It was my dad, Robert, and Iâm sure I was still in diapers at the time. Iâll be honest with you; I donât really remember many details about it. But I look back at pictures and I can tell that he started me off way before he probably should have. I was 7 years old when I caught my first bass, and it was out of a little private cattle pond in Arkansas. My father knew the gentleman who owned the cattle ranch, and he let us fish around on the banks there.
I think Larry Nixon (left) without a doubt and George Cochran (middle), you know, the Arkansas guys who had started fishing B.A.S.S. I had the opportunity to read a lot about them in the local paper. Probably one that I give more credit to than anybody is Rick Clunn (right). He actually won the 1984 Bassmaster Classic in my hometown. What he did in that particular event was astounding to us locals. I really have followed a lot of Rickâs career throughout the years.
B.A.S.S. had an Invitational that came to the Arkansas River in Pine Bluff back in 1995. A good friend of mine, Ken Adams, and I sat on the phone for two hours. That was back when you had to call inâ¦that was way before the computer age. He and I just sat there with the phones out trying to get through. We were finally able to get through, and we entered that Invitational.
![4. When did you realize you had âmade itâ in the bass fishing industry?
<p>Back in the day, we had 180-boat fields, which were 360 guys competing against each other. It was pro-on-pro. I finished 10th in the point standings my very first year. I cashed checks in three of the four events and was able to qualify for the BP Top 100s. My first [Top 100] tournament was at Lake Minnetonka, and driving up to the hotel where I had reservations, I saw all the guys that Iâve read about in the magazine and saw on TV. Backing my boat in the parking lot with them, I didnât know if Iâd made it or not, but I was dang sure fishing with them.](http://www.bassmaster.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/4-123916827520Seigo.jpg)
Back in the day, we had 180-boat fields, which were 360 guys competing against each other. It was pro-on-pro. I finished 10th in the point standings my very first year. I cashed checks in three of the four events and was able to qualify for the BP Top 100s. My first [Top 100] tournament was at Lake Minnetonka, and driving up to the hotel where I had reservations, I saw all the guys that Iâve read about in the magazine and saw on TV. Backing my boat in the parking lot with them, I didnât know if Iâd made it or not, but I was dang sure fishing with them.
I caught a 12-5 in Lake Monticello here in Arkansas back in 2004. I was fishing a 3/4-ounce War Eagle spinnerbait just slow rolling it through some timber.
I think itâs the 30 minutes to an hour of the day when you get really dialed in to what those fish are doing. You can just about call your shots. Thatâs probably the most satisfying. I donât know if youâd call it an adrenaline rush, but thatâs what makes the sport so fun is when you can really get dialed in. Thereâs not too many hours of the day where you just catch and catch and catch, but when you get them figured out and you get that magic hour or two of a day, thatâs the reason I love it.
I would probably say the Arkansas River in Pine Bluff. I donât get a lot of chances to go back, but thatâs just where I learned how to fish. Some of my earliest memories of competing in bass tournaments were there. Weâve been back a few times over the years, and I always seem to do real well. Itâs just a place that I call home.
I think just to be myself. Honestly, I feel like Iâm the same guy I was when I started 20 years ago. I really never want to change. Denny Brauer, Larry Nixon and guys like that â they had a lot of success on and off the water, but off the water they just encouraged me to be me. I think thatâs probably the best advice that Iâve had.
Honestly, I think itâs my attitude. I try to stay positive. Iâm pretty laid back. I donât get caught up in the rumor mills and things like that. I have always had a positive attitude and a positive outlook on life in general. I think thatâs helped me get through the down times, and itâs helped me appreciate the good times.
Itâs probably being away from my family. When we have these long, long road trips, I get mentally frustrated that Iâm out doing what I love doing, and my wife (Tammy, shown above) and son (Beau), when theyâre not traveling with me, are back home and taking care of the important things. It wears on me a little bit, and it comes back, I guess, to my mental side is the biggest weakness I have.
I think weâre able to portray this sport as a family sport, a good wholesome sport. Itâs a type of sport that is a lifelong sport. I think we do a real good job of letting people know that this is just not something you do, like other sports. You can start young and do it on up until your older years.
I think conservation. Some states do a very good job of conservation and some donât. As a sport in general, itâs nice to educate those who donât understand a lot about our sport, on the good that we are doing from a conservation standpoint. Personally I would like to see some things be changed as far as fish handling. I think that we as a sport in general could do a little bit better job ⦠especially the competitive side of it.
Itâs probably boat control. I think thatâs one of the biggest things. Your casual anglers, I think they haphazardly go fishing instead of really trying to understand why you need your boat in a certain position, at a certain angle to catch a bass. Iâve caught a lot of fish where guysâ boats were sitting not really knowing that theyâre out of position. Itâs just being aware of every bite that you get. Itâs a mental deal. Every time you get a bite, every time you get a strike, you have to take note at what angle you were retrieving your lure, what depth, and take that all into consideration and try to duplicate it.
I donât know if youâd call it a superstition or not. I carry several hats, and throughout the course of the day, if Iâm not catching fish, I like to change hats. Itâs more or less just me being aware that I need to change something, and that hat just happens to be the first thing that I change. It tells me, âHey this isnât working, and we need to do something else.â Hopefully I donât have to change hats that often during the day ⦠a competition day especially.
Probably a 6-inch plastic worm â I just think that you can catch fish on a plastic worm 365 days out of the year. Sometimes they may not be the right size. But I just feel like a plastic worm is probably the most underrated fishing lure that we have nowadays. It’s not that they quit biting it; I think a lot of guys have quit throwing it.
I think just the longevity. If you really compare the years that guys stay out here, some donât stay out very long. Iâve watched a lot of really great fishermen come and go over the course of 20 years. And to be able to do it for 20 years and create a good life for my family, I think itâs quite an accomplishment.
![17. If you could only win one, would it be a Toyota Bassmaster Angler of the Year title or a Bassmaster Classic championship? Why?
<p>I would definitely have to say the Bassmaster Classic. The reason being, from a fansâ standpoint and from an industry standpoint, I think the Classic outweighs the Angler of the Year title. I just feel like if I had the opportunity to hoist one trophy [the Classic] would definitely be it.](http://www.bassmaster.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/17-IMG_7641_120JO.jpg)
I would definitely have to say the Bassmaster Classic. The reason being, from a fansâ standpoint and from an industry standpoint, I think the Classic outweighs the Angler of the Year title. I just feel like if I had the opportunity to hoist one trophy [the Classic] would definitely be it.
When we were in Sacramento, I had a guy that Iâd never met in my life, but he recognized my boat and recognized me out there on the water. He told me that heâs watched me for years and years and he really admires me and really respects how I treat others. He was just very complimentary of what Iâve done in my career. Every time you hear that, it really makes me appreciate those who pay attention to us. It really makes you appreciate where we are as a tournament organization and as competitive individuals.
Climbing in a tree. I wouldnât say itâs deer hunting, itâs more just deer watching. I have a 13-year-old son, Beau (shown above), and he and I play a lot of golf together. We do a lot of deer hunting. My wife and I, we like to spend time out on the party barge and just ⦠I guess youâd call it chilling out. Between the party barge and spending time with the family, and climbing in the tree deer hunting, and playing golf, it gets me away from the stress of trying to compete at the level that I do.
You know, just a guy who was really down to earth, who really appreciated his sponsors and his fans and treated everybody with the same amount of respect that I wished to be treated with. I hate to say it, but I think thatâs kind of a lost art in our sport now. The respect factor is not nearly as strong as it was when I began. I hope that everybody remembers that I treated them with respect, whether they were first in the points or last in the points. Iâm very grateful to everybody: co-anglers, marshals, other competitors as well as the tournament staff. I like to treat people with respect because I know how precious of a sport this is, and it really means a lot to me.
I had an opportunity at the Charlotte Motor Speedway to run some race cars back in the day. I guess if there was another sport that I would really like to do, it would definitely be NASCAR-style racing. I wonât say I have a lead foot, but I like to get from point A to point B in the quickest time. That was a pretty good rush. I really enjoyed it.
I enjoyed having an opportunity to work with and educate people who never really knew much about competitive bass fishing or the B.A.S.S. brand. Though most of these people had a general âoutdoorsyâ background, they were overwhelmed with the fact that I made a good living through competitions and promotions.