Tour-bus knot practice fuels country star Terri Clark’s band’s jokes: thinks she needs therapy for fishing addiction

Fishing follows her on tour

Clark practices fishing knots on her tour bus, prompted in part by Instagram videos that promise to teach effective knots. She said her bandmates joke that she should get therapy for her fishing fixation.

She makes time to fish on tour days off, sometimes hiring a guide or finding someone to take her to a nearby lake. She avoids fishing on show days because a boat problem could make her miss soundcheck.

Clark described fishing as meditative, but said she can become so focused that she forgets to drink water. She also checks several weather apps before heading out on Lake Erie.

A lesson on Old Hickory Lake

Clark will take part in The Champions Celebrity Pro-Am on Old Hickory Lake near Nashville on Sunday. The event follows a three-day championship with 60 anglers competing for a $3.25 million purse.

She expects to learn from a professional bass angler and said the pros must adapt to unfamiliar lakes, underwater terrain and changing conditions. Clark has spent years fishing Lake Erie and is especially interested in learning about fishing electronics.

A musky still eludes her

Clark recently returned from a Lake Erie trip hoping to catch a musky longer than 50 inches. Strong easterly winds limited her time on the water, and warmer-than-usual lake temperatures appeared to delay the fish’s fall movements.

She said she intends to catch one and is considering pursuing muskies on Tennessee’s Caney Fork River. Lake Erie also offers bass, northern pike and walleye, sometimes caught on the same lure.

In 2022, Clark caught and released a 16-pound northern pike, then had a replica made for her wall. She also recalled taking comedian Kathleen Madigan fishing over the summer, when Madigan caught a personal-best bass weighing five and a half pounds.

Why the water matters

Clark said she finds meaning in the natural setting as well as the fishing. She recalled seeing the sunrise over Lake Erie at 6:30 in the morning and feeling moved by the stillness.

After more than three decades in a career of bright lights, crowds and travel, she hopes more women and girls will try fishing. Her advice to beginners is to find a knowledgeable teacher, start with basic equipment and develop skills over time.

Clark says a wacky rig can still catch bass reliably. Her bucket-list ambitions include headlining Red Rocks Amphitheatre in Colorado and landing a musky longer than 50 inches.