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.

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As seen in…

By Paul Strege

All photos courtesy of FLW Outdoors

Every angler has a story… for Kellogg’s Pro Clark Wendlandt, his rise to extraordinary prominence was a natural progression.

Clark Wendlandt is arguably one of the most recognizable names in fishing. Upon earning his third Angler of the Year title in 2009, he cemented his position as the most consistent and honored angler in FLW history. To say that Clark is a student of the professional fishing game would be an understatement. From adolescence to adulthood, his studies have been focused on everything related to bass fishing.

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By Paul Strege

Every angler has a story… For Women’s Bassmaster Tour professional Kim Bain-Moore, it is a journey extending halfway around the world.

When Brisbane, Australia native Kim Bain-Moore was approached by a young, wide-eyed girl seeking an autograph at the conclusion of the 2009 Bassmaster Classic weigh-in, everything had come full circle. The realization of what her representation meant as the first woman fishing the Classic set in. It was larger than the 8,000-seat CenturyTel stadium, larger than the 118-mile expanse of the Red River, and much larger than she imagined in her wildest childhood dreams.

Kim started fishing when she was 3 years old. Somewhat of a tomboy, she spent weekends and vacations fishing with her mother, father, and sister.

It was in those early years that her appreciation for the outdoors, and fishing in particular, took root. Her recreational hobby evolved into an obsession, and at a very young age, she became a member of multiple Australian fishing clubs. Those organizations were Kim’s first formal introduction to competitive fishing.

When she was sixteen, her father Steve Bain started directing a tournament circuit. Although Largemouth Bass were not present in Kim’s homeland, it did have “Australian Bass”, similar in appearance and behavior to the North American Striped Bass. The Australia version was characterized as being a hard-fighting fish, susceptible to artificial lures, and offering plenty of sport. The tournaments that Steve conducted mimicked ones in the United States. There were bass boats, professional and amateur divisions, tournament sponsors, and live weigh-ins. Before long, Kim was crossing the stage at her father’s events.

“Fishing in those tournaments exposed me to what fishing was like here in the United States. Around the same time, I started to read magazines and watch my dad’s videos on American bass fishing. I even remember watching videos of Rick Clunn. By the time I turned nineteen, I grabbed my backpacks and fishing rods, and flew over here to check it out.”

Her motivation to try competitive fishing was well supported by her parents. From a young girl begging to fish past sunset, to a teenager trying to prove herself among tournament veterans, Kim’s desire was obvious. Having made some U.S. contacts as a tournament director, Steve made a few phone calls and helped arrange Kim’s first overseas expeditions.

“I have always had a sense of adventure. I liked to catch different species, and tried to learn as much as I could about all different types of fishing. I knew from a very early age that a desk job probably wasn’t for me. I wanted to do something where I could be in the outdoors all the time and professional angling offered that. I also knew there was tremendous opportunity here. America is a country that is very supportive of outdoor professions and where your dreams are embraced.”

The West Coast Days

Kim started by flying to the United States for extended periods of time to fish regional team and Pro/Am events up and down the west coast. While on her piscatorial sabbaticals, she lived and breathed everything fishing. Although her early career was not one of great financial success, she usually earned enough to cover the cost of entry fees. For Kim, breaking-even was secondary to the experience gained. She viewed each tournament as an investment in her future. In 2000, she traveled to Soldier Field in Chicago to attend the Bassmaster Classic that she had heard about for so long, but had yet to experience.

“The first Classic I ever went to was the year when Woo Daves won. I remember walking into the arena and saying to myself, ‘Wow! I can’t believe all these people are here just to see guys weigh-in fish!’ There were brass bands playing music, tens of thousands of people walking around, and the anglers were treated like rock stars. I was like, ‘Oh yeah, this is it… This is where I want to be!’”

The Classic visit bolstered Kim’s ambition to become a professional angler. Over the next two years, she continued to trek to the U.S. west coast to fish. With an outgoing personality, she developed close friendships with several prominent west coast anglers such as Bob Adkinson in Washington and Mike O’Shea and Rich Tauber of California. Each angler provided a unique perspective on bass fishing and tournament strategy. Their insight helped to accelerate her learning and shaped her early career.

The Western Opens

By 2003, Kim felt that she had gained enough experience to enter the larger, higher-profile B.A.S.S. Western Open tournaments as an amateur. The decision would prove to be a fortuitous one.

“That gave me a tremendous start to my career because I was able to meet many great anglers, gain experience on different lakes, and learn the techniques that are used here in the U.S. It provided me with a starting platform for my career. Coming from a country that did not have largemouth, smallmouth or spotted bass, I had a lot to learn.”

As a rookie co-angler in the Western Opens, Kim became the first woman to qualify for the Open Championship. She followed that performance the next season with a second consecutive berth. The first two championships she participated in were held on Toledo Bend Reservoir and the Oauchita River, respectively. Both venues were unlike those found on the west coast and required specialized styles of fishing. Nevertheless, she enjoyed the challenge that the southern waters offered.

“Fishing the first couple of Open Championships gave me a little bit of experience down south. I wanted to know what other kinds of fisheries were around the country, and I hadn’t fished much in either the south or the east. So, I was pretty keen to check it out.”

From FLW to WBT

Kim’s ambition to further explore waters around the country led her to the FLW Tour in 2004. She fished as an FLW co-angler for three years. At the beginning of her rookie season, she met Andre Moore, a touring professional and tackle entrepreneur, through mutual friends. They became friends almost immediately and started spending time together at the various tour stops. Andre and Kim quickly fell in love, became engaged, and married a couple years thereafter.

In 2006, Kim decided to take on the professional side of the newly formed FLW Series while continuing with the co-angler side of the FLW Tour. Competing in different divisions of separate circuits was a greater challenge than she first expected.

“Fishing the FLW Series as a boater and the FLW Tour as a co-angler in the same year was difficult. It is a totally different change in strategy going from fishing the back of the boat to the front of the boat. So trying to do both in one year was definitely a challenge. That year, I wasn’t very successful at either part, and looking back on it, I would probably never do it again.”

A couple years later, Kim was fishing professionally on both the FLW Tour and FLW Series, and had two full seasons under her belt. She had become more comfortable with the roles and responsibilities of a touring professional. She continued with the FLW Tour in 2008, but added the B.A.S.S. Women’s Bassmaster Tour (WBT) to her schedule. Kim’s future success on the women’s trail was foreshadowed in her very first event with a win at Lewisville, Texas. That same season, B.A.S.S. allocated a new Bassmaster Classic qualification slot for the WBT Angler of the Year in an effort to further promote competitive fishing among women. With the season-opening victory, she took command of the Angler of the Year race and established herself as the front-runner for the coveted Classic berth.

At mid-season, a scheduling conflict between FLW and WBT required a commitment to a single tour. Kim had to choose. As the WBT points leader, she dropped the FLW Tour from her schedule. Although her decision was not an easy one, she rode the momentum of success in the WBT to a near-impeccable season. Kim finished 1^st, 4^th, 6^th, and 2^nd, won the Championship, and led the Angler of the Year race from wire to wire. Most importantly, she qualified for the 2009 Bassmaster Classic.

“It certainly worked out to be a good decision for me. It probably could have gone either way, but life is about following your dreams and taking chances. I have dreamt about the Classic ever since I was a little girl, so it would have been silly for me to not seize the opportunity and finish the WBT season.”

You Can’t Stop a River

Kim’s Bassmaster Classic qualification was the culmination of a decade’s worth of tireless dedication, intense focus, and exhaustive travel. While most aspiring anglers would view the effort required to compete professionally in a foreign country a nearly insurmountable challenge, Kim confronted it straight on.

“There will forever be challenges, but my dad told me to face those by always thinking of your dreams like a river. You can’t ever stop a river from flowing. It might take just a little different direction at times, but it’s always going to keep moving forward. That is how I approach my life. If I ever run into something that isn’t quite working out, I try to choose a different direction to keep moving forward. Everything has been pretty positive that way. I set myself goals and try to achieve them each year. By doing that, it has already helped me to accomplish one of my biggest goals and dreams which were to go to the Classic.”

Wolfmother, Woman

Kim prepared for the unique challenges of the Bassmaster Classic by focusing on tangible tasks. Although banquets, press interviews, and limited practice are ordinary distractions for Classic competitors, she maintained her competitive composure. When she waited backstage and her selected theme music “Woman” by Australian rock band Wolfmother started resonating through CenturyTel Center, it would be a different story.

“Nothing can prepare you for that moment when you drive into the arena and thousands of people are clapping their hands and cheering for you. I don’t get nervous very often, but I have to tell you that before I drove into that arena, I was absolutely petrified. You wait in this dark alley, they play your music, call your name, and you are brought out into these incredibly bright lights. It was by far the most special moment that I have had in my career. And having my mom and dad over here from Australia to witness that was pretty special.”

Kim’s Classic appearance was a milestone for a sport traditionally dominated by men. If it were not for the participation and commitment of the first female tournament anglers, however, the qualification slot may not have even existed. As a representative of both the WBT and those lady anglers that fished before her, Kim was humbled to be the Classic’s first female representative.

“I feel honored to follow the ladies that put in the hard work and paved the road for me to do this. I certainly have not faced the hardships to the degree of the other ladies. In the eight or nine years that I’ve been here, there have only been a few situations where a guy didn’t want to fish with me because I was female. But, it never was a big deal. In those cases, I just contacted the tournament director and re-partnered with someone else, went out fishing, and had a great day. It’s always been water off a duck’s back. There were a few grumbles from some guys at the Classic, but I know it is always going to be a little more difficult when you are the first to do something. Hopefully, it will be a little bit easier for whoever qualifies next year. And, hopefully the year after that, it will be easier for the next.”

Job Done

During practice for the Bassmaster Classic, the course of Kim’s journey became self evident when she observed a father fishing with his daughter from the banks of the Red River. That moment was not about being female or from another country. It was about being provided with the opportunity to fish as a child.

“When I came into one backwater area during practice, there was a little girl fishing with her dad. When I saw that, I thought to myself, ‘Wow – that was me 20 years ago!’ Her dad later came up to me at the Classic and said, ‘We saw you when we were fishing together the other day!’ I told him, ‘Right-On! Right-On for taking your daughter fishing!’ If my whole presence at the Classic meant that one dad sitting in the audience would consider, ‘You know what? The next time I go fishing, I am going to take my daughter.’ Then, it was all worth it. That was my job done. All I wanted to do when I went there was to encourage people to go fishing – at any level.”

Moving Forward

Kim intends to continue with the WBT in hopes of earning future invitations to the Bassmaster Classic. In addition, she enjoys the camaraderie and diversity in tour destinations that the WBT offers.

“I hadn’t participated in a ladies-only fishing circuit before last year. I had read about other trails like the Women’s Bass Fishing Association (WBFA) and Bass’N Gals, but I was still a little nervous about what it would be like to actually fish one. Once I started fishing the WBT, I really enjoyed myself. The ladies are really friendly, and it is a good time hanging out with women that have the same passion for the sport that I do. I also like that we fish different locations each year. That helps me to learn many different bodies of water, and it challenges me as an angler. And, I really like that.”

Further down the tournament trail of life, Kim’s greatest desire is to continue to share her passion for fishing with other anglers, women, youth, and possibly, children of her own.

“I’d like to have many more successful years on the WBT. Long term, I’d like to start a family. My mom and dad taught me to fish, so I look forward to those days where I can have kids of my own and teach them how to fish. I believe the greatest gift you can give is to teach kids to fish. It keeps the passion of the sport alive.”

Given the exposure that Kim has already generated for the sport, it is clear that she is well on her way to achieving that goal. And being married to a bait manufacturer should allow for many other, younger tackle boxes to be filled in the future.

Kim Bain-Moore

2003 – First season fishing the Bassmaster Western Opens, Non-Boater.

2003 – First woman to qualify for Bassmaster Open Championship.

2004 – Qualified for second Bassmaster Open Championship.

2004 – First season fishing the FLW Tour as Co-Angler.

2005 – Wal-Mart FLW Tour, 6^th Place Season Rank, Co-Angler.

2005 – Wal-Mart FLW Tour Championship, 12^th Place, Co-Angler.

2006 – First season fishing the FLW Series as Professional.

2007 – First season fishing the FLW Tour as Professional.

2008 – First season fishing the Women’s Bassmaster Tour.

2008 – Women’s Bassmaster Tour, 1^st Place, Lake Lewisville.

2008 – Women’s Bassmaster Tour Championship, 1^st Place, Lake Hamilton.

2008 – Won WBT Angler of the Year and qualified for Bassmaster Classic.

2009 – First woman to fish the Bassmaster Classic.

1 Top-10 and $19,000 in career FLW winnings.

6 Top-10′s and $140,000 in career B.A.S.S. winnings.

Excerpt from song titled, “Woman” by Australian rock band “Wolfmother”

“She’s a woman;
You know what I mean.
You better listen,
Listen to me.
She’s gonna set you free,
yeah, yeah, yeah.”

2008 Sunshine Showdown. Chris and Bobby Lane.

By Paul Strege

Every angler has a story… for Arnie, Bobby, and Chris Lane, theirs was written as a family. The three brothers from Lakeland, Florida grew up chasing behemoth bass in the hallowed waters of Rodman Reservoir in Ocala. Fishing back then was considerably different than now – it largely consisted of tossing a Devil’s Horse between patches of Kissimmee grass.

Weekend Rituals

For the Lanes, it was the regular weekend trips to Rodman that first infected them with the bass fishing fever they are inflicted with today.

Bobby recalls, “Our dad started us fishing when we were five or six years old. We used to drive an old, beat-up motor home 150 miles every single weekend to Ocala before we started fishing Lake Kissimmee much. My granddad had some property there. He took us out in his Hurst fiberglass bass boat with a 75-horse Evinrude. It had an old, 24-volt Evinrude trolling motor up front. Back then, my dad would have a rope tied to each of us when we were in the boat, so that in case one of us would fall overboard, it would be easy to pull us back in.”

Those trips would evolve into a regular weekend ritual. Rodman Reservoir was later replaced by Lake Kissimmee as their weekend destination, and the Lane family acquired a cabin on the water. Their grandfather eventually purchased the cabin, and lived there four days a week. Those trips etched into their character the ever-present appreciation for the outdoors that they carry today.

Bobby recounts, “We really enjoyed the outdoors and could not get enough of it. There was never a time when somebody would call and ask – ‘Hey, do you want to go bass fishing?’ – when I would turn them down. I always found time to go fishing. Even today, I try to fish as much as I can. My wife still gets on my case when I am in town for two weeks and I go fishing for three or four of those days. Fishing is something that we’ve all grown to love. And I know speaking personally that ever since I caught my first bass, I could never get enough of it. Every day that I can, I enjoy bass fishing, whether I am catching them or not. When my grandfather was alive, he really gave us an appreciation of the outdoors. That was my grass roots start right there.”

Chris believes it was an insatiable appetite for fishing, and time on the water that created the building blocks for their bass fishing education.

“We fished just about every chance we had. We used to wake up our mom, with the station wagon packed and ready to go, and have her take us down to the pond. And when we’d go to Granddad’s fish camp, he had everything all set to go. That is just what we did and loved to do. I can honestly say my very first love was bass fishing.”

Granddad Lane tossed one lure exclusively, a Devil’s Horse, so the Lane brothers experimented with tossing plastic worms and flipping other lures to become more versatile. They were not allowed to use live bait as other local fishermen regularly utilized. Although they were not necessarily competitive with each other, it was the drive to catch bass in greater numbers and of a heavier size that provided the motivation to learn new and different techniques. Soon thereafter, they turned to tournaments to feed their competitive craving.

Sizing up the Competition

The Lane family, Arnie, Bobby, Chris, their father, and grandfather, started fishing local team tournaments all at the same time. They assembled teams in two separate boats, with their father and grandfather leading the respective duos. The three Lane brothers were 8 to 10 years of age at the time. By the ages of 15 and 16, they were competing in, and winning, local team tournaments on their own.

Chris recollects, “I can remember when I first started fishing team tournaments with Bobby. Everybody had these big, high-powered bass boats, and we would be out there in our little jon boat winning tournaments.”

Chris was the first to enter a Pro-Am style event when he registered for a Wal-Mart Bass Fishing League (BFL) tournament in 2000. Bobby would follow his brother’s lead in 2002. The brothers reaped the rewards of their South Florida experience with several BFL Regional qualifications. It was Chris’ initiative and encouragement that motivated the other Lane brothers to enter the Pro-Am tournaments of which they were previously unaccustomed.

“We fished team tournaments until the age of 21. That was when I fished my first BFL tournament as a co-angler. I told Bobby and Arnie, ‘Man, you have got to enter this stuff! It can happen! This is our shot!’”

Chris‘ Climb

Although he was the youngest, Chris was the first to attempt to qualify for a national tour. For three consecutive years, starting in 2003, he fished the Bassmaster Opens. While he made the Open Championship perennially, he fell short just short of qualifying for the tour. In 2005, however, he finally achieved his goal.

The 2006 season started out with a bang for Chris. He cranked his favorite Gambler Cane Toad to victory at the first Bassmaster Southern Open event on Lake Okeechobee. The victory was notable for two reasons: it was his first Bassmaster or FLW win, and prior to the start of the tournament, he gave his official two week notice to his employer. Chris had fully committed to fishing professionally full-time. Chris still remembers what it was like competing on tour the first time.

“I will never forget my first Elite Series tournament on Lake Amistad. I was backing down the ramp with my boat, and here comes Kevin VanDam and Denny Brauer backing down next to me. I was sitting there in disbelief, about ready to fall over! I remember asking myself, ‘Am I supposed to beat these guys?’ It was surreal.”

After the initial intimidation of competing against bass fishing’s icons had subsided, Chris settled into a more relaxed mindset and concentrated on the fishing.

“After that first year, I said, ‘I can always have the utmost respect for these guys, but I need to beat them. I have to be better than they are if I am going to stay here.’ I became good friends with many of them and learned a lot. The main thing I learned was to stay focused, go out there, and be the best that I could be.”

2008 Sunshine Showdown. Chris Lane.

Later that season, Chris narrowly missed earning his first tour-level victory. For the first three days of the Bassmaster Elite Series Champion’s Choice event, Chris combed the Missisquoi Bay area of Lake Champlain for the lead. Prior to the fourth and final day, however, it was determined that Chris had been fishing in a wildlife sanctuary and was not allowed to re-enter his hot spot. He avoided disqualification because he had specifically questioned the tournament director about the area, and was told that it was not off-limits. Had it not been for the last minute rules change, Chris may have cranked his Cane Toad to another victory that year.

Since the breakout season of 2006, Chris has become a consistent tour-level fisherman. His year-end standing has steadily improved with each passing season, and he qualified for his first Bassmaster Classic in 2008.

Bobby’s Breakout

In contrast to Chris’ steady climb up the ranks, Bobby immediately turned the heads of veteran anglers by qualifying for the FLW tour in just two short seasons at the EverStart / BFL level. Of note, he qualified for the BFL All-American in his first season of participation, where he finished third. Bobby believes the second tournament that year really jump-started his career.

“I finished second by five or six ounces, but felt like I had a shot [to win]. I went through the rest of that year, qualified for the regional, and then qualified for the All-American. And, I ended up doing it two years in a row. That set me up to fish the EverStart Series. It just went wide open from there.”

“Wide open” is just the phrase to describe how fast Bobby chased his angling career. In year two, Bobby fished both the BFL and the EverStart series. He qualified for the EverStart Championship, where he placed eleventh, and his second All-American, where he placed 22^nd. More importantly, he qualified for the FLW Tour through the EverStart Series.

Bobby instantly made waves on the FLW Tour by taking command of the Rookie of the Year race from the onset of the season. After the water settled, Bobby had made the final round cuts in his first three events: Lake Okeechobee, Lake Toho, and the Ouachita River, and ended the season as FLW’s top-ranked rookie.

Bobby fished the FLW Tour until 2007, the year that he qualified for the Bassmaster Elite Series through the Opens.

Bobby notes why he switched tours, “I fished the FLW tour for three years, but wanted to see what was on the other side. So, I started fishing the B.A.S.S. Southern Opens in 2007. That year I qualified for the Elite Series and the Bassmaster Classic. That is what set me up for 2008.”

Bobby mirrored the fast start of his first tour year, when the 2008 Bassmaster Elite Series swung through Florida. At the Harris Chain, he finished third overall, one place ahead of his brother, Chris. Then at the Kissimmee Chain, he placed fourth. The Florida jumpstart carried Bobby through to the end of the season as the Advanced Auto Parts Rookie of the Year.

“This year when I signed up for the Elite Series, Rookie of the Year was definitely one of my goals. It was kind of a new thing, and I kind of went wide open after it. I didn’t know a whole lot of people on the Elites, so I was focused on fishing more of my own style, and I didn’t have a whole lot of people telling me things. I think the more that you listen to the dock talk, the more that it knocks your head out of the game. My confidence skyrockets when I arrive at a lake that I like or a place where I can fish my own style. The Elites had a little more of that to offer this past year, and that was one of the reasons I made the switch.”

Arnie’s Aspiration

Although Chris and Bobby are current touring professionals, the eldest of the three Lane brothers is a talented fisherman in his own right. Primarily fishing the BFL and Stren Series since 2002, Arnie has amassed $30,000-plus in his career. Just this past season, he finished eighth overall in the Stren Southeastern Division and qualified for the championship. In 2005, he became the second Lane to qualify for the All-American. Arnie intends to fish the Bassmaster Southern Opens in hopes of joining his two younger brothers on the Elite Series tournament trail. Up until recently, his desire to compete at a professional level has been pursued more casually than that of his brothers.

2005 BFL All-American. Arnie and Bobby Lane.

Sibling Rivalry?

The brotherly bond that Chris, Bobby, and Arnie share defies the stereotypical sibling rivalry. In the ultra-competitive sport of tournament bass fishing, they have continually supported each other from the very beginning. Fishing on the same tour in 2008 allowed Chris and Bobby to share general patterns and tournament strategy. Those efforts provided a base level of consistency from tournament to tournament.

Bobby notes, “We’re brothers, not enemies. We want success for everybody. Chris has three kids and a wife, and I have two kids and a wife. We strive for a happy family and we’ve taken on this fishing career in hopes that it benefits us all in the long run. If he’s struggling in a tournament and I can help him get a check, then I am more than happy to do so, and vice versa.”

Chris echoes his brother’s feelings, “We help each other in terms of trying to figure out what the fish are doing, but really we don’t share spots unless it is big enough to last for a couple of days. We fish alike as it is, and we would end up hurting each other if we didn’t try to figure out different spots. You always wish the best for your brothers. You go out there and do the best that you can. If you are winning, you hope that they do well behind you. If you are behind and they are in contention to win, you hope that they can pull it off.”

Their cooperation paid big dividends last year when Chris and Bobby qualified for the Bassmaster Classic. It was the first time in B.A.S.S. history that two brothers fished the same Classic.

The Sales Side of Fishing

Chris’ full-time job prior to fishing professionally was in sales. The company that he worked for was also a Lane family venture. Their business serviced and sold wheels for amusement park roller coasters. Brothers Chris and Arnie worked as sales representatives for their father, who owned the company. In his position, Chris was often required to make cold calls, arrange meetings, and perform other sales-related duties. That experience was both beneficial and applicable to the “sales side” of fishing, according to Chris.

“I worked in sales for 13 years, which turned out to be similar to the business side of bass fishing. You have to be out there selling, creating relationships, and the whole nine yards. In fishing, you have to sell yourself and sell for your sponsors. It is sometimes a challenge, but it is something you have to do to be successful.”

Unlike Chris, Bobby did not have a sales background to help him in working with sponsors on tour. He was the sole owner of a landscape company prior to fishing professionally. As a result, the transition to fishing was somewhat of an adjustment.

“Being from Polk County, Florida, I was a half-redneck kind of guy. I used to throw a shirt and pair of shorts on, and just go fishing. And then when I started working with sponsors, I had to consider them instead of just myself. I had to be presentable. That really wasn’t my style four or five years ago. Since then, I’ve worked on building relationships and speaking on stage. I also learned that if you have a bad day, you don’t let anybody know about it. You keep that to yourself because nobody wants to hear it. My wife was a huge help with all of it when I first started working with sponsors.”

Now, the Lanes have tremendous sponsorship support. Chris recently inked a multiyear deal with Power Pole, and will be driving a wrapped boat for them in 2009. In addition, Chris has worked with companies such as Gambler Lures, where he has been involved with the development of innovative products, including their new “Double Trouble” toad hook.

Bobby landed his first title sponsor, Spiderwire, in 2005. That sponsorship eventually expanded to include other Berkley products, and will carry through this upcoming season.

Three on Stage?

With remarkable success already attained, the Lanes hope to realize even loftier goals in the future. All the Lane brothers believe that their best opportunity lies along the Bassmaster Elite Series trail.

Chris explains, “This will be my fourth year. My goal is to stay a professional fisherman for the rest of my life. I’d like to win Angler of the Year and the Bassmaster Classic. That is what I would consider being the ultimate goal of mine. I’ve fished both sides, and I think for where we want to go in fishing as a family, the Elites are what we need to do.”

Bobby believes that the flexibility he has in promoting his sponsors is the primary reason he will continue to fish with B.A.S.S.

“I have developed great relationships working with both FLW and B.A.S.S. I think it comes down to seeking sponsorship on your own. If you have a couple of really good years, you want to be rewarded for it. FLW really didn’t offer that in my situation. In the same respect, it is totally up to you to make sure you don’t lose a sponsor.”

If there is one thing that the Lane brothers have proven in the past, it is that they will achieve what they set out to do. With Arnie fishing the Southern Opens in 2009, there is a very real possibility that bass fishing followers will soon be seeing three Lane brothers on stage. And somewhere, looking down from above, a very proud Granddad is smiling, with fishing rod in hand and a Devil’s Horse tied on.

Lane Brother Achievements:

Chris Lane

2001 – First season fishing the BFL. Qualified for BFL Regionals.

2002 – Fished the EverStart Series and qualified for the Championship.

2003 – Entered Bassmaster Opens and qualified for the Championship.

2005 – Won BFL Seminole Division Points Title. Qualified for Bassmaster Elite Series.

2006 – Bassmaster Southern Open – Okeechobee First Place.

2007 – Bassmaster Elite Series, 2^nd Place, Clarks Hill.

2008 – Bassmaster Classic Qualifier

6 Top-10′s and $22,000 in career FLW winnings.

10 Top-10′s and $370,000 in career B.A.S.S. winnings.

Bobby Lane

2002 – First season fishing the BFL. Qualified for All-American.

2003 – Qualified for All-American and finished in 3^rd Place.

2004 – Fished EverStart Series and Qualified for FLW Tour.

2005 – Won FLW Rookie of the Year. Made 3 Final-Round cuts. Sold his landscape company.

2007 – Won the Stren Series on the Potomac River. Qualified for the Elite Series through the Southern Opens.

2008 – Finished 4^th in Bassmasters Classic and won B.A.S.S. Advance Auto Parts Rookie of the Year title.

21 Top-10′s and $327,000 in career FLW winnings.

8 Top-10′s and $213,000 in career B.A.S.S. winnings.

Arnie Lane

2002 – First season fishing the BFL.

2004 – Qualified for BFL Regional and All-American.

2006 – Fished the Stren Series and qualified for the Championship.

2008 – Finished 8^th in Stren Series Southeastern Division.

5 Top-10s and $30,400 in career FLW winnings.

By Paul Strege

“2006 FLW Tour Angler of the Year. (Photo courtesy of FLW Outdoors.)”

Every Angler has a story… for Folger’s Pro Anthony Gagliardi, it started with “just one more season”.

Fishing, competition and travel have been a part of Anthony’s life since his youth. As a son of a salesman, the self-motivation and drive required to make a living was inherent. When Anthony’s father was required to make sales calls, the family would often travel together. His father also set aside ample time to fish with Anthony when not on the road.

Where’s Your Bag?

Anthony was raised in Gaffney, South Carolina, within an hour drive of Lake Wylie. In addition, the Gagliardi family spent many weekends on nearby Lake Murray. The two recreation destinations were ideal venues for learning how to fish and were loaded with bass. By the age of twelve, Anthony had entered his first tournament.

Anthony recalls, “It was a father – son tournament, and we didn’t do too good. I think we caught one fish. When we got into the weigh-in, my dad parked the boat, and we tried to figure out what to do next. I didn’t know what a tournament bag was at the time, so I just grabbed the fish out of the livewell and carried it up to the scale. I got a lot of strange looks from the other competitors. That whole experience was pretty embarrassing to say the least, but I did catch one fish in my first tournament.”

Prepared with a weigh-in bag the following season, Gagliardi entered several more tournaments with a group of neighborhood anglers.

“Our neighborhood was like a community of bass fisherman. It wasn’t organized or affiliated like the Federation. It was just a group of friends that got together to fish. I ended up spending a lot of time with one fisherman who was pretty successful in the Red Man tournaments. That’s where I really started to learn how to bass fish. Instead of just going out on a lake and fishing all over, I learned how to pattern fish. We ended up fishing some team tournaments and made some money. That is when my tournament fishing really started to take off.”

Engineering a Career

Although Anthony found some success at the local level, he was not mentally comfortable with jumping into a full-time fishing career. While his father supported his fishing, he also reinforced the importance of earning a college degree.

“A lot of guys say that they knew from the start that they wanted to be a Bass Pro and that it was destiny. But I wasn’t like that. I’ve always wanted to feel secure with what the future holds. I knew what a long-shot professional fishing was. I saw it on television. Realistically, you don’t know if you’re good enough to compete at the highest level. On top of that, there are so many variables that you don’t know if you will be successful or not. That’s why I decided to go to college.”

Outside of fishing, Anthony’s interest was in mechanical engineering. He chose a degree program he could be successful at and one that provided a stable career upon graduation. Throughout college he was hopeful that if his aspirations to become a professional fisherman failed to materialize, he could land a position as an engineer in the marine industry. By 2000, he had earned his degree and was prepared to try fishing on the FLW Tour.

In his first season fishing as a co-angler in the FLW, Anthony quickly became a student of the game. He learned the lakes, lifestyles and strategies of the professional tour. In addition, he picked-up on many of the intangibles: the subtleties of adapting to changing conditions, patterning tournament-winning creels of bass, and the versatility required to be consistent on all types of water. That same year, as a boater on the Wal-Mart Bass Fishing League trail, he won his first “big” tournament on Lake Wateree. He would continue as an FLW co-angler for the next two years until he felt prepared to run his own boat in competition.

“Anthony Gagliardi: Clemson Tigers Fan and BFL Victor. 2001. (Photo courtesy of FLW Outdoors.)”

Just One More Season

Anthony approached his rookie year as an FLW Pro with cautious optimism. That mindset translated into a 57^th Place finish and a check worth $1800 in his very first event. Although he followed that tournament with two other money finishes, he still was not “in the black” of his tournament ledger. And with a bottom-half finish in his third event, he became more disheartened.

“That’s when I started wondering, ‘I come down here, spend all the money, and don’t come back with anything. How can I do this?’ I also started questioning if I could really compete with the guys on tour. When I had two bad tournaments that year, it really bothered me – much more so than it even does now.”

Anthony’s father traveled and practiced with him his first years on the tour, and prevented Anthony from dwelling on the low performances. His father encouraged him to put the previous tournaments in the past and move on to the next. That outlook allowed Anthony to get through the season-lows, cover the majority of his expenses, and provided enough incentive to fish “just one more season”.

Questions Answered

After his rookie season, Anthony started each successive year with renewed hopes of a breakthrough performance. In 2003, the stage was finally set with a 76^th Place finish on Kentucky Lake. He had great success with deep water cranking and off shore fishing during practice, but missed several opportunities in the tournament.

“Even though I did not have a great tournament, I still went home with a feeling that I had really ‘learned something’ about the lake. I caught a bunch of fish, but did not land any of the big fish that I had on in that tournament. I left knowing that we were returning the next year, and that if I would apply what I learned, I might have a shot at winning. I just had that feeling.”

The next season, Anthony built upon his previous practice experience. By the start of the tournament, he was confident of a good finish. The first three days of the tournament, however, would test his mental resolve. In lieu of 20-pound creels, he averaged around 15 pounds per day. The consistency, however, maintained his top-five standing going into the last day, with an outside shot of winning.

“I guess you can say that I saw a sign that final day. On my fourth or fifth cast in the morning, I caught two fish on the same crankbait. Only one was a keeper, but it was a pretty good one. I kicked a marker buoy over the side and fished there the rest of the day. I had been fishing a ledge pattern the previous days where I would catch one here or one there, but it would always take me some time to find the school. On the final day, though, I found the school right away. Every one of my fish that I weighed-in came off of that small ledge spot.”

The next few weeks following the victory were a relief for Anthony. The pressure was off. His career path was secure. He could finally trade-in his scientific calculator for an electronic culling system.

“I no longer had to make those tough decisions year after year. Was I going to go to work? Was I going to try and fish again? All those questions were answered. I knew that I was going to fish and there was no question about it. Everything was clear from that point forward.”

Sponsorship and Patience

While the Kentucky Lake brought with it the accolades of a victory, Anthony notes that the sponsors did not immediately start knocking on his door. As it would turn out, lingering sponsorship interest would allow him to align only with those companies he believed in, as positions became available. It was not until 2006, two years after his first victory that he inked a deal with the Folgers’ Fishing Team.

“The way it worked out, winning that tournament before I really had any big sponsors allowed me to take the process a little slower and not rush into just any deal.”

Later that year, Anthony joined forces with other prominent tour professionals to create TABU (Tournament Approved By Us) Tackle. The company is in its infancy, but shares Anthony’s patient demeanor with lure development – a natural fit for the Prosperity, South Carolina Pro.

“Being associated with a tackle company like TABU is really special. To be a part of a company from when it starts and to contribute to its growth is an opportunity that very few anglers get. It is really neat to be involved with every detail from the preliminary lure designs to the final packaging.”

The Longest Tournament

Anthony’s patience was also evident in his Angler of the Year run in 2006. The tour that year was slated to stop at two venues of his liking: Lake Murray and Kentucky Lake. He took advantage of the opportunity early in the season with a victory on his home waters of Lake Murray. From that point forward, he led the Angler of the Year race. Anthony likened the season to one long, continuous tournament with both highs and lows. Ironically, the low point of the season would occur at Kentucky Lake. After an eight-pound first day, Anthony found himself in a seemingly insurmountable deficit at 148^th Place.

“That was the day I thought I lost the title. I was so far down in the standings, I figured that I just blew it right there. But the second day, I went out and caught over 19 pounds. That was just an incredible feeling to have a big comeback like that. I think it just made me focus that much more in the following tournaments that season.”

“The Sack that Saved the Season. 2006 FLW Tour, Kentucky Lake. (Photo courtesy of FLW Outdoors.)”

Anthony’s reversal of fortunes catapulted him to 27^th place and propelled him the FLW Angler of the Year title. With two tour-level victories and an Angler of the Year title to his credit, his transformation from average Joe to accomplished Pro was now complete.

So, what is next for Anthony Gagliardi? He’s eying the Forest Wood Cup. In the last four years, he has accumulated a remarkable four Top-10s in the most lucrative championship in professional fishing. And with the patience of a meticulous engineer, it is well within his reach.

By Paul Strege

Every angler has a story… for Kelly Jordon, it is one of destiny.

Just over ten years ago, a passionate young angler named Kelly Jordon began developing his natural bass fishing talents on one of the country’s most famous impoundments, Lake Fork in northeast Texas. Unbeknown to Jordon, the lake’s abundance of pot-bellied bass would later define his angling persona. No other angler in the last decade has amassed the number of big-bass awards than Jordon. Add to that five tour-level victories, 1.3 million dollars-plus in tournament winnings, and it is clear that his ability to find the largest bass in a system is unrivaled. So, the question remains, “How could this destined Pro ever been an average Joe?”

A Natural Progression

Kelly Jordon’s taste for bass fishing initiated on the banks of a small Texas creek meandering through his parent’s backyard. Although the creek was small, it provided the fundamental curriculum for learning bass behavior. The Jordon family did not fish regularly; however, they supported his enthusiasm for the outdoors. That support served as a catalyst for a successful guiding business and professional angling career. While some angler’s ambitions to make a living from fishing are met with skepticism, his were continuously supported.

Jordon recollects, “I never openly said that I was going to pursue a career in bass fishing. I just said that I would love to try it someday. At the time, my dad could have bought me a bass boat, but instead told me I had to buy it on my own.” That discussion provided calming reassurance and instilled patience in Jordon. He continued to dedicate himself to fishing and soon thereafter entered competitions.

Jordon first began dabbling with fishing tournaments in 1993. While contending, he met a fellow competitor that would later turn compatriot, in a weigh-in line. At the time Jordon was going to school in Dallas and learned that the other contestant was from the same area. The two went separate ways until they reunited by mere coincidence at a boat dealer a few weeks later.

Jordon recalls, “He came in the door and we got to talking. He asked if I was interested in fishing a tournament the upcoming weekend, and I said, ‘Yeah, why not?!’ And that’s how we started our team career, and we remain great friends to this day.”

The duo rode the fast-track to success by sharing an equal passion for the sport and a powerful desire to win. Preparation for tournaments consisted of both partners practicing in separate boats, with Jordon in his parent’s fish-n-ski, to cover more water. That formula would lead their team to victory and a new boat in the Angler’s Choice championship their first year. Jordon’s tournament partner knew of his aspirations to turn professional and unselfishly granted him sole use of the boat until they decided to sell it. Jordon made the most of the opportunity with a runner-up performance and a second prize boat in the Angler’s Choice Pro/Am the following spring. It was that finish that officially catapulted him out of his parent’s fish-n-ski and into self-sufficiency.

With a new 17-foot, 10-inch Skeeter in tow, Jordon decided to start guiding on Lake Fork in 1995. His guiding business would provide a perfect venue for gaining invaluable experience with big bass behavior over the next 7 years.

The Stomping Grounds

To this day, Jordon recognizes the opportunity guiding on Lake Fork provided, “In my opinion, Lake Fork is the greatest lake in the world; there is no place like it. There are just tons of fish in the 4- to 7-pound range. Not all lakes have the numbers of good fish like that, so it is tough to learn the behavior of big bass anywhere else. It has so many different kinds of ways you can catch them. It has grass flats, main lake humps, stump fields, clear water and dirty water. You can do whatever you want out there. I don’t want to say that guiding out there was easy all the time, because it wasn’t. But, at least one of the guys in my boat would often catch the biggest bass of their life and that was always fun.”

The enjoyment of catching and seeing others catch Fork’s big bass would accelerate Jordon along the tournament learning curve, and not too long after starting his business, he would officially turn Pro. In 1998, Jordon would qualify for the FLW Tour by finishing 11^th for the season in the EverStart Central Division. By 2000, he qualified for the B.A.S.S. Top 150′s and would be visiting the country’s best bass waters as a two-tour professional.

Born with a Silver Spoon

More recently, Jordon has created a buzz on fishing message boards across the country by revealing a closely-guarded technique originating from his Lake Fork days. On the popular Ultimate Match Fishing television show, he showcased a special silver spoon designed by his good friend and Lake Fork neighbor, Joe Spaits. The Kentucky Lake episode unfolded with a plot of fishing folklore. Jordon caught a fish on virtually every cast and accumulated close to 20 pounds in less than 15 minutes. His partner could only stand on the back deck in disbelief. Nearly overnight, the Ultimate Match Fishing episode launched Joe’s Spoon into tackle superstardom.

Jordon believes, “Most people have been using spoons as a winter technique over the years, but guys like Joe have known about how great it can be at other times of the year. Other anglers are just missing out. That spoon has been a secret deal of mine for quite a while, and I let the cat out of the bag because I thought I could win with it.”

Although he did not win the season, he won the match and reinforced his identity as a big bass aficionado. Jordon and Spaits anticipate releasing the spoon with the help of Kelly’s own company, Tabu Tackle, sometime this summer. All the components from the split rings to the dressed treble to the spoon itself will be Joe’s original design. If the spoon proves half as popular with anglers as the largemouth, then Joe’s Spoon is destined to become a mainstay in every fisherman’s tackle box.

Do You ‘Got It’?

Although Jordon makes the task appear straightforward, he advises anglers not to step to the next rung in the tournament ladder prematurely.

“For me I have always been ahead on the tournament winnings to entry fee ratio, so that was a very encouraging sign for me that I could be successful. So many times you hear that you can’t make it on just tournament winnings – I believe that is a bunch of hogwash. I don’t want to come across as overly confident, but when you can support yourself on winnings, you know you belong at that level. Guys that can do that and keep advancing to the next level are the ones that ‘Got It’ and will stay. I believe that if you are not a big name at home, you will be hard-pressed to make a big splash on tour.”

As Jordon also identifies, there are many anglers at the local level who can make it on tour, but choose not too for various reasons. “I know some guys that make really good money fishing local and regional tournaments. Take, for example, Jeff Coble, who has made three classics through the amateur ranks; that is simply amazing. Guys like him can earn a lot of money and have the benefit of staying at home. And yet they could make it on tour if they wanted to.”

When an angler believes they are in a position to make the transition from Joe to Pro, Jordon suggests they look beyond the tournament statistics. He recounts, “For me, I knew I was ready for three reasons: 1.) I thought I could do it, and that’s the necessary confidence. 2.) It was my lifelong dream, so I believed in it. 3.) I was passionate about the sport of bass fishing which allowed me to give 110 percent all the time. Above all, with bass fishing, you have to eat it, sleep it, and breathe it all the time.”

And living by those basic principles propelled Kelly Jordon from average Joe to destined Pro… not a bad career choice for a one-time fish-n-ski angler!