Tom Rowland Podcast Episode 108 is my conversation with Hunter Bland, a former college bass fisherman turned fishing coach who survived a serious boating accident. After being ejected from his boat at speed during a tournament, Hunter became an advocate for water safety and boater education. He opens up about the moment everything changed, the one piece of equipment that saved his life, and the lesson his father taught him that he never truly understood until that day.
Listen now: Apple Podcasts · Spotify · YouTube · Press play in the player above to watch.
Hunter Bland is a former college bass fisherman who transitioned into coaching after surviving a serious boating accident. He was ejected from his boat during a tournament, an experience that changed his life and made him a passionate advocate for water safety and boater education in the fishing community.
Hunter Bland was ejected from his boat during a bass fishing tournament in an accident serious enough that it could have been fatal. He survived because he was wearing his life jacket, and the experience transformed him into an advocate for water safety and boater education.
Hunter advocates for life jackets because wearing one saved his life when he was ejected from his boat. His advocacy is not theoretical — it is based on his personal experience of surviving an accident that would have been fatal without that piece of safety equipment.
After his accident, Hunter Bland transitioned from competitive college bass fishing to coaching anglers. He now focuses on coaching while advocating for water safety and boater education, using his platform to teach others about the importance of safety equipment on the water.
Hunter says the biggest lesson is to live every moment like it is your last, whether it is fishing or spending time with family. His father told him this growing up, but Hunter did not truly understand it until his near-death experience made him realize we are not guaranteed tomorrow.
Tom Rowland Podcast Episode 108 with Hunter Bland is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, and iHeartRadio. The video version is embedded at the top of this page.
Hunter's story hits differently than most fishing conversations. This is not about technique or tactics — it is about the reality that every time we get on the water, we are making decisions that could save our lives.
Hunter walked away from an accident that could have ended everything, and the only reason he did was one simple choice he made before leaving the dock: he wore his life jacket. I wanted him to tell that story, because it is the kind of story that can change how someone approaches their next day on the water.
Press play in the YouTube player at the top of this page to hear the whole conversation in his own words.
There are moments that divide life into before and after, and for Hunter that moment came during what should have been just another bass tournament. One second he was competing like he had countless times; the next he was ejected from the boat in an accident serious enough that it could have ended his life. His account of those critical moments and the decision made before he ever left the dock is gripping, honest, and a wake-up call for anyone who spends time on the water. Listen to the full story in the episode.
The accident did not just change Hunter's life in the immediate sense — it redirected his path entirely. Going from a competition-focused college bass fisherman to someone whose mission is teaching water safety took a real shift, and Hunter talks about how the accident gave him a platform and a purpose he never expected. When you survive something that could have killed you, it changes how you see your role. Hear how the accident shaped his new mission in the conversation.
In Hunter's story, one piece of equipment stands between tragedy and survival: his life jacket. Many boaters see it as optional or inconvenient, especially experienced anglers who have logged thousands of hours without incident, yet when Hunter was ejected, that life jacket was the only reason he is here. His message about safety equipment is not theoretical or preachy; it is born from living the alternative. Hear him discuss it in the episode.
Listen to the full conversation: Apple Podcasts · Spotify · or watch in the YouTube player at the top of this page.
Hunter opens up about the biggest lesson from his accident: live every moment like it is your last, whether it is fishing or time with your wife, your kids, your family. He admits it is cliche — his dad told him the same thing growing up — but there is a massive difference between hearing that advice and living through something that makes it undeniable. He never fully understood what his father meant until that day. The conversation explores how a brush with death reshaped his priorities.
What struck me most about this conversation was Hunter's honesty about how the accident changed him. It is one thing to know intellectually that we are not guaranteed tomorrow; it is another to have that truth driven home in a way you cannot ignore.
Hunter is now coaching and using his platform to advocate for water safety, and I respect the hell out of that. He took something traumatic and turned it into a mission to help others. If you spend any time on the water, this conversation is worth your time — Hunter's story might just save your life.
Press play in the player above, or grab the episode on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.
The Tom Rowland Podcast brings you long-form conversations with the most accomplished anglers, hunters, conservationists, and outdoor professionals in the game. Listen to every full-length Tom Rowland Podcast interview.
college bass fishing · tournament fishing · life jacket / PFD · water safety · boater education
Hunter Bland is a former college bass fisherman who survived a life-threatening boating accident that changed his career and his life mission. After being ejected from his boat during a tournament, Hunter transitioned from competitive fishing to coaching, and his near-death experience made him a passionate advocate for water safety and boater education. He now uses his platform to teach the fishing community about the critical importance of safety equipment, particularly life jackets.
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