Back in the Saddle

Brady Winans of Caddo Mills is a veteran tournament angler who cut his fishing teeth chasing bass and crappie with his dad beneath the FM 515 bridge at Lake Fork.

In 2004, Winans turned his passion into a career. That’s when he was hired on as a sales representative for Sunbelt Sales, a tackle manufacturers sales rep agency based in Willis. He represents some of the industry’s leading brands, including Costa Sunglasses, HUK fishing apparel, 6th Sense Lures, Falcon rods, Yakima Bait Co., Owner Hooks and Leland Lures.

Anyone who knows Winans will recall how he was forced to take an unexpected leave of absence from work in December 2021 after being involved in a tragic boating accident at Cedar Creek Lake.

The story was abuzz on social media and other outlets around the country for months. GoFundMe accounts were set up and benefit fishing tournaments were held on his behalf. Some pro anglers incorporated the “#buildbackbrady” hashtag into their boat wraps.

Winans’ life was changed forever just after daylight on that chilly fall morning. Here’s a quick synopsis of what went down.

The single console bass boat in which Winans was a passenger crashed into the lake’s dam at 40 m.p.h. when the driver of the rig misjudged a fog bank.

The impact catapulted the 48-year-old angler across the front deck. His legs tangled in the trolling motor and electronics.

Luckily, the forward momentum of the boat pushed the nose far enough up the embankment that Winans missed the rocks when he was ejected over the bow. To this day he can recollect turning two midair somersaults before landing on his back in the grass, just above the jagged rocks.

The boat’s driver, Scott Dean of Terrell, was thrown into the driver’s console. He suffered a facial fracture.

Winans’ injuries were much more extensive. He had a compound fracture in his right leg, multiple fractures in his left leg, a broken back, broken clavicle and two busted ribs.

“I should have died that day,” Winans recalled.

But he didn’t. Winans spent six days in intensive care and another three months laid up in a hospital bed at UT Health in Tyler. Within a month he was working remotely from a laptop and calling on clients via cell phone.

Doctors told Winans he may not ever walk again, but he wasn’t having any of it. Six surgeries later and after more than a year of taxing rehabilitation, he proves them wrong every chance he gets.

“I could only leg press 30 pounds when I started this deal, but I’m up to 250 now,” he said.

Last November, Winans won a bass club tournament on Cedar Creek while fishing from the back deck of a friend’s boat. He and his partner started the morning casting at the lake’s dam, the same spot where he nearly lost his life a year earlier.

Though he will never be as mobile as he once was, Winans is able to get around better than you might think. His primary mobility aids are a wheelchair, forearm crutches and a walker.

“It all depends on which one I use,” he said. “I have to think ahead.”

In February, Winans started visiting clients and taking his two sons to school using a new pick-up modified to suit his disabilities. He says it’s a great feeling getting some of his independence back.

“Getting in and out of a boat is a bit of a challenge, but I manage,” he said. “The hardest part is fishing from the back deck when you’ve got a front deck mindset.”

July has been a particularly rewarding month for Winans. He was recently voted in as a board member of the Texas High School Bass Association for the upcoming school year.

“What high school fishing has done for the growth of the fishing industry, as well as the kids, cannot be measured. It’s teaching kids how to play with tackle boxes, rather than Xboxes. I am honored to have been selected and can’t wait to be a part of such a great organization.”

Winans also attended the 2023 ICAST show held July 11-14 in Orlando, Florida. ICAST is short for International Convention of Allied Sportfishing Trades. Hosted by the American Sportfishing Association, it is the largest sportfishing trade show in the world.

It was Winans’ 18th trip to ICAST during a career spanning 19 years. He missed it last year due to his injuries.

Winans says getting to the show was a challenge within itself. He chronicled the journey on his Facebook page.

“Traveling with the use of a wheelchair is not ideal, but so far everyone has been helpful,” he wrote. “I was front lined at the baggage check and I set off the metal detector with every swipe of their wand. I have more bolts in my body now than Aisle 7 at Home Depot.”

Winans added in the post that dealing with luggage can be a problem when navigating in a wheelchair.

“I literally rolled into the airport with my suitcase scissored between my front legs,” he said. “My legs will be numb when I land, but that is okay. I am ready to see all my fishing industry friends.”

Winans recalled the experience as one he won’t soon forget.

“There is no telling how many hands I shook or how many people came up to wish me well,” he said. “It was pretty humbling, to say the least.”

Matt Williams is a freelance writer based in Nacogdoches. He can be reached by email, mattwillwrite4u@yahoo.com.