Kimber Mueller is the woman behind the man, Paul Mueller, both from Naugatuck, CT. Kimber is young and cute and full of smiles, especially when talking about Paul. She beams with pride and you can see the love she has for him in her eyes. Paul qualified to fish the Elite series this year, opening a new door for Team Mueller.
BS: Kimber, what role do you play in Paul’s fishing career?
KM: “So far the role I have played in Paul’s fishing career has been camerawoman. I love photography and we shoot a bunch of instructional/promotional fishing videos for his sponsors. I also take photos for/of him for promotion and social media. I also Photoshop collages for his website and Facebook. This year I will be traveling with him on the Elite series tour. I will be managing his social media, booking his guide trips and answering his emails, as best I can, so he can focus on fishing.”
BS: How does it feel being the wife of one of 56 anglers fishing in the 2015 Bassmaster Classic?
KM: “It feels really special. I’m super blessed to be married to the man of my dreams. Well actually, he’s better than I ever dreamed God would pick out for me. It’s super amazing to be back at the classic for the second year. It’s so exciting and amazing to be here at the Super Bowl of Bass fishing. A few years ago when we were dating Paul showed me a Bassmaster classic weigh in and said he hoped to get there one day and that it was a dream for him to compete in the event. I knew in my heart he would get there/here. It’s pretty special to be a part of Gods plan. And no, because he dreamed of fishing in a big tournament circuit is not why I married him.”
BS: When you are sitting in the arena and Paul’s song plays, you see his truck drive in, him sitting in his boat and he starts to step on stage, what goes through your mind?
KM: “Well for one, I’m so excited I’m shaking and oddly enough I can’t hear his song playing when he gets to the stage…I can hear everyone else’s just fine. I think I just automatically tune it out so I can hear what he says, watch his every move and see if his bag looks heavy. I also focus on his mood, and if he looks confident or not. My heart is always pounding so hard at that point. I just want to soak in the moment. I was at work when Paul was weighing in for the 2013 eastern divisional and I knew in my heart he was going to win it. I was watching it on my computer and everyone was asking me questions and texting me and I was getting side tracked. I just wanted them all to shut up. Finally, my one friend grabbed my shoulders and told me firmly, “just watch”. I think that was the best advice. I try to just watch and ignore everything around me, and I might try and snap a few clear pictures for a scrapbook.”
BS: How well do you sleep the night before the start of the Classic? How well does Paul sleep?
KM: “I don’t know if either of us sleeps that great. He definitely falls asleep before me because sometimes he starts to snore a little (giggle). I don’t sleep much because I’m so excited and my heart is pounding in anticipation, perhaps last year I had too much diet Mountain Dew.”
BS: What do you rely on most to calm yourself and to be Paul’s rock during the Classic?
KM: “Prayer. I pray all the time. I feel like talking to God anytime of the day, all day, calms me down. Because I can really speak to Him like a friend and he knows my heart. It reminds me he is in control of everything and has a plan. I need to just relax. His plan is better than any of our plans, so just relax and watch it unfold.”
BS: Tell readers the Paul Mueller you know and love?
KM: “The Paul Mueller I know is my best friend. He is the funniest guy I know and makes me laugh constantly. He loves the Lord. He is a man of God who wants to be more like Jesus our savior. Paul works harder than anyone I know on this entire planet. I’m serious and I’m not just saying that. He’s also a great cook. Oh, and he can really fish! (Big smile) He’s guided me to all the fish I’ve ever caught.”
BS: In one word describe Paul Mueller.
KM: “One word huh? Faithful. (Paul is faithful in his beliefs and his family)”.
Kimber also included that “Paul and I love ice fishing. I would almost say I love it more than he does. I think I love it so because when we first started dating Paul took me out ice fishing for the first time, I was hooked!!! I’d never been before but had always wanted to try it. I love it so much because I fell in love with ice fishing as I fell in love with Paul. I’m hooked on it. Nothing beats pulling crappies, bass, perch, or any fish through the ice and using a Vexilar to see the fish eat your lure. Paul calls it “video game fishing”. My favorite ice fishing memory has to be when we were fishing for crappies and I was jigging with a Reins 3″ bubbling shaker and a pike ate it! I saw it race up for it on the Vexilar and knew when to set the hook. That fish fought hard. It wasn’t a monster but it was the biggest fish I ever caught!
Paul and I got married September 16, 2012. We didn’t have a big wedding, but afterward I changed into a fancy wedding gown to do a fishing photo shoot to showcase Dobyns Rods. Paul had the idea to take a picture holding a fish and me holding the rod with a caption like “Dobyns rods, never leave home without ‘em” or something like that, I could have forgotten his exact words.
Kimberly describes their wedding day, “Paul’s sister took a few regular pictures of us with my camera all dressed up, and then we hoped in Paul’s Ranger and pulled up on a spot. Paul starts casting, I’m like “are you going to give me a rod?” He’s like “oh yeah sorry” (he was just focused on getting a fish for this picture since there wasn’t much daylight left). He hands me a rod and on my second cast I hook a 4 pound smallmouth. His sister took pictures the whole time and even captured it jumping out of the water. Paul lands the fish and we get our shot! It was just the most perfect day and a special memory I’ll never forget. The best part for me is I got all the pictures and bragging rights that I caught our wedding fish. I really feel that fish was a wedding gift from God.”
Betsy Steele
