It's been a great year for Alton Jones. The Classic title comes with money, fame and obligations, but AJ has been more than up to the task. But how well does he handle our 20 questions?
1. Where are you from, originally?
I was born in Baylor Hospital, July 13, 1963, but I was raised in Dallas. Now I'm in Waco.
2. How did you get started in bass fishing?
My granddad took me fishing for the first time when I was two. We didn't go bass fishing that first time, though. We went for bream and crappie until I fell in love with it. Bass fishing was always the carrot he dangled out there. He told me when I could stand on the back porch and cast over the fence, then we could go bass fishing. I was six when I caught my first bass. I remember it like it was yesterday. I got it on Smithwick Devil's Horse around a bush. It was about 13 inches long, but to me it looked like Shamu. Since then I've had the bass bug bad.
3. Who were some of your earliest fishing heroes?
A lot of the old school guys in Bassmaster; Bobby and Billy Murray, Bill Dance, Jimmy Houston.
4. When did you realize you had made it in the bass fishing industry?
Probably when I won my first tournament in 1997 at Neely Henry (Alabama). I knew then this could be a successful deal, and that was when I was five or six years into it.
5. What's the biggest bass you've ever caught?
Eleven pounds, 8 ounces. I got it from Falcon last fall on a YUM Wooly Hawg Tail just fishing for fun.
6. What do you love most about bass fishing?
I love the fact that every cast offers an opportunity for success. The one before doesn't matter any more; you have the opportunity to succeed once again. There's always hope.
7. What is your greatest strength as a bass angler?
Shallow fishing. There are lots of techniques within that category, but anything less than 5 feet is what I love. If I had to pick one, I'd say sight fishing is my favorite way to fish.
8. What is your greatest weakness as a bass angler?
Following the temptation to abandon my strengths. It's always better to stick to your strengths.
9. Where is your favorite place to fish for bass and why?
Probably the same as everyone else — Falcon Lake. They're big, stupid and there are lots of them.
10. What question do you get asked most by fans and how do you answer it?
This year, it was "What's it like to win the Classic?" My answer is always, "It's everything you could ever dream of, only better." It's like winning a tournament. You get the thrill of victory, but it lasts longer.
11. What's the biggest mistake you see from casual anglers?
They're always in the quest for the magic lure rather than trying to figure the fish out. They think if they can just get this one lure, all their worries will be over. You need to think more about bass than what your next lure purchase is going to be.
12. Do you have any fishing superstitions?
I'm not superstitious. I love eating bananas before tournaments and tossing the peels around for fun.
13. How big a part does luck play in fishing?
Ten percent. It's the same as a football bouncing. Once it hits the turf, you don't know which way it's going to go. There are breaks in every sport, and sometimes you need the ball to bounce your way. Fishing is no different.
14. What has been your greatest accomplishment in the fishing industry?
Personally, winning the Classic. As far as the big picture goes, it has been an honor for me to plant seeds for Jesus Christ along the way, because I can't take the trophy with me to Heaven!
15. What goals have you yet to accomplish in your bass fishing career?
An Angler of the Year title; I can't drag my feet just because I won the Classic one time. The big title is still out there.
16. What keeps you motivated to reach those goals?
It is Biblically written that if you're going to commit yourself to something, commit with all your heart and strength. I fish as hard as I can for Him.
17. What has been the greatest regret of your fishing career?
There was a low point. At Santee Cooper I got disqualified. I was on the fish to win, and I would love to go back and read the rules more carefully.
18. When you're not bass fishing, how do you like to spend your time?
With my family. I like to do all the kids' things. We like to play board games when we're on the road. I also enjoy Bible study, and mentoring other men and helping them with the issues of life. I also draw from the same men to help me. I also enjoy computers and hunting birds and deer.
19. What profession (other than your own) would you like to have tried?
Meteorology. I've always liked watching the weatherman on TV and trying to pick up where they're missing. I also love watching storms roll in, but not while I'm on the water.
20. When it's all over, how do you want people to remember you?
I don't want it only to be said that he was a great fisherman, although that would be nice. If that was all there was to me, I'd feel like my legacy was a failure. I hope people say he was a great husband and father, and he showed God to others. Basically I want to have made a lasting difference in others' lives.