Kelly Jordon: Joe to Pro

Kelly Jordon: Joe to Pro

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!