WORD AND STARTED WRITING. I WROTE 37 OR 38 STORIES FOR MY CHILDREN TO BE PASSED DOWN TO THEM, AND MY DAUGHTER ENCOURAGED ME TO PUBLISH THE BOOK. THE BOOK ATTRIBUTES THE LAND, HIS FAMILY AND FAITH THAT SHAPED HIM. A LIVING RECORD OF THE WAY IT WAS BACK THEN. THEY WANTED TO EDIT THE BOOK AND I SAID NO. I WANTED IT EXACTLY IN THE WORDS THAT I HAVE. IF THERE’S A MISTAKE IN THERE, I WILL OWN IT. AND I WANTED YOUNG PEOPLE, AFTER READING THE BOOK TO HAVE A FEEL OF THE WAY IT WAS BACK THEN, BEFORE MODERN CONVENIENCES AND TECHNOLOGY. FOR THE OLDER GENERATION READING, IT’S A CHANCE TO REMINISCE. MY DAD SAID, IF YOU WORK FOR SOMETHING AND YOU EARN IT, YOU WILL VALUE THAT A LOT MORE THAN IF SOMEBODY GIVES YOU SOMETHING. AND SOME OF THE SIMPLE PRINCIPLES, LIKE WE SAY, JUST SIMPLE BLACK AND WHITE, SOME OF THE SIMPLE. GOALS AND YOUR ACHIEVEMENTS CAN BE ACCOMPLISHED BY SUCH SIMPLE RULES A FISHERMAN, A TEACHER, A KEEPER OF TIME, ROBERT EARL WOODARD DOESN’T JUST CATCH FISH. HE CATCHES STORIES. YOU KNOW, IF YOU JUST GET ONE LESSON OUT THERE THAT YOU REMEMBER ME BY, IT WILL MAKE MY GOAL AND RELEASES THEM FOR THE FUTURE. I HAD THE BEST DAY OUT THERE WITH HIM. DID YOU PLAY GUITAR ON THAT STORY? NO, THAT WASN’T ME, BUT I. YOU BETTER BET I TRIED TO CATCH A FISH. HOW’D YOU GO?