Ever wonder what it's like in the mind of one the hottest anglers on the Elite Series? Greg Vinson was kind enough to tell me about The 2012 Bassmaster Classic, his fastball, and being ready to go to war...
Who introduced you to the sport of fishing?
My dad certainly had the strongest influence. He was a hard-core federation angler when I was growing up. I grew up on the lake too; me and the other kids in the area fished a lot for fun.
Does fishing competitively change it for you in terms of being able to just go out and fish for a few hours with your buddies or is it still relaxing for you in the ways that it is for most people who enjoy just sitting on a bank in a lawn chair with a coffee?
I absolutely enjoy fishing for fun, even for bass. Tournament fishing and fun fishing are two different mental places for me. But, I fish hard when I fun fish. I still want to catch as many, and as big a fish possible. It's my competitive nature coming out. The challenge is what makes it fun.
What is your favorite technique, and who do you turn to or watch for tips or pointers?
I really enjoy shallow-water power fishing, especially when they're biting a jig or soft plastic. There's something special about the challenge of making accurate casts to visible targets that all too often become obstacles when a fish is hooked up.
Although I know I've learned a lot in the past 10 years or so, I will never quit learning new things that will help me catch more fish. For that reason, I am always willing to listen to any other anglers regardless of what level they fish at. Thinking you already know everything will get you beat because the sport is always evolving.
What's your favorite lake?
Guntersville.
What's your lease favorite lake?
Clarks Hill.
What do you have planned for 2013 both on and off the water?
I have my tournament schedule and practice schedule planned out. I want to make time to spend with Stephanie and Gaige otherwise. I'll be doing some filming for several people too along with some fun fishing. The calendar seems to fill up quick these days.
I remember watching The Classic last year and routing for you. What did you learn at The Classic in 2012 looking back at it almost a year later, are there choices you made then that you second guess now?
Missing the win in The Classic was without a doubt a heartbreaker. Most importantly because of what it would mean to me and my family over the course of a career. That being said, I'm very proud of my performance, my decision making, and my composure throughout the event. I've had a lot of time to think about what I might have done differently and I wouldn't change a thing. I was dialed-in and had the perfect area. It came down to who got that one big bite in the end.
If you weren't an angler, Greg Vinson would be a ____________. Why?
Realistically, I would probably be working for The State of Alabama monitoring the water quality of our lakes, rivers and streams as an Environmental Scientist. That's what I did before I went pro and it was a good job.
Ideally, I would be a pitcher in the major leagues...LOL!
Time for Five In The Box!
1. What's it like in your house on a Sunday morning when you're not fishing?
Most of the time I'm cooking a good breakfast and we're planning what we will do as a family that day.
2. Do you have any pretournament rituals or superstitions?
Not as much as I used to. I seem to lock-on to a particular hat or t-shirt during the course of practice that's giving me good vibes. When I have a bad day on the water I change to something different. It's a mental way of wiping the slate clean I guess.
3. If you had to guess where your best finish would be in 2013 where would it be, and where do you see yourself struggling the most?
The natural answer would be the Alabama River in Montgomery, AL; I live ten minutes from there. But I know how good the Elite guys are and sometimes being a local and work against you. I want to prepare for each tournament in a way that I can win on any given lake at any given time. That's what I did for The Red River in The Classic. I had never seen it before and I worked very hard to learn it well so I could choose my area based on the conditions and fishing pressure.
The Northern-most fisheries like The St. Lawrence are the scariest to me right now. Northern waters fish much differently than southern reservoirs and rivers. I hope I can turn that into a positive and work extra hard this year to improve my game in that area.
4. What's the one body of water you would fish in 2013 if you had your choice?
I would probably have said Falcon Lake whether we were fishing it for the Elites this year or not. It's been the hottest lake in the country for awhile now and I've never had the opportunity to fish it until I went there to pre-practice in November.
5. What's one thing that nobody knows about you?
I'm pretty laid back most of the time, but "when the lights are on" so to speak, I'm ready to go to war. I'm an intense competitor and some people miss laid back side because they see me in "tournament mode" most of the time.
Thanks for giving us a chance to see the laid back side. Good luck this year and thanks for your time.
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