Glasby’s love of the game

The Central Open on Lewisville Lake ended in a fish-off, but that wasn’t the only excitement on the final day. The co-angler race came down to a mere 7 ounces, and Keith Glasby took home the title.

Throughout the 2012 season we will be taking a look at the heart of B.A.S.S., from the top pros to the lesser-known hopefuls, from the fans to the people behind the stage. “Why we do it” looks to celebrate the differences in the people of B.A.S.S. and the passion that brings everyone together.

The Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Central Open on Lewisville Lake ended in a fish-off, but that wasn’t the only excitement on the final day. The co-angler race came down to a mere 7 ounces, and Keith Glasby took home the title with 11 pounds, 8 ounces.

Glasby was one of only two co-anglers to catch fish every day of the event, and it was that consistency that was truly remarkable after brutally tough conditions swept through northern Texas.

“I woke up this morning and thought if I could just catch a fish and not blank any of the days, with the conditions the way they are,” Glasby said. “It was a feat in itself to catch a fish each day. I downsized and slowed way down, just dragging a little minnow bait, trying to imitate a dying shad.”

His adjustments paid off to the tune of a $35,000 Skeeter ZX190 bass boat and Yamaha 150-horsepower motor.

“I’ve got a really nice boat right now, so I’m not sure what I’m going to do,” Glasby said. “That’s a good problem to have.”

More than the prize winnings, Glasby enjoyed the education his partners gave him every day of the event, especially on Day Three, when he was paired with Mike McClelland.

“It’s been an amazing day of fishing,” Glasby said. “I was just blown away watching Mike McClelland throwing a jerkbait. He was like an artist out there. All three pros I had, both well-known and otherwise, were extremely hospitable. Your biggest fear as a co-angler is that you are going to get front-ended and that never happened.”

The win marked a turn-around for Glasby, who had been struggling recently in local Federation Nation and Weekend Series tournaments he fishes around his home in Ovilla, Texas.

“This ranks right up there at the top of my fishing moments,” Glasby said. “I had an off-year last year and really started doubting what I do. But you got to lose one before you win. My day in the sun came, and my day in the wind and ice, too.”

So why does Keith Glasby do it?

Fishing is just plain in his genes. Like many anglers, the love of the outdoors can be traced back through the generations.

“I got involved back in the Don Butler days of B.A.S.S. – that was old school,” Glasby said. “I owe it all to my dad and my grandfather. I started fishing at an early age; it had to be genetics.”

He grew up in Oklahoma with plenty of opportunity to get out on the water, between his father’s boat and a float tube. Although he doesn’t get out in the tube like he did as a youth, it was an important part of getting him excited about fishing to begin with.

“Fishing from a float tube is a great way to fish,” Glasby said. “You are in the water and so close to the action. If you hook a big fish, he is liable to tow you around. You may have to repel a snake or two, but it’s worth it.”

From float-tube snake-wrangler to Open co-angler champion, Glasby has come a long way. It’s that competitive spirit that drives him.

“I love competition and this is a way I can compete in life at the age of 48,” Glasby said. “I hope I have 10 more years left of being able to do this, because this is a physical beating, especially during a tournament like this.

“It’s either all that or I’m just stupid and I haven’t figured out which.”