In 2003, Koby Kreiger underwent major life changes. He fished the Bassmaster Classic at the Louisiana Delta, which he qualified for by claiming the Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Northern Opens point championship the previous year.
Kreiger also moved from Mishawaka, Ind., to Bokeelia, Fla., with his wife, Lisa, and embarked on a successful career as a fulltime professional bass angler. Although he has fished 40 Bassmaster tournaments, his emphasis has been the FLW Tour.
The year 2014 has been another life changer for Kreiger. He again won the Bassmaster Northern Opens point championship, which earned him an invitation to fish against the world’s best bass fishermen on the Elite Series.
Kreiger intends to make the Elite Series his priority next season.
“I’ll fish other tournaments, too, but I’ll fit them in around the Elites,” Kreiger said. “Not having to fish with a co-angler is worth the price of admission for me. That makes it a true professional event.”
Kreiger’s bass fanaticism was passed down to him from his father, Quinn, who fished the Bassmaster Invitationals in the 1980s.
“When I was 10 or 11 years old, I used to go to B.A.S.S. tournaments with my dad in the wintertime,” Kreiger said. “I got autographs from Ray Scott, Rick Clunn, Guido Hibdon, all those guys back in the day that sort of made B.A.S.S.”
When Kreiger was in third grade, he fished a team benefit tournament with his father. It was his first taste of competition.”
“After that, I was hooked,” Kreiger said. “That’s when I decided I wanted to be a professional fisherman.”
Growing up in northern Indiana, Kreiger fished tournaments near home. There were frequent outings to Monroe Reservoir, Patoka Lake and the Ohio River. Bass were generally hard to come by on these fisheries.
“That was actually good for me,” Kreiger said. “I learned at a young age that you might get only two or three bites in a day’s time.”
Kreiger’s father would do whatever it took to catch a bass, another trait he passed down to his son.
“I’m known as a junk fisherman,” Kreiger said. “The main thing my dad taught me was to keep a positive outlook and not get mad or frustrated.”
Kreiger maintained his cool during the 2014 Northern Opens. He figured the first event at Douglas Lake would be his toughest challenge on his quest to qualify for the Elite Series.
Rather than crowd in with other competitors on offshore community holes, Kreiger ran far upriver and fished shallow cover with a frog and a few other baits. He sacked enough bass to nab 24th place.
He was disappointed with this 33rd-place finish at Lake Champlain. He caught limits of smallmouth bass by fishing shallow rockpiles with a drop shot rig and a Bandit 200 crankbait.
“I just never got the big bite I needed,” Kreiger said.
At the final Northern Open at St. Clair, Kreiger made the long run to Lake Erie and fished in Michigan water. He found a pack of smallies frequenting isolated rockpiles and sandy spots in 10 feet of water.
On Day 1, he quickly caught his first bass on an umbrella rig. He anchored his boat with his Talon electric anchors and proceeded to catch doubles on his next five casts. In 10 minutes, he culled a limit that weighed more than 20 pounds. When the smoke cleared after Day 3, Kreiger was in fourth place.
Those performances have earned Kreiger several sponsors, including Ranger, Evinrude, RMC Boat Works, Trailmaster Custom Boat Trailers, Humminbird and Minn Kota.
Working at his father’s business, Trailmaster Custom Boat Trailers, allowed Kreiger to maintain a steady income while he pursued his dream of being a bass pro. He started at the bottom by sweeping floors and gradually worked his way up through manufacturing and designing to sales.
Kreiger regrets that his father died in 2001 and didn’t get to see him fish the Classic and become a professional bass fisherman.
Bokeelia, Fla., on Pine Island near Fort Myers, is an hour from Boca Grande, which is known for its tarpon fishing. Kreiger landed his first tarpon soon after moving to Florida.
He was so enthralled with the experience that he bought a bay boat. He now guides for tarpon, starting in May, whenever there isn’t a conflict with a bass tournament.
While Kreiger is traveling, Lisa holds down the home front, takes care of their bloodhound and three cats and works for the Florida Department of Transportation. When Kreiger is on the road fishing tournaments for several weeks, Lisa flies to wherever he is to spend time with him partway through the trip.
“I’m very fortunate to have a wife who is willing to do all that,” Kreiger said.