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From Major League Fishing

WASHINGTON D.C. — Before a single line was cast in Major League Fishing’s (MLF) Bass Pro Tour event on the Potomac River, REDCREST Champion Dustin Connell was already making waves in the nation’s capital.

On Wednesday morning, just one day before the start of Zenni Stage 6 presented by Athletic Brewing, Connell traded his rod & reel for a suit & tie and paid a visit to Capitol Hill for a meeting with Congressman Gary Palmer, who represents Alabama’s 6th District and currently serves on the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform and the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.

The meeting took place inside the Energy and Commerce Committee conference room at the historic Cannon House Office Building, just steps from the U.S. Capitol. Also in attendance were Connell’s full-time videographer Brett Burkes, MLF Senior Director of Communications Joe Opager, and Hope Dawson, Communications Director for Congressman Palmer.

The Alabama connection was strong from the jump. Connell, a Clanton native, and Palmer quickly hit it off discussing their shared appreciation for the outdoors, the beauty of the Coosa River, and their mutual addiction to early mornings spent hunting or fishing. Palmer, a devoted turkey hunter, even proposed a trade: “You take me fishing, and I’ll take you turkey hunting.” Connell, of course, agreed. The handshake deal was sealed then and there.

Although President Donald Trump wasn’t in Washington during Connell’s visit, he sent along something just as meaningful: a personalized, signed letter congratulating Connell on his third REDCREST title and continued success on the water. The letter, which Connell read aloud after the meeting, drew smiles and adulation from the room.
“It’s one of the coolest things I’ve ever been handed,” Connell said. “To be recognized like that by the President of the United States – it really means something.”

The moment that brought the biggest laugh of the day came courtesy of North Carolina Congressman David Rouzer, who popped in during the meeting to shake hands with Connell. As the conversation turned to fishing on the Potomac, Rouzer began to mention a “favorite spot” on the river – at which point Connell interrupted, smiling but very serious.

“I’m sorry sir, thank you very much – but I’m not allowed to hear that information.”

Under Bass Pro Tour rules, anglers are prohibited from intentionally receiving any information pertaining to tournament waters from a non-competitor. Connell’s quick thinking preserved his integrity and his eligibility, while also drawing a hearty laugh from everyone in the room, including Palmer.

To commemorate the occasion, Connell presented a custom MLF fishing jersey to Congressman Palmer and one for President Trump – complete with their names across the back and MLF patches on the front. Palmer held his up proudly, promising he’d wear it on his next fishing trip.

“My brother’s going to be extremely jealous,” he joked.

Though this wasn’t Connell’s first time in Washington, D.C., he said it felt like his first time really experiencing it.
“I visited the White House when I was a kid,” Connell recalled. “My dad actually worked on replacing a lot of the bulletproof glass in the building, and I got to tag along for a tour. I even got to see the Oval Office. But back then I didn’t really understand how special that was. Coming back now, after all these years, with the perspective I have – it just hits different.”

And while Connell is laser-focused on fishing this week, he admitted the morning on Capitol Hill sparked something unexpected.

“I’ve always just wanted to fish, but after today, I’m like… maybe politics isn’t totally off the table,” he said, half-joking. “I mean, I’d have to run as the pro-fishing candidate, right?”

The meeting with Congressman Palmer was much more than a photo op. It represented something bigger: a sign of how far the sport of professional bass fishing has come – and where it’s going next.

Connell, now a three-time REDCREST Champion and one of the sport’s all-time top money winners, continues to be one of MLF’s most visible ambassadors. His visit to the Capitol – handshakes, jokes, jerseys and all – showed that professional anglers can hold their own not just on the water, but on the national stage.

As Congressman Palmer said before leaving the room: “You don’t have to be on a football field to make Alabama proud.”

And proud, they are.