Tennessee lake where he died was an outdoor haven for Mascoutah man, family says
Reelfoot Lake in far western Tennessee was a haven for Mascoutah resident David Blue.
He had spent “thousands” of hours fishing on the lake over the years, said his wife Ruth.
Blue, 63, was found dead in Reelfoot Lake on Sunday after the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency was called to investigate a report of an unoccupied boat drifting on the water near the Grassy Island boat ramp. After a search, authorities found Blue’s body in the water.
Blue died of a heart attack, his wife said. According to the Tennessee Wildlife Resource Agency, he was not wearing a life jacket.
Before his death, Blue was an avid outdoorsman who had a great love for fishing, something he passed on to his three grandsons, who he would often take to the lake with him.
“They would often catch their limit in crappie for days in a row,” Ruth said.
In an email, Ruth said her husband had also been battling cancer for the last year and “fishing was his happy place.”
Blue was also passionate about sharing his love of fishing with others, hand-tying his own crappie jigs and sending them to friends and acquaintances around the country.
In the Reelfoot Lake area, he was a known mentor and “expert fisherman,” Ruth said.
“He would teach anyone who was eager about his techniques and ‘honey holes’ in the lake,” she said, referring to spots where the fish were abundant.
His family said Blue was a friendly person who made friends everywhere he went, including the place where he died.
This story was originally published April 22, 2020 at 5:00 AM.
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