A MAN AMONG MEN

The phrase “a man among men” means an exceptional individual who stands out as admirable among other men, and who possesses outstanding qualities, character traits, or achievements that make them a role model among their peers.

I recently spent some time with a man like that. Elena Blevins of the Kentucky Lake  Convention and Visitors Bureau got us together at the Association of Great Lakes Outdoor Writers Conference they were hosting. As a part of it, she planned a day of guided fishing on Kentucky Lake for all the writers. I told her I wanted to be paired with a guide who would be a story in himself. Elena did well.

I came away from that fishing trip touched and changed by this man’s story. My hope is, that it will also touch and change you.

Here is his story.

Every workday, when the men and women of the McCracken County Sheriff’s office in Paducah, Kentucky, come and go from the office, they pass a sign with this message – BE HUMBLE, BUT CONFIDENT, WALK WITH INTEGRITY. It was put there several years ago by Sheriff Matt Carter. It was his hope this simple message would result in uncompromising service to the community they serve. It has done that.

Matt Carter was born and raised in McCracken County. He loves to fish and hunt. He started his own very successful lawn care business as a teenager. In high school, he also worked in emergency medical services. When he was 21 he began a career in law enforcement as a detective in the narcotics unit and worked his way up to captain.

Those who know Matt will tell you that the reason he was a success in all he has done and is still doing, was because he is hard-working, humble, confident, and has integrity. That all came from the way he was raised.

His father, Wayne Carter, was a Baptist minister. He began at age 17 and served the spiritual needs of many churches in Western Kentucky and Southern Illinois for 46 years. His wife Beverly was always by his side. For 12 years, he was the chaplain and a special deputy for the McCracken County Sheriff’s Office.

In 2018, 63-year-old Pastor Wayne Carter went to bed one night and never woke up. God had called His servant home. I would imagine when he got there, he heard these words – Well done thy good and faithful servant. He made a lasting impact on the lives of his sons Matt, Stephen, and Aaron, their wives, his seven grandchildren, and countless other people. No one will ever know how many other lives he saved and changed through his Godly work. Wayne Carter was a humble, confident man who walked with integrity. He was Matt’s biggest cheerleader.

When the previous sheriff Jon Hayden decided to retire in 2019, Matt made the decision to run for office. Sheriff Hayden said, “I have watched and worked very closely with Matt Carter since he joined the agency many years ago, and I know him to be a hardworking and honest man. I have watched him many times in all sorts of situations and have always seen him do the right thing when he thought no one was watching.”  No one could contradict that statement. No one opposed him.

Because Kentucky state audits are mandatory when sheriffs take or leave office, it is very costly to the county. Sheriff Hayden decided to retire at the end of June 2018 and appointed Matt to take over the final six months of his term, saving the county the expense of the audit. What Matt is most proud of is that by being appointed six months early, his dad got to see him as sheriff before he went home to heaven.

Matt is not bashful in telling people God is good all the time. He believes God blessed him with his wife, Melanie. His favorite Bible verse is also my favorite verse.  Philippians 4:13 says – I can do all things, through Christ who strengthens me. There have been several times Matt has leaned on his faith to get him through things in life. In two of those incidents, he believes he should not be here but God was watching over him. One of those became an episode on NBC’s Dateline television series.

God was also there when their 20-year-old daughter Emily came down with HLH, which is a cross between leukemia and blood cancer. It is very rare, with only two places in America that do testing for it. She went through 49 weeks of chemo.  Today, Emily is recently engaged and plans on working in elementary education. Like Matt says, “Sometimes things seem bad but turn out to be good because God is in control.”

Matt retired as sheriff in 2022 after 23 years in law enforcement. Like his predecessor, he also left six months early to save the county money. Part of his retirement letter to the people of the county said – The community support that we receive is overwhelming and much appreciated not only by me but each one of our deputies and staff. You have no idea how much that means to all of us in these trying times. Please continue to stand behind and pray daily for the men and women that protect us day in, and day out.”

While still working as sheriff, Matt and Melanie, along with his brother and wife, and his best friend and wife, bought land in the woods surrounding Kentucky Lake and started building what they called Sage Wood Campground sagewoodcampground.com. It opened in 2019 and offers 32 annual long-term camping spots, a heated and cooled pavilion, a fishing pond, a playground for the kids, and more. It is also close to Kentucky Lake, and the great fishing and other water activities. Matt and Melanie are blessed to live there year-round.

People from all over America visit Kentucky Lake every year. It is the largest lake made by man in the eastern United States.  At the maximum normal operating level, Kentucky Lake covers 160,300 acres. This area offers all kinds of family fun for young and old including camping, hiking, biking, beaches, boating, golf, and some of the best fishing you will ever experience. My wife liked all the fun things to do for the ladies while the men were off fishing. Go to [email protected] if you want more information about coming to this beautiful part of America.

After he retired from the sheriff’s office, Matt is living his dream. Besides their Sage Wood Campgrounds, he competes in Major League Fishing bass tournaments and is also a well-known and respected fishing guide on Kentucky Lake. If you like fishing, I highly recommend a trip to Kentucky Lake and booking a fishing trip with Matt for your choice of largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, white bass, striped bass, black and white crappie, sauger, redear sunfish, and more.

You can book a trip on his website hookemupguide.com and you can also read these words from Matt – I’ve been a fisherman and had a love for this sport for as long as I can remember. It’s impossible to express the enjoyment and escape the sport of fishing provides from the day-to-day stresses we all frequently encounter.

After retiring from law enforcement after over two decades of service, I have truly learned and lived what “Striving for Excellence” means. I am committed, as a fishing guide to giving you the ultimate experience you deserve. No one will work harder than I will both before and during your trip to make it the most enjoyable experience while enjoying God’s creation. Whether you’re a novice or an avid fisherman, I take my job as your Kentucky Lake guide seriously. Let’s put you on the fish and take a few hours to make some memories!

If that doesn’t hook you, then read all the positive comments from people who have been on fishing trips with Matt.

He is a humble man, but through asking him questions while reeling in fish, talking with people who know him, and researching, I got to know who he is. He is a man that all of us men should strive to be like.

Matt has said, “If every one of us in our everyday lives would strive to leave things better than we found it, our world would be a much better place.” Matt has done that. His father would be proud of his son and the man he is. Matt Carter is a man among men.