From Swamp Pro to Bass Pro

T-Roy Broussard's transition to pro fishing

When most people hear the name “T-Roy Broussard,” they think of me as the Texan in the big green airboat on the reality television show Swamp People. Three years ago I was introduced to households across the world as a burly alligator hunter that made a living off of the land. It’s true that I’ve been an alligator hunter for 30 years and have probably tagged more alligators than most folks in the state of Texas have seen. What most people don’t know, however, are the things that really define who I am.

For instance, not many know that I’m a 25-year veteran of the Port Arthur Fire Department, that I have a loving wife, a 5-year-old daughter and two stepsons. Not many people know that I was a professional duck-calling champion with two world titles and more than 30 wins over a period of 15 years. And what more and more people are starting to find out is that my passion in life is bass fishing. 

I fished local club tournaments on my home waters of the Sabine River system in southeast Texas since I can remember, as well as tournaments on Sam Rayburn and Toledo Bend. I always wondered what it would be like to be a Hank Parker, Larry Nixon, Shaw Grigsby, Jimmy Houston or Roland Martin. As a kid, I would stay glued in front of the TV watching every fishing show, every weekend. Never in a million years did I ever think I would get an opportunity to fish against guys who were my bass fishing heroes.

After years of watching such professional anglers as these fish waters across the nation, a door to that dream world cracked open for me. A major tournament was scheduled in March 2013 on my home turf. The Bassmaster Elite Series was coming to Orange, Texas, for the Sabine River Showdown. This was about the same time I debuted on Swamp People. 

One of the anglers set to compete in the Elite event was Todd Faircloth of Jasper. Everyone around home knows Todd as a quiet, God-fearing family man who helped put his hometown on the map. In the tournament, Todd was fishing an area where I had cut my fishing teeth ­– where I knew every blade of grass, every ditch and every spawning flat within a five-mile radius. I was there, watching from my airboat, as he boated fish after fish. As I watched him, I pondered on the fact that he was a guy just like me. He was a devout Christian and family man, a guy who had a passion for the sport and was living in the moment as he caught the fish to win the tournament.

I realized that it could have been me in that boat instead of him. That is the point when reality hit me and gave me the urge to go after my dream just like Todd, though not as early in life as he did. During the course of those four days, I started asking myself why I had never pursued a career in professional fishing. I knew if I had been a contestant I could have won this tournament. Instead, Todd went on to dominate the final day and win the event.

The moment I watched Todd hold that trophy over his head, I decided to go for it. I told my wife that one of my regrets was that I had never attempted to turn pro. I was always too busy running my business or working as a firefighter to have the time to pursue this dream.

I made the decision to fish the Rayovac FLW Series and the B.A.S.S. Central Opens. To finance this endeavor, I had to give up hobbies such as deer hunting and duck hunting. Thankfully, I had a few sponsors that really helped me get started. Ranger Boats and Premier Boating Centers made it possible for me to fish the 2014 season.

I had a great start in my first tournament. I finished 10th at Amistad Reservoir in Del Rio, Texas. I went on to place seventh at Toledo Bend in my second Rayovac tournament. At this point I knew that there was a huge decision on the horizon that I had to make. Whatever I decided about my future would affect my involvement with Swamp People relative to fulfilling my self-appointed task of qualifying for the Elite Series and the Walmart FLW Tour. By then, I knew I had legitimate shots at each. But either series had tournaments scheduled during my “alligator season.”

Which way to go? There was tremendous pressure to make the right decision. The Central Open on the Arkansas River was the final Elite qualifier. It was set for Sept.11-13, the first four days of the Texas gator season, and the Rayovac FLW Series final qualifier and pathway to the Tour was Oct. 2-4 (gator season ended on the 30th). I almost decided not to fish until I had an opportunity to partner with a company called FLASR. FLASR was the deciding factor for me to pursue my dream. It offered me a sponsorship that would enable me to afford to compete at this level. I talked to my wife about it and made the decision to take a break from Swamp People in order to attempt to achieve my dream.

I practiced hard for the Arkansas River event but fell short by a few pounds. I returned home with my head focused on filling my alligator tags and ended up with one of my best seasons ever. I tagged 130 gators in nine days ­– solo. My focus was on finishing up so I could travel up to Rayburn and practice for the last Rayovac Texas Division event of the year. As it turned out, I had a great practice and ended up in 13th place. I felt like I should have won it, but I made some key mistakes on day one that cost me. Still, my 2014 tournament season ended with a pair of top-10 finishes, a top-20 and two top-50 finishes out of seven tournaments.

I barely missed qualifying for the Elite Series, but luckily, my 13th-place finish at Sam Rayburn enabled me to qualify for the Walmart FLW Tour in 2015. When Bill Taylor, FLW’s director of tournament operations, called and informed me that I had qualified for priority entry into the FLW Tour, I was speechless. It hit me all at once, and I realized that I had reached my goal in only one year.

So that’s my story up to this point. That’s how I stepped out of the swamp and into a bass boat. I have a lot of people to thank. God comes first because He gave me the life that I have; my wife and family second because of the support they have given me. Last but certainly not least, FLASR, because it made it possible for me to fish the 2015 FLW Tour as a pro. FLASR ultimately was the deciding factor in my decision to pursue my dream.

I know it’s a disappointment for a lot of my loyal fans because I’m sitting out a season of Swamp People. Just know that right after the 2015 Forrest Wood Cup is in the books in August, my next gator season begins. So stay tuned.

“Go confidently in the direction of your dreams. Live the life you have imagined.”

– Henry David Thoreau