The clown prince of bass fishing is a fan favorite everywhere he goes. That's not going to change anytime soon since he's coming off the best season of his career since he won the Toyota Tundra Bassmaster Angler of the Year award in 2004.
Despite a multitude of back surgeries and shoulder problems, Swindle has what western film fans know as "true grit." He keeps coming back for more and may even be improving with age. For the G-Man, Toyota Trucks All-Star Week might be just what the doctor ordered.
There are two big reasons to like Swindle coming into All-Star Week. First, he's from Alabama, so he's likely familiar with the waters — if not specifically, at least generically. Second, he's likely the best "junk" fisherman on tour. If you're not familiar with that term, it simply means when there's no distinct pattern on the water, Swindle's a master of finding a lot of ways to catch a few bass.
In such situations, it's common to see Swindle with 10 rods on the front deck of his Triton, each rigged with a different bait. As he encounters different situations throughout the day, he'll find occasion to use all 10 — or even more — and likely have a solid limit at the end of the day. He's fifth in career bassing average with 4.8188 bass per day.
Swindle is the only angler in B.A.S.S. history to reach the $1 million mark in career prize money without having first won a tournament. He got his first B.A.S.S. win earlier this year in (of all places) Florida, where's he's traditionally struggled.
The recent successes may be signs of things to come as Swindle tackles All-Star Week and prepares for the 2012 Classic. He missed the 2009 championship, also held on the Red River.
| Name: | Gerald Swindle |
| Nicknames: | The G-Man; Mouth of the South |
| Hometown: | Warrior, Ala |
| Age: | 41 |
| 2011 AOY rank: | 3rd |
| B.A.S.S. events: | 179 |
| B.A.S.S. earnings: | $1,319,467.14 |
| B.A.S.S. wins: | 1 |
| Classic appearances: | 11 |
| Classic wins: | 0 |
| AOY titles: | 1 (2004) |
| Strengths: | Junk fishing; dock skipping; sense of humor |
| Weaknesses: | Fewer and fewer as the years go by; some physical challenges (back and shoulder aches) |