By Paul Strege

As seen in…

All photos courtesy of  Bass Communications

Every angler has a story… In the summer of 2008, a few months after winning the Bassmaster Classic, a gentleman approached Yamaha Pro Alton Jones seeking an autograph. He handed Alton a baseball cap.

“If you could, please sign it,” the man requested, “To My Friend, Steve.”

Honoring the request much like hundreds of others, Alton placed his Sharpie on the cap and quickly signed his name. He talked with the man for a moment, thanked him for his support, and they both went their separate ways.

Today, Alton Jones is a household name on the Bassmaster Elite Series fishing tour. He is one of the most likeable personalities in bass fishing today. He exudes energy and enthusiasm. For many, he is a devout Christian role model. When fans approach seeking an autograph, they are greeted with a smile that often turns into conversation. The positive influence he has on others is a product of his faith, family, and friends.

The Fishing Buddy

Alton’s seed for fishing was first planted by his grandfather at an early age. He taught Alton how to fish, and from the age of five on, spent countless hours on the water with him.

Alton fondly remembers, “My grandfather was a very giving person and really poured into my life. Fishing was what he loved to do, and a lot of the time that we spent together turned out to be fishing. He liked to fish for Crappie – ‘White Perch’ as he used to call them. Although he didn’t fish for bass or enter tournaments, he signed me up for Bassmaster magazine when I was seven years old.”

His grandfather recognized Alton’s interest in fishing, and helped cultivate it. They made a ritual of traveling together nearly every weekend to a small, private lake about two hours east of Dallas, Texas. They were inseparable, enjoying both the fishing and each other’s company. Although Alton’s passion for the sport was obvious, what was not immediately apparent was his intrigue with fishing competition.

“With my grandfather’s help, I caught the bug early. I had already caught a few bass in my life, and Bassmaster was my first exposure to competitions called ‘tournaments’. By the time I was eleven or twelve, I was thinking, ‘Wouldn’t it be really cool to be like Bobby Murray, Bill Dance, or one of those guys that actually makes a living fishing?!’ So, the dream was alive at a very early age.”

Alton’s family also lived by several small lakes in East Texas. One in particular, a small, private lake within biking distance, was his favorite mid-week destination. The neighbor owning property surrounding the lake granted Alton access. He was an avid angler in his own right, and commonly stocked the lake with bass that he caught elsewhere.

“I can remember right there on Douglas Road, in the Park Cities area of Dallas, almost causing several car wrecks, hauling 4- and 5-pounders onto shore during rush hour. When fishermen would drive by, they would slam on the brakes and honk at me. I did that several times a week for a number of years. When you are young, a 5-acre lake is like Loch Ness – you don’t know what is living in there. So, there was always that mystique, a mythical dream, of a world record swimming around. Of course there was no chance that it could ever happen, but you couldn’t have convinced me otherwise.”

When Alton turned twelve, his parents gave him a 15-foot Kingfisher fiberglass boat with a 33-horsepower engine. When not fishing with his grandfather, Alton practiced the presentations he read about in his magazines.

“I taught myself how to fish a plastic worm. I didn’t really have anyone to show me how, so I would read about new techniques, go out, and do it. Part of the way I learned to do something right was to do it wrong.”

Each magazine issue helped to diversify his angling skill set. Through a process of trial and error, Alton learned elementary bass fishing techniques. The mechanics of casting, pitching, and flipping would also develop concurrently.

“I can remember a good Junior High friend of mine, Tom Blankenship, out-casting me with a new baitcasting reel. At the time, I was still using a push-button, spincasting type, and it drove me nuts that I didn’t know how to use one. So, the first thing I did when I got home that afternoon was to ask my mom for a baitcasting reel.”

On his birthday, Alton received his wish. He spent hours upon hours, practicing with his new reel. Less than one year later, he mastered the baitcaster and could cast further than Tom.

“I never liked to find something in fishing that someone could do better than I could. If I heard about a new skill or technique, I had to master it. I was never that way with anything else; I was just that obsessed with fishing.”

No Bass Boats at Baylor

Alton continued fishing recreationally throughout school without entering a single competition. In 1981, he registered as a student at Baylor University. Although he had a great love for the outdoors, he studied computer science in college. Alton’s parents financed his education on one condition: “No bass boats at school!” Their fear was that with a boat, Alton would be unable to focus on completing his studies.

“I could go fishing with anyone else in their boat, but I think my parents saw a train wreck coming if I were to actually own one. They knew that if I had a bass boat, school probably wasn’t going to be a top priority. And looking back, they were right.”

Alton learned that he had a knack for computers, and quickly recognized the opportunity to make money off of his acquired skills. Soon thereafter, he started a computer business. With a fresh source of income at his disposal, Alton immediately started saving for a down payment on a boat, despite his parents’ forewarning.

After acquiring a boat, Alton joined a Waco, Texas bass fishing club. The organization, one of the oldest in the country, provided him with the opportunity to compare his skills against other anglers. In his first tournament, Alton and his partner skunked.

“I came in to the weigh-in thinking, ‘Man, this was a tough day. I’d be surprised if anyone caught one!’ As it turned out, it was one of those days where everyone caught them. Everyone had a big stringer of fish except for me and my partner.”

Dejected, Alton dropped out of the club after one tournament. Within the cloud of disappointment, however, he discovered a silver lining.

“That was a powerful moment for me, because I had learned to fish primarily on private lakes. I was catching bass, but I had never considered the fact that you had to find them before you could catch them.”

For the next twelve months, Alton devoted his time to learning how to locate bass. He focused solely on one body of water, Tradinghouse Creek Reservoir. Alton’s tournament sabbatical allowed him to intently study bass behavior throughout the course of a year.

The following year, he rejoined the club. Out of a handful of tournaments, Alton won two. Wanting to fish for money, however, he again withdrew from club competition mid-season. He committed to fishing a select few central Texas tournament trails, including Angler’s Choice and Lone Star Bass, in addition to open tournaments over the next few years.

Jimmye Sue

While attending Baylor University, Alton met the love of his life, a nursing student named Jimmye Sue. They would marry in 1985, but Alton knew almost immediately that it was a match made in heaven. She was not only supportive of his dreams and aspirations, but she also shared and helped strengthen his Christian faith.

Four years after getting married, Jimmye Sue encouraged Alton to recommit to his quest to become a professional fisherman.

“At the time, I was fishing too much to be successful at the computer business and working too much to be successful at fishing. Jimmye Sue told me one day, ‘You have a dream to be a professional fisherman. You either need to be in the computer business, or you need to go fishing. I will support you either way.’ She really encouraged me to try the fishing thing because she did not want me to live with the regret of not giving it a shot. Now, that’s true love when your wife is telling you to quit your job and go fish!”

Despite the unconditional support of Jimmye Sue, Alton initially struggled. He felt that something was missing.

“God brought me to the place where I was pursuing this dream without Him. Financially, it was a big challenge. I was in debt. I remember Jimmye Sue and I praying together before we went to bed one night, and my prayer for the first time in my life was, ‘God, I want to follow You with my life, no matter what. Even if it means I never make another cast, I am going to follow You.’ Before that, I had always been willing to surrender every area of my life for Christ, except for my fishing because that was mine. I was holding onto it at all costs. But, He finally allowed me to reach the place in my life where I could open my hands and say, ‘God, this is Yours.’ I really thought He would take it away from me and have me pursue something else. To my surprise, He didn’t do that. He began to lead me toward fishing for His purposes.”

With faith, love, and commitment, Alton found peace in his professional pursuit. The taxing pressure to succeed lifted.

First Big Win

In 1990, after building success at the local level, he started fishing larger tournament circuits, including the newly-founded Red Man Golden Blend Pro-Am. It was the largest event that he ever considered entering.

“I had been fishing some regional tournaments over on Toledo Bend, and I heard that Golden Blend was coming there. I looked at the roster, and saw that there were a lot of big name pros – guys like Ken Cook, Denny Brauer, Rick Clunn, and Zell Rowland. They were all the names that I had read about, but never had a chance to rub elbows with. It was my first chance to fish against them, so I decided to enter the tournament.”

Defying the odds of competing successfully in his first professional event, Alton won and earned a $10,500 cash prize. It was the most prestigious victory in his young career.

“From that point, there was no turning back. The win allowed me to pay off some debt and save some money for entry fees and other expenses.”

Learning the Ropes

One year later, Alton fished the Bassmaster Invitational circuit and qualified for the Bassmaster Top-100 tour. While Alton fished the tour, Jimmye Sue worked fulltime as a nurse for the Veteran’s Administration. In 1992, they welcomed the birth of the first of three children, Alton Junior. Although the various demands and responsibilities of family life mounted, Alton steadily improved in competition and started to assemble a strong sponsorship team. Spiderwire became his first, and provided three-hundred dollars per month in financial support. Additional assistance from Yamaha, Skeeter, Pradco, and other companies soon followed. Alton’s tournament career transitioned from a losing financial venture into breaking even, and later into a profitable one.

During that time, Alton met Bruce Benedict, owner of a Dallas-based lure company. Bruce had extensive experience working with the media, and introduced Alton to several distinguished outdoor writers – the “Tim Tuckers” of the angling world. He took Alton under his wing, inviting him to participate in articles, photo shoots, product development, and other promotional activities.

“Before I even won a BASS event, I began to see my name appear in print. I realized right then the value of the media, and how important it is. Fishing is not like a lot of other sports where the media is a distraction to athletes with multimillion-dollar contracts. In fishing, the press that you generate is one of the things that will set you apart from other anglers. Learning the value of that is something a lot of guys still don’t get. I’m grateful for Bruce teaching me that.”

In addition to learning the ropes of sponsorship and media, Alton had to overcome the adjustment of learning the diverse assortment of waters he visited while on tour.

“I quickly realized that it was going to take time. I was going to have to learn how to fish tidal rivers, natural bodies of water, inland rivers, and even offshore structure, in order to become a competitive fisherman at the top level. I can remember the first time I went to the Potomac River – how I had my head handed to me on a platter there. It felt just like my first Waco bass club tournament.”

The Season of ‘97

Despite the intimidating learning curve, Alton faced each new year with patience and optimism. That approach lead to a steady improvement in Angler of the Year standings, leading up to his breakthrough season of 1997. With a Bassmaster Classic qualification and tour victory, Alton assembled the first of many future successful years.

“That season was the real turning point for me. I won the Top-100 on Lake Neely Henry and made my first Bassmaster Classic. My sponsorship support at that time was barely covering all of my expenses. After that, I had profit just from my sponsorships. I really realized from then on – as long as God continued to lead me in the direction – that I could fish successfully.”

The following year, Jimmye Sue, Alton Junior, Kristen, and Jamie Sue joined Alton on tour. They lived and traveled together as a family. Jimmye Sue resigned from her nursing position and started home-schooling the children on the road.

“For us, home became much more of where we were together as a family instead of our house in Waco, Texas. Life on the road had its challenges, but I would say the benefits far outweighed the sacrifices. It just really allowed me to completely focus on my fishing. I don’t believe that I could have been nearly as successful on the water if it were not for Jimmye Sue and the kids joining me.”

Over the next decade, with family in tow, Alton’s tour performance was the model of consistency. Even as a two-tour angler, he managed to qualify for three Bassmaster Classics and five Forrest Wood Cups in five years.

Classic Champ

In 2008, Alton won the Bassmaster Classic on Lake Hartwell, South Carolina. He experienced an exceptional practice leading up to the event. He even confided in Jimmye Sue that he was in a unique position to succeed, unlike his ten previous appearances.

Alton started the Classic well, amassing a 36-pound cumulative weight over the first two days of competition. He started Day 3, as the front runner, with a lead of 1-pound, 13-ounces. Alton felt the pressure of leading while on the water. His 13-pound, 7-ounce catch was lighter than the previous days’, and he did not know what others had caught. Doubt began to circulate within his mind, and his confidence waned.

“I idled into the marina thinking that I might have blown my chance. The only thing that made me think that I may have won was the ESPN helicopter hovering overhead. They spent the last 30 minutes of the day filming me – really getting in my way. That made me think, ‘Okay, maybe I am doing a little better than what I think I am.’”

That evening, Alton saw one of his childhood dreams come to fruition when he was declared the 2008 Bassmaster Classic Champion. He circled the Bi-Lo Center in his Skeeter, accompanied by his family. Fans applauded, and Alton’s larger-than-life smile grew even larger.

“It was an amazing, amazing experience – getting to share that with my family – the victory lap and holding the flag. It was absolutely wonderful.”

The day after winning the Bassmaster Classic, Alton received an unexpected phone call from a particularly notable bass fishing fan, President George W. Bush. The President invited Alton and his family to spend a day with him at the White House.

“President Bush really went out of his way to make me feel important and special. He was very attentive to my children, too, challenging them to make good decisions in their lives. That talk really stuck with my kids and me.”

Keep Fishing Fun

Alton believes that one of the keys to his Classic victory lied within observing a simple principle: Keep Fishing Fun! He believes that “fun” places, like Falcon Lake and Lake Amistad, where anglers can tangle with bass of gargantuan proportions, can be both challenging and rewarding. Most importantly, positive experiences help to keep passion for the sport – his job – at a high.

“It also helps me to learn and observe even more about the fish. The offseason before I won the Classic, for example, I was down at Lake Amistad and had figured out that the fish were relating to the dead, middle bottom of the creek channels. I had fished creek channels in the past, but never considered it a viable option in winter just because locating decent schools of fish that way is so hard to do. I put the creek channel pattern together that winter, never dreaming that I would duplicate it on Lake Hartwell without anyone else figuring it out.”

Personal recounts of Alton’s “fun” adventures are regularly blogged about on his website and bassmaster.com. There, anglers can learn first-hand the places Alton prefers to visit, and the angling tidbits he discovers while playing on the water.

“To My Friend, Steve”

Since his Classic victory, Alton has had countless opportunities to speak with children, conduct fishing seminars, and entertain sport celebrities. On top of that, he reads each piece of fan mail. In the fall of 2008, Alton received a letter from the same gentleman whose baseball cap he had signed a few months after winning the Classic.

The letter read, “I am just writing you to thank you for the cap you signed for me. You did not know it at the time, but my friend Steve had cancer. Yesterday, he passed away. I want you to know that for the last month that he was in the hospital, when anyone would come to visit, he would get a big smile on his face, pick up the cap you signed for him, and say, ‘Look! I have a hat that a world champion fisherman signed just for me!’”

“When I signed that cap,” recalls Alton, “it was just another autograph. But, that letter made it so much more. It made me realize that you need to take seriously the few, brief chances you have with people because you never know how far-reaching it can be.”

For Elite Series professional Alton Jones, his journey from Joe to Pro, has admittedly become less about catching fish and more about reaching people. Ironically, he is influenced most by those that he seeks to influence in a positive way.

“There is nothing that feels as good as being able to make a difference. Through fishing, I have so many opportunities to do that. It’s amazing how just because you catch fish, you can bring hope and inspiration into someone else’s life.”

Alton Jones Achievements:

1990 – Won Golden Blend Pro-Am on Toledo Bend Reservoir, LA. First year fishing Bassmaster Invitationals. Qualified for BASS Top 100 Tour.

1996 – Qualified for first Bassmaster Classic.

1997 – First Place, Alabama Top 100, Lake Neely Henry, AL.

2000 – Megabucks Champion, Lake Murray, SC.

2003 – First Place, California Showdown, Clear Lake, CA.

2004 – First Place, Kentucky Citgo Bassmaster Elite 50, Ohio River, KY.

2008 – Bassmaster Classic Champion, Lake Hartwell, SC. Runner-up, B.A.S.S. Angler of the Year.

2009 – Second Place, Bassmaster Elite Series, Battle on the Border, Lake Amistad, TX.

1 Bassmaster Classic title, 5 Wins, 35 Top-10’s, 12 Bassmaster Classic Qualifications and $1,857,000 in career B.A.S.S. winnings.

5 Top-10’s, 5 FLW Tour Championship Qualifications, and $266,000 in career FLW winnings.

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Alton on Fishing Buddies…

“I always had lots of friends, but only a handful of fishing buddies. To me, a fishing buddy is a more esteemed relationship than a friend. I am talking a true, died-in-the-wool, fishing buddy. They are a friend at the closest level. Together, you enjoy a passion on the water that strengthens friendship forever.”