BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — If Casey Ashley could sing a country duet with anyone, he’d choose Brad Paisley, the heavily awarded artist who performed, “I’m Gonna Miss Her,” a fishing anthem for many.
That was one of the things fans learned during Ashley’s first-ever B.A.S.S. Twitter chat, March 13.
Ashley visited the B.A.S.S. headquarters following his Bassmaster Classic win on his home waters of Lake Hartwell. He met with members of the B.A.S.S. staff and talked to fans via Twitter.
Want to keep up with Ashley? Follow him on his new Twitter and Instagram accounts.
Below is the video of his chat, followed by the full transcript. See photos of his visit here.
What makes one rocky bank better than another in the wintertime?
The rocky bank with deeper water closest by is the best.
What would be your 3 or 4 basic colors for most all SC. lakes in general
Green pumpkin, red bug, straight black
What’s your feeling on the Sabine?
It’s going to be a tough; it’s a lot of water to cover in a short amount of time. But I like tournaments like that.
Thanks for your time and insight!! Tight Lines Brother cya @ Fulton’s one day!!
Would you rather fish with a Gamecock or Tiger crankbait?
Gamecock! It’s got the right colors in it anyway.
If Casey was to record his fisherman song as a duet with a current recording artist, who would it be?
I would pitch it to brad paisley first @BradPaisley
You need to do a duet with Tracy Byrd next weekend!! Good luck this season!!
CONGRATS!!!! on the WIN #Bassmasterclassic Way to bring it home!!!!
I appreciate it!
Hunter Worthy @Hunter_Worthy_7
What is the biggest bass you caught in a tournament?
11-14, Clear Lake
Hunter Worthy @Hunter_Worthy_7
Nice, appreciate you answering my questions and I wanna meet you one day
Hopefully I’ll see you down the road!
Hunter Worthy @Hunter_Worthy_7
Appreciate it and congratulations for winning the classic
Can you PLEASE come teach me how to catch ’em at Smith Mountain?! Been struggling here lately!
You can catch every fish in the lake with a shaky head and a jig.
Have your iTunes sales gone up since winning the classic? I know I downloaded it.
There has been a little spike in the downloads, nothing drastic, but it has gotten a lot more steady
What are you looking for and how would it change as the season progresses?
AOY is what the sights are set on now, until we get to the next Classic.
What kind of equipment do you trow underspins on?
Baitcast equipment.
Medium action? MH? 7?/7’6″?
Medium, 7-0 medium rod and a 6:1 gear ratio reel, something not super slow, not superfast.
Does line size matter w underspins?
Absolutely. As light as possible, 10 lb fluorocarbon.
If or when you write a song about your classic experience what will the title be?
I couldn’t even tell you. I’m not a writer. That’s one I would pitch to Rodney Clawson to see what he would do with it.
Can I have one of your dad’s baits from the classic haha
Pretty soon I will be able to tell you where you can get that bait from! But not yet.
What was your favorite post win moment, hoisting trophy, confetti cannon or victory lap? #pleasesayconfetticannon
The confetti cannon was pretty cool, but the victory lap felt more significant to me.
Bass Fishing Tips @BassFishnTips
Question 1 : If limited to 5 rod/reel combos to fish entire season, what would they be?
Quantum Exo rods and reels: 7-6 heavy flippin’ stick w/ 7:; 7-4 heavy w/ 7:1, 7-2 medium heavy w/ same reel, 7 medium heavy w/ same reel; 7-2 heavy with 6:1
Bass Fishing Tips @BassFishnTips
Question 2 : If limited to 5 baits to fish entire season, what would they be?
Jig, Zoom Trick Worm, @ZOOMBaitCompany Super Fluke, Zoom Brush Hog & Pop-R
Casey, are you a cat or dog person?
Dog. I can’t stand a cat.
I like my dog, too. He’s pretty cool.
How do you get more consistent bites while using a football jig with a plastic crawfish trailer?
I don’t actually drag it I slow roll it like a spinnerbait so my retrieve never stops
Great tip! I appreciate it and congrats on the big win!
Hunter Worthy @Hunter_Worthy_7
What is your favorite lake you ever fish other than Lake Hartwell?
Smith Mountain Lake in Virginia
What is your favorite color? (General purpose, not bait color)
My favorite color would be red. Blue is my second favorite.
spencer barnett @bassfishinsb
What area do you need to improve most as an angler?
Drop shotting!
Do you prefer dogs or cats?
Dogs!
What lb test fluorocarbon do you throw most on average?
20 lb
As far as flukes used as spinner sbait trailers or swim jigs etc do you stay with bait fish colors?
It depends on a shad spawn or bream pattern. Bream: watermelon & green pumpkin. Shad: go for shad colors.
Casey, a coincidence that you, Rojas and Omori were in Top 5 at the Classic … and you all have very white teeth? Whiten to win?
We could probably do a toothpaste commercial.
Hey Casey, how does it feel to be snappin’ necks and cashin’ #BassmasterClassic big checks?
It feels pretty good! It’s a new feeling for me.
What is your all-time favorite lure?
Jig, by far.
What color and trailer?
Brown jig with a green pumpkin Zoom Super Chunk.
Thanks for answering my questions!!
Mark Allonardo @QuackAttackkk
Any knowledge of college bass teams up and down the east coast? Preferences?
Clemson & South Carolina, of course. I know they’re both pretty solid. There’s just so many up & down the seaboard.
Dominic F. Turcott @Dturcott27
Congrats on winning the classic!
Thank you very much!
Costa sunglasses. Favorite frames and lens color? Why?
My favorite frames would be Fantails. I wear copper lenses bc I’m colorblind and it helps me see the fish.
Thanks! One more question. 580G or 580P for the lenses?
I use both but when I fish I use 580P because they’re lighter. Glass is definitely the most durable.
Do you fish with tungsten or lead jigs and what are the benefits of each.
I use lead. They’re a lot cheaper. I lose a lot of them! I use tungsten weights but not tungsten jigs.
Jennifer Dome King @StellarJennifer
Do you have any plans for a vacation to celebrate your win the next time you have a break from the tour?
Definitely, but not sure when it will be. On the beach somewhere.
Staying true to South Carolina and heading to Myrtle?
No, I’ve outgrown Myrtle. Usually Beauford area.
Fishing with Dom! @fishingwithDom
What was the biggest hump to get over when fishing the Classic? Congrats by the way!!
Weather. Trying to stay warm. Coldest temps I ever dealt with.
Brandon Burdette @Burdette1982
What is the biggest flathead catfish you have ever pulled out of a hole.
Me personally, it was around 50, but I’ve assisted with a 62. Now get back to teaching them kids!
Brandon Burdette @Burdette1982
It’s lunchtime. Thanks for the answer. That’s a keeper but 50 lbs needs culling.
How busy have you been? You must be running ragged
I’ve been pretty busy. I’m ready to start back on the tour so I can slow down a bit!
6lb or 8lb fluro for shakey head if you have to go there?
I use 8 pretty much all the time.
What lakes would like to see the Elite Series on that it hasn’t visited in a while or ever
Lake Lanier near ATL. Hadn’t been there in long time, or ever. Maybe in May,June
How do you feel about Sabine River? What Elite events this year do you feel good about?
I like the Sabine River; I like tough tournaments like that. I look forward to going back to California. We’re going a diff time of year. I know nothing about Havasu; it will be interesting because we have a short practice.
Capitol Outdoors @capitoloutdoors
Looking for words of advice for someone who is looking to get into the outdoor industry?
Make relationships, meet people, show up to tournaments.
Capitol Outdoors @capitoloutdoors
Great thank you and again congrats on your huge achievement. #rockingtheoutdoors
Have you been able to put all the hooplah behind you now and focus on grinding it out on the elites series to battle for AOY?
I can’t answer that question. I’ll know more come next weekend!
Did you have a pretty good idea you were going to win #BassmasterClassic while at final weigh in or where you on pins and needles?
To be honest, I had a pretty good idea. My fish weighed more than I thought, though.
Still nerve racking I’m sure. Someone coulda had a big chunker and wasn’t talking about it.
spencer barnett @bassfishinsb
Will you eventually put LED lights on your boat?
I may. It’s a possibility.
What’s up, Casey ? Congrats! My girls want to know where they can get one of those costa jerseys?
You can’t get one.
Haha man that’s no way to treat an old Abbeville bud.
They only make me 4 a year, man.
Costa could make some money on those from all the little girls in this county!
If you weren’t fortunate enough to be a successful pro angler, what would you be doing?
I probably would’ve been working in a plant. My degree is industrial electronics. I’m glad I didn’t have to do that.
Amen! Doing what you love doesn’t feel like work. I’m in the same boat. It’s awesome!
spencer barnett @bassfishinsb
Can we count on you updating us throughout the new season with your twitter and facebook pages?
Absolutely. I’ll see you at Lake Fork!
Casey congrats on your win! From coach Goodwin.
Appreciate it. See you at the 72 boat show next year.
Thank you for joining us today, @CAshleyFishing! And good luck to you this season.
Appreciate y’all having me! It’s neat to hang out with the people behind the scenes. I’ll see y’all down the road!