For Mercury Pro Team member Brian Latimer, fishing has been a life-long passion. But like many things in life, over time, this passion has evolved.
As early as he can remember, Latimer wanted to be a professional fisherman – specifically, a tournament bass fisherman just like his father, Jimmy.
“I grew up around tournament fishing,” Latimer said. “It was the culture around our house and dinner table. I just thought that’s what you were supposed to do. It’s all I wanted to do, just part of who I was.
“Asking me when it was that I realized I wanted to be a tournament angler is like asking when I wanted to be a man or a human being. I can’t answer that because it’s just who I’ve always been”
Latimer has carved out a successful two decade-long career for himself competing and winning at some of the highest levels of the sport, proving that professional angling has always been who he is at heart. Truly, fishing has been his life; his outlet for his competitive drive and a way to earn a successful living for him and his family.
The Ups and Downs of a Family’s Legacy
Yet, in recent years, he admits something is different. Fishing has new meaning. And that starts and ends with the thing that has been the best and hardest part about the sport for him and his family: legacy.
Many fathers hope their sons follow in their footsteps. Jimmy Latimer was not one of them, at least when it came to tournament fishing.
While his relationship with his dad has improved in recent years, Latimer admits his decision to be a professional angler resulted in a lot of tension in their relationship. And as a father of three, that’s not something he wants for his own children.
He wants his kids to be themselves, and he supports them as they pursue their own passions with everything he’s got.
For his eldest, Brevyn, that means less time in a boat and more time on dirt. “Brevyn doesn’t necessarily care about fishing,” Latimer said. “Moto (motocross), is his passion, and I respect that.”
It’s an interest that’s seen Brevyn racing dirt bikes all over the Southeast, even finishing 14th in the Mini O’s amateur nationals’ race. And true to his word, Latimer supports Brevyn’s passion in every way, even building a motocross course on their property for his son to practice, and from time to time, Latimer will throw his own leg across a bike and ride, even though, as Latimer puts it, it might not be the smartest thing to do for a guy his age. But it sure is fun!
And no discussion about fun would be complete without mentioning Latimer's middle child, Brooks. “He lives up to the middle-child cliché,” Latimer says. “Hardheaded, very outspoken, very charismatic … he’s the party starter.”
If you ask Brooks about his fishing abilities, he’ll unapologetically tell you that he’s the best in the family. You know, because he “catches all the fish!”
Then there's the youngest, Mia. Latimer recently posted a video of her reeling in a big bass on his ultra-light rod.
“I fish with all three of my kids, and I’m learning that boating and fishing mean something completely different for all three of them,” Latimer said.
By seeing what fishing means to each of them through their eyes, Latimer is able to both share his passion while embracing theirs.
“Doing what I do, it’s easy to forget that when I started fishing, it was for fun,” Latimer said. “It can be relaxing, and it can be a great way to spend time with the people you love.
He wraps things up by saying, “To be happy, all we need is a boat, some kind of tractor and something fun to ride.”