When I was 12, my family moved out to the country (to Reeltown, Ala.). I had been in Auburn (Ala.) schools, so I was kind of a city boy. Out in the country, we had about 60 acres of land and about a 3-acre fishing pond stocked full of bass. I just got hooked. Iâd go out there every day after school and fished till dark. Then I started fishing club tournaments; little pot tournaments as I got older. I bought my first boat when I was 18. It was a 1978 Stinger, and I bought it for $1,500. Then I got married and started coaching my girls in softball. When they reached the junior high level and I wasnât coaching them anymore, I had some time and I went to a bracket tournament on Lake Jordan (Alabama in 2010). I think it was the first bracket tournament B.A.S.S. had. Russ Lane won it. I went as a spectator because I had fished that lake a lot. I followed the pros around and when I got back, I told my wife âIâm going to fish the Opens to see if I qualify.â The first year I tried (in 2011), I finished 49th, but the second year (2012), I qualified. I got into the Elite Series in 2013, and Iâve been at it ever since.
I own an electric motor business (Alabama Motor and Pump Service). I started it when I was 27 years old, so Iâve had it for 19 years. That keeps me tied up a lot. Some of these guys can go from tournament to tournament and pre-fish. Thatâs pretty much all they do. I go fish official practice days and fish the tournament, then go home and go back to work. Itâs not an excuse, but itâs the way Iâve chosen to do it. I donât have to sweat paychecks. This business provides for my family. I have two twin daughters that are 19 and are in college on softball scholarships at Southern Union Community College. Four years ago, me and my wife got custody of my nephew. Heâs 7, and heâs all into ball. When my girls graduated and went off to college, I thought Iâd be on cruise control, but now Iâm back to ball practice. Iâm starting all over again, but I wouldnât trade it for anything. My wife Cheryl, sheâs kind of pushed me before to lean more to the fishing and make more of a career out of it, but itâs hard for me to leave this business unattended completely. Iâve done it so long, my employees depend on me to provide some input.
The Elite Series event at Lake Champlain last year. I finished fifth, but I led it going up to the last two hours of the tournament according to BASSTrakk. I had the camera boat there and Dave Mercer. I lost three top-water fish in like 30 or 45 minutes that cost me $100,000. That really is the main thing that sticks out in my head out of all the stuff over the past five or six years; to know that I had it right there and just lost it.
It does. I was close at Kentucky Lake this year when I finished third. Iâve had an opportunity to win a couple, even three, tournaments. It just hasnât worked out. But I know that one day the stars are going to line up and Iâm going to get one of those blue trophies.
Oh man, a lot. When I was a rookie, I fished how I thought I needed to fish, rather than fishing my strengths. Like when you go to Kentucky Lake, youâre supposed to be out on the ledges and all that; deep cranking. But if you just worry about what you do best, and go out and try to catch as many as you can, youâll be OK. You canât worry about what all the competitors are doing. In fact, my best tournaments have been in events when I didnât even practice on the third day. So learning how to practice was a big deal for me, too.
I actually lived on Lake Martin until last year. That Elite tournament was a heartbreaker because I almost have too much knowledge after fishing it for 30 years. But we had probably the coldest winter in years, we had snow on the ground the week before then 4 inches of rain the week of. The conditions set up for people just going out fishing. The locals, me, Steve Kennedy, Greg Vinson, Keith Poche; youâd think weâd do good. But it didnât set up for the locals. We had that local lake curse.
It will affect my travel. I roomed with Jesse Wiggins this year and then last year, me, Jesse and Matt Lee stayed together. My traveling partners are gone. And me and Jesse shared information. I donât trust a lot of people, and I donât talk a lot about what Iâm catching during practice or on the water. Itâs going to be weird not having a roommate you trust and share information with. Iâm still scratching my head on what Iâm going to do with that.
Iâm really excited. There are a lot of good lakes on the schedule. I think itâs the best one weâve had in several years. Last year was more of a âgrinderâ type schedule where you put your trolling motor down and fish for five bites a day. Iâm more of a fish fast, cover a lot of water type of guy; catch big ones and cull up. This yearâs schedule sets up for my style.