In 2007, Casey Ashley became the youngest winner in Elite Series history. He was just 23 then, and he’s still only 28, but he’s added a couple of wins, earned a postseason berth and fished four Bassmaster Classics since hoisting his first B.A.S.S. trophy at Smith Mountain Lake. Here’s how he handled our 20 Questions.
Due West, S.C.
My parents got me started. My dad loves bass fishing, and my mom loves to crappie fish.
I was four years old, and I still remember that fish. It probably only weighed a pound or so, but in memory it looks like a 10 pounder. I even remember what I caught it on. I had a Zebco 33 reel, and my dad fixed up a plastic lizard on a Carolina rig for me.
My first fishing hero was definitely my dad. He taught me a lot about fishing when I was young. When I got into high school, I started following Kevin VanDam because he was young and coming on strong. I’ve always admired Denny Brauer and Tommy Biffle because they were jig fishermen. They’re probably the reason I got into jig fishing and love it so much.
I caught an 11-14 on the second day of the Clear Lake tournament in my rookie season (2007). I was fishing a shaky head with 10-pound line and a Zoom Trick Worm.
That it’s unpredictable. Nothing’s ever the same. I used to work on a farm, and the farmer who owned it used to ask me why I wanted to go fishing so much. I told him I wanted to go because it was different; it wasn’t routine.
It would have to be Clarks Hill Reservoir. It’s where I caught my first bass and where I learned to fish. You can catch bass a lot of different ways there, and it really helped me become more versatile as an angler.
That would have to be my dad. He taught me all he knew about bass fishing and tournament fishing, and I’ve tried to take it from there. Thanks to my parents, I always had the opportunity to go fishing when I was a kid. They made sure I had a boat to fish in and a truck to pull it.
It’s not really a title or a tournament win. I think it would have to be that I’ve learned how to be a better tournament fisherman. The key to tournament fishing is finding the fish quickly. Anyone can catch fish; finding them is the hard part. When you’re fishing in the Elite Series, you have to put something together very quickly â in just two and a half days of practice. Learning to do that changes the way you fish, and learning how to practice has been very important to me.
I think the biggest misconception people have about professional anglers generally is that we have some sort of glorified job or lifestyle, and it’s just not true. I love what I do, but it’s definitely a job. If someone could spend a few days with me traveling to a tournament and practicing from daylight to dark, they’d realize that. You have to work really hard to be good, and you can’t afford to be satisfied with your accomplishments.
I wish I had known more about offshore structure fishing before I came to the Elite Series. The first time I went to Kentucky Lake, I was as lost as last year’s Easter eggs. I had no clue how to find ’em. Luckily, Terry Scroggins took me out on the water for three days and taught me a lot. It shows what kind of person he is that he would do that for a fellow competitor. I can’t say enough about “Big Show.”
I’ve gotten a lot of great advice from other Elite anglers about the business of the sport, but the best probably came from Gerald Swindle. He warned me against trying to be somebody I’m not. And he explained that once you reach the Elite level, everyone can catch fish. The key to success here has a lot to do with being able to promote yourself and your sponsors. It’s not all about fishing anymore.
I think it’s my mental game. After a bad tournament or losing a fish that could have made a big difference, I don’t take it too hard. I’m naturally pretty easy going and don’t let too much bother me.
I’ve worked hard to correct it, so it’s better now, but I had a hard time making the transition from being a weekend tournament angler where you have an almost unlimited practice period, to fishing tournaments where your practice is extremely limited. I’ve learned how to practice, and that’s made a big difference for me. I still have lots of room to grow â and there’s always room for improvement â but I’ve made progress.
That’s easy! They want to know if I’m going to fish or sing. I always tell them that I’m going to do both until I have to choose one or the other. I’m not looking forward to having to make that decision, but I guess it’s a good problem to have.
They don’t pay attention to the little details. The Elite anglers watch every little thing and break down the fishing day way more than most people do. The good thing about that is it can be learned. You just have to be alert and pay attention to everything that the water and the fish tell you.
I don’t really have any one thing that I do, but I have certain habits. If I come into a town and eat at a certain restaurant or get gas at a particular station, then have a good day on the water, I’ll go back to that restaurant and gas station until I don’t have a good day. I keep those routines going as long as they’re working.
It would be a jig, for sure. You can do a lot of stuff with a jig. You can fish it shallow, deep, fast, slow. You can cover every bit of the water column with a jig.
Angler of the Year is the biggest accomplishment you can have in the sport. It doesn’t pay as much at one time as a Classic win, but if you win AOY you’ve won a pile of money on the way there. Winning AOY is my main goal every year. I think it’s the goal of every club fisherman â to win the points championship. It’s all about being the best.
I want them to think of me as an ambassador for the sport. I want to go out like Guy Eaker. He’s an idol of mine because of the person he is. He never turned away a fan or missed signing an autograph. He carries himself so well, and I admire him for that.