Richard Cooper
Name: Richard Cooper
Date of birth: May 3, 1986
Hometown: Clayton, NC
Family: Married (Ashton) with one child
Nickname: Coop
Home water: Buggs Island (Kerr Reservoir), North Carolina-Virginia
Favorite water: St. Lawrence River, New York
First tournament: 10 years old
NPFL debut 2021: 68th at Lake Eufaula, Alabama
Accolades: Fished every NPFL tournament through the 2025 season.
Sponsors: Grady’s Auto Service, MG Capital Maintenance, ARK Fishing, Brazalo Custom Lures, BassReaper Bait Co., Tatum Insulation, Lid Licking Sauce, Performance Glass Inc., Construction Support Group, Accu-Cull, Twin Lakes Marine, Spearpoint hooks, Hobie Eyewear, The Rod Glove, Mercury Marine, Falcon Boats
First fish: Bluegill at age 3 from a farm pond in North Carolina
First bass: Largemouth at age 5 from a farm pond in North Carolina
Biggest bass: 10-pound, 1-ounce largemouth bass from Sharon Harris Lake in North Carolina; 5-pound, 11-ounce smallmouth bass from the St. Lawrence River, New York
Favorite lure: 1/2-ounce Brazalo Flat Out Jig (Perfect Creeper) with BassReaper The Bishop trailer (green pumpkin)
Fishing strength: Dock fishing
Fishing weakness: Suspended fish
Fishing heroes: Denny Brauer
Fishing goals: I want to be consistent in my fishing.
Best fishing advice: Spend as much time on the water as possible.
Off-the-water work: I am a mechanic.
Hobbies: Coaching my son’s baseball team.
Favorite movie: “Goodfellas” (1990)
Favorite music: Country music — especially Cole Swindell
Superstitions: None
