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Cherokee Fisherman Marty Fourkiller on Raisin Bran box with other members of the Kellogg's Angler Team. Team members from left to right are Marty Fourkiller, Clark Wendlandt, Jim Tutt, Steve Daniel, and Alvin Shaw.

TAHLEQUAH, OK - Professional fisherman Marty Fourkiller has fished professionally all over the United States, but his love for fishing started right here, on northeastern Oklahoma's lakes and streams. He got his start in Stilwell, Oklahoma when he was no bigger than a fish himself.

"My mom used to take me to Evansville Creek when I was 3 or 4 years old," Fourkiller said. Born in Tahlequah, this Cherokee fisherman has retraced his ancestor's footsteps and recently relocated to a town close to Cherokee, North Carolina.

"I still love Oklahoma, but North Carolina was more centrally located and made for easier access to all of the fishing tournaments," Fourkiller said. "And as a Cherokee, this could have been where we were all at, it's our heritage."

Fourkiller is very proud of his Cherokee heritage and his Cherokee Nation citizenship.

"When I was a youngster, I didn't think about it a whole lot because I was in it, I was living it. I grew up in a house where Cherokee was spoken every day. But, as I've gotten older, I've kind of made a commitment to myself that I am going to learn to speak the language fluently. I can understand a lot of it, but I can't carry on a conversation with my dad. That's important to me," Fourkiller said.

Although he and wife, Leah, now call North Carolina home, he doesn't get to spend much time there. He is on the road about 250 days a year and travels about 50,000 miles a year to follow the trails of the FLW and the BASS fishing tournaments.

"I don't have to fish, I get to fish," added Fourkiller, who admits that he has any fisherman's dream job. "I struggled to make a living at it at first, now it is a living, but you do have to win some tournaments to keep the money coming in," he said with a laugh.

A typical day in the life of a professional fisherman begins with the alarm clock ringing before daylight, backing a boat trailer in the dark and being set and on the water by the time the sun comes up. Fishing continues until dark, all in the name of practice.

"Remember, the sunrise and the sunset and everything in between is the best part of a fishing day," Fourkiller said. "You just have to practice every day to be prepared. Fishing in a tournament is a little easier because you only fish for eight hours at a time."

Fourkiller knows all-day fishing, traveling, and entering tournaments would not be possible without the help of his corporate sponsors.

"I have to give a lot of credit to my sponsors for having the faith in us to do this kind of stuff," he said. Kelloggs, Citgo, Ranger Boats, Mercury Motors, Rapala, Zoom Bait Company, and Ocean Wave Sunglasses currently sponsor Fourkiller. His picture is also on the Raisin Bran cereal boxes sold in Wal-Mart SuperCenters along with the other members of the Kelloggs Angler Team.

Fourkiller also has a website complete with tournament schedule, fishing tips, and Cherokee language lessons, the web address is 4killer.com. He will also be appearing in the "The Cumberland Stories" on ESPN2 throughout the summer.

His story is one of persistence, perseverance, and success. This Cherokee fisherman has come a long way from a small boy fishing from a float tube in Oklahoma streams to fishing in national bass tournaments all over the United States. Proof, for this fisherman, that dreams do come true.