Q and A from Extremebassanglerz.com

1. What has been the greatest accomplishment of your fishing career? Toss up between my first Tour win at Old Hickory in 2004 and Winning both AOY titles in the 2006. If I had to pick one, I’d say 2006 though.

2. Tell us a little bit about your preparation before a tournament, studying maps, etc… How much time do you prefish and what is your game plan while prefishing? I do a lot of study through old printed articles (Bassmaster, FLW Outdoors, Tournament Angler News) and on the internet. I usually devote a full day or two to searches on line. I mainly like to know what a good weight is on the particular lake for the time of year I will be there, where the best ramps are all over the lake, the best tackle shops, campgrounds, etc. Anything else I find is just a bonus. I usually begin looking at maps and the GPS after I arrive at the location. I’ve always pre-fished 4 days, so with the new official practice periods I’m right in my groove. I spend countless hours in the boat before and between practice days, just rigging and messing with stuff, that’s the best part for me, I love it!

As far as my game plan…I like to at least see everything that is within our tournament limits so I know everything the lake has to offer, cover and structure-wise. I usually run the entire lake on the first practice day after the morning is over. However, I really try to stick to seasonal patterns and focus on one area, or sometimes two where I know the event can be won, and simply try to learn it completely. I focus on not only finding the fish, but trying to find where they might go if something bad happens weather related, which always does. If I develop a pattern or two in a certain area, by running the entire lake I can have an idea where I need to go to expand on the fly, during the actual tournament, especially after making a cut.

3. How do you approach a lake/river that you have never fished before? (Same as above) The only other thing I can say here is that I try to compare the new place to somewhere I’ve done well before, usually a smaller lake around home. That alone can help your confidence.

4. Walk us through a normal day for you on the FLW Tour. Check out my website and go to the “Front Deck”. There’s a lot of video there that show things mostly pertaining to fishing. Other than that, I get up very early (before light) and sneak out so I don’t wake the family and generally come back after dark to eat dinner and play with the kids a little. I try to be in bed before 10 pm. I have a lot of “other stuff” I do too… like visit a Wal-Mart in every city we fish on the FLW Tour. Just go there and talk to people, sign autographs with a couple other pros for two hours in the evening. There’s always a photo shoot or video thing going on for a sponsor, or the up-coming TV show I have to do sometime during practice, and usually some other type of appearance mixed in there too during the week, it’s a hectic week. And then when I don’t make the cut I am always taking an FLW sponsor out fishing on Saturday and Sunday in the morning and working at the Family Fun Zone from noon until 4:00 pm. It’s the complete opposite of what you might think, the actual first two days of the tournament are the easiest, most free days or the whole week. Its hibernation time after one of those Tour events let me tell you.

5. I think at one time or another, every club tournament angler dreams of becoming a pro angler. What advice would you give a club angler that has dreams of becoming a professional angler? Live it, breathe it, and be a sponge and grasp that…anything is possible. I have to firmly suggest getting a strong education in something first. It can even be related to pro fishing in some manner…like business, or fisheries management. It’s just so hard to “break-in” and having a backup plan should be heavily considered early on or the stress can eat you up, especially if you have a wife and family to consider. And if you do “make it” fishing, having some business training will make you very attractive to sponsors and make the other side of pro bass fishing much easier on you. There is a ton of extra hard work in dealing with sponsors, promoting, and keeping up with everything that a lot of people don’t realize comes with the job. Some people actually “break in” and then decide it’s not worth it after all and go back to fishing locally and working a “normal” job. Pro bass fishing is a demanding occupation for sure.

Next, on the fishing side, you need a severe, burning desire and a knowing that it “will happen”. You need to listen more than you talk. Then you need to win frequently in your area, beat up on your buddies so often that they think you’re cheating. Sounds funny, but it’s true. Anyone can get lucky once in a while and win a big one, but the guys I know that are living the dream were really hot sticks back home on many different lakes. Another thing (assuming you are very serious) surround yourself with positive people and don’t let the negative doubting type of people get into your head. You may have to make some real changes in the friend department. If I’d listened to certain family members and friends 10 years ago, I’d still be a plastic inspector at Port Erie Plastics. I think deep down we all know our own limitations and what is possible and not possible for us, you’ll know.

6. What does it take to be a professional fisherman (financially, physically, mentally, etc…)? We see all the good stuff on TV, radio, and internet, about money anglers win, being sponsored, etc…But what are some of the more grueling things associated with being a professional angler that maybe the average angler or fan might not be aware of? Refer to answer # 4. Financially, you need quite a bit, especially with Fuel the way it is now. I had zero money when I started and good sponsors were and still are the key. I win a descent amount of money each year, but still could probably not survive and support my family without Kellogg’s and my other sponsors. It would be extremely tough at the very least.

Physically, it’s not pro football, but eating right, especially while in the boat, and staying busy and somewhat physically fit are an advantage for sure. By the end of a tournament week you can get quite sore and run down, also neck and back injuries are common in the sport. Mentally, if you’re weak…this is plainly not the job for you, period. You have to be a positive, look on the bright side kind of person or you will lose your mind and focus in a hurry. There’s a ton of pressure out here from several angles and being mentally strong is the most important asset you can have.

7. In directing a bass club, I often have anglers ask me about obtaining sponsorships. What advice would you give a club angler in terms of finding and securing sponsors? There’s so many different ways to look at this. One thing I did, was find the writers/photographers in my area and volunteer to help them in any way I could, via lure shots, generic fish shots, make yourself available for anything they may need. Exposure is what makes sponsors want to team up with you. You don’t necessarily have to be the best fisherman around, but the most visible. Obviously, to have both is a huge benefit. So contact writers and get some visibility first and some connections, or just win every tournament and smile pretty every time you hold the trophy. Also, setting the potential sponsor up with a few dealers could get you in too, at least with some free product, but you have to start somewhere. I was very active in trying to gather sponsors starting in 1994 and started getting my picture in magazine articles and winning big in 1991 and didn’t have a paying one until 2002. My over-all advice at the club level is to probably concentrate more on building a fish-catching reputation and focus more on how many fish you can put in your boat, and less on how many patches you can get on your shirt. If you build it, they will come.

8. What are the most common mistake/mistakes a weekend tournament angler makes in regards to fishing club tournaments and fishing in general? I don’t know the answer to that. People make mistakes at every level, but there’s also a winner at every level too. The guy, or girl who makes fewer mistakes will win on Tour or in the club. I think a big key is just worrying about yourself and how you can catch 5 good fish and don’t worry about everyone else and what they are doing and where they are fishing. Don’t get all caught up in all the flash and dock talk…focus! Practice makes you better, the more you fish the better you will get, just like any sport. Some people simply don’t have the time to be on the water as much…I wouldn’t call that a mistake, it’s just life, but time on the water is a must.

9. At every tournament, you hear “dock talk” and anglers telling their fishing stories. What are your thoughts on dock talk? Run! Do you honestly think the guy shooting off his mouth’s main concern is to offer you some advice that will help you (and the crowd around him) do better? I’m sure it’s just the opposite. I’ll say it again…RUN!!!!!

10. What are your thoughts on consistency in tournament fishing and how do you maintain your consistency? Consistency is very important to me. Consistently doing well on the FLW Tour the last few years simply means weighing in 5 fish every single day on the water. We fish a lot of tough places where 10 pounds is considered strong two days in a row. I really work hard to make sure I can at least catch a limit first. When I have a train wreck like at Toho, it really bothers me for a long time. I go the extra two miles to make sure everything is in perfect order and hooks are sharp as to not waste a single second during the actual tournament. All you can do is control the controllables, you have to trust in everything else to work the way it’s supposed to. I had an old timer once tell me…”Dave, if you can be consistent and just go out there and weigh in 10 pounds everyday you fish for the next 5 years, you will be a millionaire”, and he was right. I haven’t done that, sounds relatively easy, but it’s not!

11. Tell us about your tackle company, TABU Tackle? It’s a dream come true for sure. It is owned by me and some friends who all happen to be great fishermen, or known leaders in the tackle industry. Dan Davidson and Michael Murphy are both Fisheries and Aquatic Science graduates from Purdue University. They are the ones for the most part working behind the scenes handling the stuff we anglers know nothing about. Michael actually worked for Shakespeare and Spro and was the first person I contacted with the idea of starting a tackle company. Anthony, Kelly, Matt, Fred, and myself design and tweak the baits and promote the products, which are in our opinion the best on the market. I also design all the packaging for the baits. We’ve basically started a new breed of Tackle Company by being the actual pro fishermen who own it and make all the calls, no middle man. It is going great so far with the Open Water Series Jigs and Tiny Tim Swimbaits debuting at the recent Bassmasters Classic. We have several new products coming out this season as well. It’s by far the most exciting thing going on in my fishing career right now. When Tim May gets down to 117 pounds we will start paying him royalties on Tiny Tim sales. Please keep me posted on his progress, or digress…or whatever comes first.

12. Where do you see professional fishing in 10 years? I see it going through more changes than ever before, especially if the PAA ever takes off. I see perhaps the final top 6 or top 10 days being fished in NASCAR sized stadiums connected to huge tackle shopping centers, like Bass Pro Shops. It will not get to the level of the PGA or NASCAR until fans can sit down and watch it live with a drink and a hot dog! Otherwise, I still believe it will continue to grow as it has over the last few years with the help of more big non-endemic sponsors, and the healthy competition between FLW and BASS. Erwin Jacobs and FLW Outdoors has without a doubt raised the bar in our sport but it still has a long way to go. I’m excited about the future for sure.

13. How do you feel about the 2008 season (FLW Tour and FLW Series)? How well does the schedule fit your style of fishing? I like it because we are starting over. The Series looks better fit to my style than the Tour, and I like the fact that I got through Florida with a good finish. The rest of them are all good jig lakes, which I like. The Tour is going to be a little different for me this year because I already made the championship through the East/West Fish-off on Lake Amistad. The schedule over-all is not that great, especially with Beaver Lake attached to it, but I hope to win one this year and I am going to focus on getting bigger bites all year and play with those swimbaits a lot more. As of right now, I do not plan on fishing the Strens in 2008.

14. What is the greatest myth in regards to professional bass fishing? Probably, at least the first thing that comes to mind…Is that Florida is the greatest bass fishing in the world. I admit that it can be good and that any cast could be a giant, but it is absolutely over-rated, unless you have a guide or a bucket of shiners. It’s the last place I would go on vacation to catch bass. The second thing is the old saying “a bass is a bass is a bass. This is so far from the truth it just isn’t funny!

15. Do you think Tim May a.k.a. “fish doctor”, will be a threat on the professional level if and when he decides to turn pro? In absolutely no way, shape, or form will a man with a nickname derived from a 4 inch little plastic worm have any sort of impact on professional bass fishing. However; I, and many others involved in this sport often look for a good crisis counselor from time to time and if you could just answer your phone when it rings, you may just save a bass pro’s life someday.

Thanks Tim, this has been fun. I really enjoy helping others and also learning as much as I possibly can. That’s basically why I created my website. It is designed to help local and regional fishermen see what goes on behind the scenes at the Tour level and basically show you what it’s like on Tour, the good and the not so good. Check out the site and spread the word to your friends. Leave me your feedback and also if you have any ideas that you would like to see on the site, by all means let me know. I hope that something you see, or hear on the website helps you in some way throughout the fishing season, or maybe even in starting your own fishing career. We will also be interviewing many top pros in a segment called “Joe to Pro”. These articles fall right in line with some of the questions here and will give you an idea how some of these guys came from where you are to become full-time pros. Again, please leave you’re feedback and opinions and good luck to everyone this upcoming tournament season!-Dave