On Bernie Schultz’s B.A.S.S. resume are 25 events fished in New York between today and 1986. Schultz has 9 finishes inside the Top 20, and his best New York finish came here. That was a 6th-place finish in 2013.
Schultz, like the marketing phrase used here for decades, loves New York.
“Versatility is the reason. These fish keep you thinking and I like to be challenged. When you figure them out it just makes them that much more fun to catch.”
Schultz told me that yesterday as I interviewed him for a sidebar story.
He also told me about his intent to fish new water. Leaving behind the fish that got him here could be a gamble. Maybe not. He was concerned about anglers fishing an upcoming FLW Costa Series converging on his water, setting GPS waypoints. Local pressure was another concern.
Schultz can take comfort in the fact that he is sight fishing for his fish. That is an angling skill of the Florida pro and another reason why he so likes New York.