Hook, Line and Spirit

By Dave Buschenfeldt
Source: Fairfax County Times
October 17, 2007

Tony Choe at the 2007 Mid-America PVA Bass Tournament.

When Tony Choe awoke on the morning of Aug. 2, 1993, he had no idea it was a day that would change his life forever. Choe was working his usual afternoon shift as the manager of a Washington, D.C., convenience store when three men entered the establishment looking for money. They left with the stolen cash and left Choe with a single gunshot in the back.

The bullet fired from the thief's weapon struck Choe's spine, leaving him paralyzed from the waist down. He spent five months in the hospital undergoing surgery and rehabilitation, and is now dependent upon a wheelchair.

While Choe may have lost the use of his legs during the robbery, he did not lose his love for the sport of fishing. In the hospital, he befriended a fellow wheelchair patient who introduced him to bass fishing. Choe had been a saltwater fisherman prior to the shooting incident often casting off the coast of Virginia, Maryland or North Carolina so he quickly fell in love with angling for bass in local ponds and rivers, and has been at it ever since.

“[Bass fishing] is more competitive among anglers than saltwater fishing,” said Choe, who will turn 40 in November. “You can enjoy it whether you have a disability or not. It's much more accessible.

“It seems like the fish doesn't care if you're in a chair or not. I like being outdoors, on the water, enjoying nature.”

The Fairfax Station resident fishes locally with the Fairfax-based New Horizon Bass Anglers club, and he has also been competing on the Paralyzed Veterans of America Bass Tour for the past 13 years. The PVA Bass Tour consists of five two-day events held across the country from March to September, and anglers are awarded points based on the total weight of the 10 heaviest fish they catch each day.

Choe, who served in the Marine Corps Reserve, recently placed second in the 2007 PVA Angler of the Year standings, just 16 points behind the winner.

“I felt like I really accomplished something,” said Choe, who traveled to Georgia, Texas, Illinois, Kentucky and Oklahoma on this year's PVA Tour. “I never thought about this, never dreamed about this. I was very close to being Angler of the Year. Second place, that's a great accomplishment. I'm already looking forward to next year.”

Choe admits there are some obstacles he must overcome when fishing. There are many things he used to take for granted, such as getting in and out of a boat, that now cause him trouble. Choe owns a regular bass fishing boat, but he has attached a metal bar to his trailer that allows him to push himself up into the boat when there isn't someone there to help.

“There are lots of little things I can't really do myself,” said Choe, who works as a legal assistant at a local law office. “Where there's a will, there's a way.”

Choe said he hopes to set an example for others by volunteering through fishing as much as he can. He has fished with disabled veterans from the Walter Reed Army Medical Center, and now teaches children to fish with the New Horizon club.

“Fishing can be enjoyed by everyone, whether you have a disability or not,” said Choe, who tries to get out on the Potomac River which he calls one of the best places to fish in the country at least once a week. “Hopefully I can give people some motivation to go out there and enjoy nature. That's why I try to be out there as much as I can. I want to show there is life after a disability.”

Police were never able to catch the culprits who put him in a wheelchair, but Choe plans to keep catching fish for as long as possible.

“I want to keep fishing as long as I can,” he said. “As long as my body lets me. It'll be a long time.”

Click here to link to Dave Buschenfeldt's article on Fairfax County Times.