Jason Christie’s drive home from the Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway featured an extra passenger, his sixth blue Elite Series trophy. Christie, a now nine-time Bassmaster winner, showcased his power fishing prowess enroute to a victory at the Mountain Dew Bassmaster Elite on the Tenn-Tomm Waterway.
The east Oklahoma legend employed old school offerings of a swim jig and a spinnerbait to dissect what the river presented. Anyone who has followed his career knows those two techniques are practically synonymous with Jason Christie. But for all the miles he’s swam a jig or slow-rolled a spinnerbait, Christie suspects he’s driven double in his Toyota Tundra.
“That’s one thing a lot of people don’t think about or realize, professional bass anglers are pretty much part-time truck drivers,” Christie said.
Christie and his Elite Series peers typically drive anywhere from 30,000 to 50,000 miles each tournament season. Almost every one of these miles comes with a boat in tow, traversing the country from fishery to fishery in search of the next bite.
That’s a lot of windshield time. A lot of morning cruises to the lake in the pre-dawn darkness, with excited anticipation. And a bunch of exhausted drives home in the dark of night. Christie’s first fishing mentors were his uncles, his dad, and other family members who helped set the tone for Jason’s fishing style and career.
He had their wisdom running through his head during the final day on the Tenn-Tomm Waterway. Phrases like, “you never leave fish to find fish”, or “you only need five”. These nuggets of insight have helped calm the Skeeter-Yamaha pro and keep him focused on the task at hand throughout his entire career. His fishing mentors also set the tone for Christie’s drives to and from the lake.
“When I jump into my Tundra in the morning, my mind turns to the business at hand,” Christie said. “Ever since I was a kid, the ride to the lake has been all about getting your mind right. I don’t listen to a lot of music or really anything on the way to the lake. I look at the forecast and run through my gameplan for the day. What’s plan B and C if plan A doesn’t work out?
“I learned that from my uncles growing up. We didn’t talk about sports or school or work… it was all about fishing. Even the drives home from the lake, whether it was a good day or not so good, we were quiet and would process what took place. What could I have done better or differently? What worked, and why? That’s where my head is during windshield time.”
Knowing your truck is reliable, powerful, and comfortable is imperative for those who compete at the highest levels of tournament fishing. Christie recently purchased a 2026 Toyota Tundra from the folks at Southwest Toyota in Lawton, OK, which helped him earn a $4,000 payout from Toyota Bonus Bucks.
This adds to Christie’s impressive winnings through the popular contingency program that rewards the highest finishing registered angler towing their boat with a 2022 or newer Toyota tow vehicle.
“This is the fourth or fifth Toyota I’ve purchased and there is a reason… reliability + Bonus Bucks,” Christie offered. “If you’re a fisherman, and you compete in tournaments, you should be towing your boat with a Toyota.”
To see a full list of supported tournaments, learn more or register for Bonus Bucks today, follow this link https://www.toyotatrucksbonusbucks.com/. Don’t leave money on the table.
