BY JOSH MORRIS
“No one will remember how many tournaments you win, but they’ll remember how you treated them and how you made them feel.” Mark “Wooduck” Wood
Mark Stephen Wood, a.k.a. Woodduck, was a longtime fishing enthusiast in the central Virginia area, particularly in the Chickahominy River region, that impacted many lives. Regrettably, we lost him last month.
Mark was an expert crappie angler. Across his life he had caught 41 citation freckles – fish over 15” or two pounds.
A proud member of crappie.com, Woodduck was one of the first folks to start sharing tips and tricks for crappie fishing online.
With the handle woodduck1956, a simple search yields 85 forums dating back to 2010 in which he contributed by sharing information such as pictures of his catches, water temperature, baits, and even locations.
Once Facebook groups became more popular, Woodduck created the page “Chickahominy Crappie,” now at over 3,300 members, in which he frequently shared similar information.
Mark began bringing people together for organized fishing events starting back in December 2012, with his annual Chickahominy Crappie Bash at Rockahock/Walkers Dam where you can fish Chickahominy River or Chickahominy Lake. This was known to be a free event where the only rules are to be safe, have fun, and catch fish.
Woodduck has had a major impact on growing the sport, with an emphasis on conservation of citation crappie. He was so passionate about conservation of trophy crappie and sharing the excitement with others, that he began making custom trophy release awards for people that recorded the release of citation crappie.
The first time I met Mark I was shocked to hear how much information he was willing to share. If you were ever struggling to find or catch fish he would take you with him and show you exactly what, where, and how he was catching his fish. He’s one of the major reasons that I gained so much interest in crappie fishing and sharing a similar mindset of wanting to share and care about others.
While he had won many tournaments, I think anyone that knows him will agree that he’ll always be remembered as the most passionate, caring, and sincere fisherman you’ll ever come across while out on the water.
Known to be frequently found at his favorite body of water, Diascund Reservoir, it was almost a guarantee to find Mark fishing the second bridge out of his kayak with a rising sun.
This past May he hosted the fifth, annual Memorial Weekend Crappie Bash, another free event, where his only request was that everyone makes a donation to a veteran based organization.
A true old school fisherman, Wood never owned forward facing sonar. He fished all five seasons of the Richmond Crappie Club, winning first place in the non-forward facing sonar division this year, fourth in the overall points race, and finishing in third place in three of the five tournaments this season.
Mark was passionate about everything in the outdoors, and loved stopping by Adam’s Sports Mart to pick up a copy of Woods & Waters Magazine to learn more about what’s going on around the state.
The man had shared so many specific tips and tricks about crappie fishing as well as his love for the outdoors that his impact on the fishing community will carry on for generations.
In memory of Mark, a Memorial Crappie Bash will take place on Saturday, December 7th at Rockahock where you can fish Chickahominy Lake or Chickahominy River. Visit the Richmond Crappie Club on Facebook for additional information on this free event.
I hope we can all be a little more like Woodduck and focus on the people and relationships that really matter. Thanks again for leaving a positive impact on the world. Josh Morris
