A family of fishermen

By Wired2Fish staff

Put Guido Hibdon, his son, Dion, and grandsons Payden, Lawson and Connar on a lake with fish in it and the five of them will be happier than crawdads in a creek.

It doesn’t matter if they’re trying to catch bass, catfish, crappie or bluegills. If it swims, the Hibdon Clan will be just fine as long as they’re having a good time and getting their strings stretched every now and then.

Anyone who follows professional fishing has heard of the Hibdons, who hail from Missouri and have been mainstays on the tournament scene for three decades. From the early days of fishing on Lake of the Ozarks and Table Rock to the varied lakes across the country on the Bassmaster and FLW circuits, they have etched a legacy of success and sportsmanship.

Take them away from bass fishing, though, and chances are they’ll be targeting whiskered catfish. If fishing tournaments is a career, then wrangling with croaking cats is their passion.

“We’ve catfished our whole life,” Dion said recently. “We love to just fish … when we’re back home and not bass fishing, we fish for crappie, catfish, whatever. Dad’s an outdoorsman, period. He fishes and he’s the best deer hunter I know. He’s just the best outdoorsman I know and catfishing is something we grew up doing.

“Most of it we do now is with float jugs. We get a big kick out of watching those float jugs move around. We bait ‘em up and turn ‘em loose, y’know? Chicken hearts, shad, whatever. Shad’s the best most of the time.”

Float jugs, or “noodle rigs,” are possibly the easiest way to catch catfish, even easier than limblines hanging from a tree over the water. Juggin’ is pretty simple. A cache of soda bottles or jugs -- or swimming pool float “noodles” cut to 12-inch lengths – are rigged with about 18 inches of stout line affixed to the float. Bait the hook, toss them out on a flat near deep water or where catfish roam and wait.

It’s a great way to put a mess of catfish in the boat for a fish fry, along with getting kids on the water for a few hours of outdoors fun.

“We have a 20 foot jon boat and it holds about 20 kids,” Dion said. “I take my nieces, my nephews, their friends, whoever, and we get in there and chase those jugs. We have a ball. When we get around some big ones we might do a little rod and reel fisihng, but most of the time we just use the float jugs.”

Triple champions

Guido Hibdon established himself as a stout tournament angler in the 1980s in Missouri and the Midwest, then pounced on the Bassmaster scene and never let up.

His experiences at the feet of his father, a well-known guide, and as a guide from the age of 14 propelled him to greater success. Hibdon turned pro in 1980, quickly made a name for himself on the Bassmaster circuit and won the 1988 Bassmaster Classic on the James River in Virginia. He also claimed the 1990 and ’91 Angler of the Year titles.

While all that was going on, young Dion had his eyes on a professional tournament career. His guts and experiences propelled him to the 1997 Classic championship on Lay Lake in Alabama, and the 2000 FLW Tour championship on the Red River in Louisiana.

It’s hard to imagine a decade already has passed since Dion won the Classic, but time doesn’t stand still. After that win, he shifted his attentions to the FLW Tour and has been a mainstay on that circuit.

“I feel a little bit older, that’s for damn sure,” Dion said. “It really has gone by fast. My kids really grew up fast after the Classic win and I really started fishing with them a lot after that. My life has just floored, and by that I mean it’s going really good. People say kids will change your life and I had no idea, no idea at all.

“When my boys are practicing for a tournament at home, I’m excited to talk with them on the phone to see if they found some fish. That means a lot to me and it’s the same way with dad. He’s just tickled to death with how things are going. Whether we’re jug fishing or killing a deer, we just have a good time with the boys and that’s what it’s all about for me.”

Fast forward to 2006, when 14-year old Payden put the final touches on the triple crown. Competing in the Junior Bassmaster Classic in Florida, he won the title to give the Hibdon family the honor of being the only father-son-grandson team to ever hoist the trophies.

As Payden stood on the stage and clinched his title by 1 ounce, his family watched from the crowd with a mixture of gratitude for their blessings and happiness.

“No doubt, my proudest moment in bass fishing was when my son won the Junior Bassmaster Classic,” Dion said. “I’ve never felt that feeling before, even when I won. When I did it, it was kind of a relief for me. When he won, it dawned on me that I’m part of something that’s pretty cool and special.

“Dad and I were standing there watching him win and when it was over, Dad said we’re part of something very special and we didn’t have a thing to do with it today. It was all him, and that was just a cool deal.”

No one knows what the future holds, but the Hibdons don’t try to gaze into any crystal balls. The trio of young Hibdons is in their teens now, with decisions to make about which paths they’ll choose. Wherever they go, Guido and Dion will be behind them all the way.

“Whether any my boys fish or not in the future, I don’t care,” he said. “That’s one thing Dad always told me, to do what makes me happy, and if they want to fish, then peachy. We’ll run the roads as hard as Dad and I have in the last 25 years. If they don’t I’ll follow them around the world with whatever they want to do. It don’t matter. We’re very blessed.”