Record highs and lows from coast to coast having tremendous impact on bass fishing.

You may have read Dr. Jeff Masters’ recent blog post about Northern California experiencing one of the worst droughts on record.  Being that I live in NY and it has seemed for the past three years (I’m knocking on wood as I write this) like all it does is rain and/or snow here, it never occurred to me that something like this could be taking place so close.  When I reach out to Gary Dobyns and ask him about it, he is surprised that I haven’t heard.

“It’s bad, Jim.  Orville is 197 feet low right now.”

FLW Pro Casey Martin with two Florida GIANTS!

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Come see me at Bass Pro Shops, Harrisburg!

Post by Bass Pro Shops - Harrisburg, PA.

Casey Martin 5 In The Box: Redux! End of the year edition!

Casey Martin has just finished his rookie season fishing the FLW Tour Majors as a pro.  And while most guys would be home relaxing; he's in Canada trying to become even better.  Because he's hoping that this past year will be just the first of many for him as a pro.

We spoke in January right before Okeechobee.  I mentioned then that it was like you had a "golden horseshoe" somewhere, and you went out on day 1 and caught a HUGE bag of fish.  As the tournament went on and your lead shrank, you mentioned you were exhausted.  Was it more physically taxing on you than you expected it to be?

For sure there were things that I hadn't fully anticipated.  It was so different for me this year because at the end of the day I couldn't just load the boat up and go home.  There are people who want to talk to you after each day's weigh-in is over, and I was filming Circuit Breaker which required recaps and things like that, PLUS I was staying about 40 minutes away from the lake.  You add all that up, you eat, you retie and reorganize your gear and your boat, and pretty soon it's 10:30 or 11 o'clock at night and you have to get back up and do it all over again at 4 am.  

And it's not like The Big O is always flat calm either.

No, lol, not at all.  So your body is getting beaten up a little too.

So you leave there, you do ok for the next few events but you're not winning and/or placing in every event you fish either.  Is it hard on you?

It's a huge difference, being in the front of the boat.  You don't realize that it's really just one or two bites that's the difference between 15th or 115th.  This season I had some highs and lows.  It definitely is more mental than I thought.  When you're a co-angler your focus is really only what can you throw for bait, because that's really the only thing you have control of.  When you're in the front, then it's so much more than that.  It's bait, it's your area, your co-angler, the cameraman, should I stay, should I go, are these fish gonna turn on?  Not only that, but I made it a point to be self made in this sport, and paid all my entry fees out of pocket.  And it's a huge difference to pay $4,000 to enter a tournament.  It makes it that much more difficult to say "well at this point I'm just pot-committed to this spot", because you almost need to win $10,000 just to break even by the time you add gas, lodging, meals, and gear to your entry.

When I fished the Northern Open at the James River this year the cameraman followed me for over an hour.  In the beginning, I didn't like it because I hadn't caught anything real good yet and I felt like it added pressure.  Do you like having the camera around?

Yes and no.  I mean, they're following you.  Their trolling motor is running, their graph is running, you wonder if they're spooking fish, you feel like you wanna move but they want a shot first so you stay to try to get it, but you're mind is telling you to run.  It's tough.

I asked you in January "Where do you think you'll have your best finish this year", not only did you win at Chickamauga, you absolutely D-E-S-T-R-O-Y-E-D that tournament.  Your total weight was over 100 lbs, and you won by over 20, and you could've almost won a 4 day tournament in three days.  Did you know in practice that you were on fish that good?

No way, not even close.  I had, in fact my first spot actually when I rolled up on it the fish were gone.  There was one other guy there and I'm not really sure if he fished it out or not, but my other spot I was sharing with two other guys and I only fished it real briefly in practice, I caught one 5 pounder and left.  I had no idea that I was gonna be culling fish that big.  And actually, I lost a big one the last day or I would've had a really great day!

Are you kidding me?  You DID have a really great day!!!

(Laughing) Well, yeah, but you know what I mean.

The schedule for next year just came out, where are you most excited to go?

Kentucky Lake, or Pickwick.  They're both great fisheries.

Anyplace where you were less than thrilled to be going?

Hartwell.  I just don't have a lot of confidence with that body of water.

Anyplace you were hoping to have gone that didn't make it?

Guntersville.  I was really hoping to go there because it's one of my favorite places to fish now.

One thing that I think most people don't understand about this sport is that as hard as it is for our families to be at home while we're gone, it's really hard on us to be away for so long.  If there was an award for the most supportive wife/husband/girlfriend/boyfriend/family member, Lindsey (Casey's girlfriend) would have to be the odds-on favorite to win it year after year until they named it after her.  (Casey laughs a little when I say that).  I know myself and a lot of other people out there would acknowledge that having that kind of support is really incredible.

Absolutely!  She's been so patient and so wonderful, getting up, ya know, being ok with me being gone for long.  Right now I'm in Canada trying to get better at targeting fish in deep water while she's at home and she's always encouraging me and helps me stay positive.  And I gotta hand it to her because she's learned a lot in the last two years too, so it's not like she's just been around, ya know.  But you're right, she should win an award.  I'm really lucky to have her support.

My first FLW Everstart

I just got back from Smith Mountain Lake in Virginia where I competed as a co-angler in my first Everstart Series Event.  This was not only my first Everstart but also just my second FLW event (I competed in a BFL on The Thousand Islands last year) after having competed in B.A.S.S. for the past two years.  If you haven't competed in both, there are very distinct differences between the two, and I was not prepared for some of them!  Luckily between a little quick thinking and some helpful tips from some of the FLW staff I was able to get through the rules without a hitch, but had they not gone over the rules, I might have been at risk of disqualification.
In FLW co-anglers weigh their best 5 fish (it's 3 in B.A.S.S.), and as a co-angler you're expected to use some sort of culling system on every fish that goes in the livewell, as soon as you put it in the livewell.  I didn't know this going in to the event, and culling kits aren't something you find at local bait shops or even large department stores like Wal-Mart or Target.  I thought about it while I was driving away after the meeting and it occurred to me that I could use a lot of things:  clips, zip-ties, carabiners, safety pins, twist-ties, or what I ended up using:  large barrettes.  Clips are bulky, don't always stay on, and do a better job keeping my potato chip bags closed.  Zip-ties work great if you go through the mouth and gills, and don't involve penetrating any part of the bass's mouth, but they also require something sharp to cut them, and I try to avoid sharp objects when on a moving vessel.  That's also the reason why I avoid safety pins.  Carabiners and twist-ties are nice if you can find them for sale, though both will still require that the bass already have holes in their lips for you to use.   In the end, barrettes are sold everywhere, open and close easily without easily coming undone, and don't take up a lot of room in my bag.

The other big difference between the two is the lack of the imaginary line that's often drawn across the middle of the boat.  While both FLW and B.A.S.S. insist that pros fish from the front, and co's fish from the back, there's no rule in FLW that says one can't cast in front of the other.  This can be particularly problematic when targeting spawning fish.  Pros don't want the guy on the back of the boat throwing a one ounce jig blindly up to a big bedded female, and co's don't want to be stuck fishing in water where there really isn't an opportunity to catch fish for 45 minutes while their boater works that female.  So try to be considerate of each other.  Pros, if you're going to target spawning fish, try to have a certain amount of fish that you've marked for your co, or give him or her a certain amount of time to fish in open water where they really have an opportunity to catch prespawn fish.  Co-anglers aren't paying $400 to enter the tournament to net your fish and then contribute to your gas expenses.  Co-anglers, don't throw on a bedded fish unless your boater tells you it's ok.  Don't cast over his line unless you're told you can.  When they say "We're leaving" be ready to go fast!  They've spent a lot of money to enter that tournament, and it's important that you be respectful to them while on their boat.  Remember that you're only allowed 5 rods, 1 tackle bag, and one bag for bad weather clothing, and be sure that you're not late in the morning.
If you are going to fish off the back of the boat, you need to be versatile.  If you don't throw a spinnerbait, you need to ask yourself why not and start doing it.  It's one of the greatest baits made, and you can fish it in almost every situation.  It's something you need tied-on.  Pay attention to what your boater is doing.  If they're catching fish, try as best as you can to do the same thing with the same kind of bait.  If they're not you should probably throw something different until one of you develops some sort of pattern.  Use baits that you can fish quickly and effectively in all situations.  Swimbaits, wakebaits, chatterbaits, and some sort of top-water bait are also great tools.  If you notice in the picture below, the boater who won at Smith used 4 baits, and one of them was a spinnerbait.  If your boater is fishing docks you can fish a lot easier with baits you can work fast.  Trying to flip docks behind him or her is probably a waste of your time, and if you hit the dock all you're gonna do is upset your partner.  Instead, work the edges or the weed pockets nearby.  The co-angler at Smith used a drop-shot and a shaky head.  He got just 13 bites in the tournament, but he fished exceptionally clean and landed all 13 fish, giving him the title.  Most of the time if you can catch a limit every day you're going to be near the top.

No Glove, No Love!

The Rod Glove is where it's at!

There are a lot of hot new rod protection items on the market right now, and with so many choices it can be nearly as confusing as shopping for a new car.  Lucky for you I've done a little research and I can narrow the field with what I have personally found to be the best product, the shortest order processing and shipping time, with by FAR the best customer service:  The Rod Glove by VRX Fishing.  With a team that is friendly, fast, and accurate, you can depend on them to get your products to you fast and without mistakes, at prices that won't leave you feeling stranded on the water. 

That does NOT mean that they are short on selection.  The Rod Glove offers over 20 standard colors as well as the ability to make custom products to your liking.  What I also find appealing is that while they come in different sizes, the sizes are general, and don't tie you down like other manufacturers do.  Meaning I can buy the Shorty (5'6-6'6), Standard (6'6-7'6), or XL (7'6-+) Sizes, and easily use them to fit a multitude of sizes.

For guys who demand a little bit more protection there's the Pro Series Rod Glove which is made of high quality neoprene and offers the highest level of rod protection available in its class.  With a slightly sturdier shell, the Pro Series will give that added support and protection that you need in inclement weather.

While you’re at it don't forget to wrap-up your reels with The Reel Glove!  With 2 available sizes, small and large (Small - fits new style, small frame, LP baitcasting reels. i.e. Curado E200, E50, Lews, Quantum Smoke and EXO etc. and Large - fits older style, large-frame, LP baitcasting reels i.e. Shimano CU-200) the Reel Glove protects your expensive reels.  Durable, Easy to put on, quality made from 4-way stretch neoprene with all edges finished for long life.  It fastens to your rod and will not kink your fluorocarbon line.

And don't let yourself get confused any longer with which rod is which.  With the technique tags you'll have no doubt in your mind where your shaky head rod is when you need it fast!

Used my more Pros than any other brand and made in North America, I really cannot stress to you how great a product this really is!  VRX Fishing has a great line of products and you don't want to miss out on them!  Visit their website at www.therodglove.com to check out all of their great fishing products.  I personally guarantee you won't be disappointed!

5 In The Box with The 2013 Bassmaster Classic Champion Cliff Pace

How has your life changed since winning The Classic?

It really hasn't "changed", I mean it's busy, but I wouldn't say it's really changed at all.

Did you know it was going to be like this, that it would be as  busy as it is?

Yes absolutely.  If you win The Bassmaster Classic it's gonna be busy for you for a while.  But I enjoy it, people want to talk to you and it's been great it really has.

 

Did you think you had a shot to win it going in?  Did you have a great practice or great luck on that lake, or did it just kinda come together for you all at once?

I had a great practice so I thought I had a shot but you never know.  I thought what I was doing was the right thing to do but there's a lot that needs to go right, the fish have to be there when you need them so you can get the bites you need. 

 



How did you manage to get into fishing?  Was it something you did as a child with a family member or did you find it later via some other avenue?

Yeah I've always been into fishing.  I grew up doing it and always knew I wanted to make a career out of it.

Is it still relaxing if you're tournament fishing?

 

I love fishing no matter what.  Now I'm happier when I'm catching a lot of fish than I am when I'm catching just one but I still love fishing.

 

 



 

Is there anyone that you look to as a teacher or that you can turn to for advice, tips, help with new lakes or are you completely self-taught?

 

Nobody is 100% self-taught.  Everybody has people they meet along the way who give them tips or pointers or things of that nature but with the amount of information that is available today you can learn from just about anybody.  I never stop reading magazines or things on the internet.  Our sport is always changing and I think that's part of why I enjoy it so much.  You never know what's going to be the next Alabama Rig.

 

 

 

 What's your favorite technique?

 

I really don't have one.  But I prefer to fish for schools than for one or two bites up shallow in a bay.  It's harder to find schooling fish, but when you do find them you can usually find lots of them.

 

What's your favorite lake?

 

Louisiana Delta.

 

Least favorite?

 

Old Hickory.

Other than life as a Professional Angler, what is your "dream job"?

I don't know if I'd say it's my dream job but I'd be doing construction work, that's what I was doing before I began fishing full time as a pro.  I really enjoyed it and I still miss it.  I miss the interactions you get to have with the people.

 

 

 

Ok Cliff, time for five in the box!

 

 

 1.  What's it like on Sunday morning when you're not fishing?

Probably go to church, have some friends over, spend some time with my wife.  I'm always fishing, even in the off season.  We have such long off-limits on the Elite Series that anytime you have to prefish a place you need to take it.  I hunt a lot too so I might be doing a little hunting.  I love to bowhunt.

2.  Do you have any pretournament rituals or superstitions?

Nope.

3.  Where do you think your best finish will be in 2013 (other than winning The Bassmaster Classic)?

I have no idea.  It's really so hard to tell because so much has to go right or wrong.  I will say that I'm looking forward to getting to spend some time fishing some of the lakes up north.  St. Clair, Champlain, the St. Lawrence, they're all places that are tremendous fisheries.

4.  What's the one body of water you would fish in 2013 if you had your choice?

Probably Big Sam (Sam Rayburn) because it's got the potential for such big fish.

5.  What's one thing that nobody knows about you?

Absolutely nothing, lol.  There's nothing about me that people don't already know.

Thanks for your time and good luck out there!

 

 

5 in the box with The Jc Bassmaster!

What does "Jc Bassmaster" stand for?  Is it like a Darth Vader alias?

HAHA.  It's a nickname a friend gave me.  I always wear a Johnson City Cardinals hat when I'm fishing (minor league baseball team), which also happens to be my hometown. 

So when you're not on the water you're more commonly known as __________ ?

Anton McKinney.

How did you manage to get into fishing?  Was it something you did as a child with a family member or did you find it later via some other avenue?

Its a funny story how I got into fishing. I had been a few times when I was younger, but I got serious about fishing a few years back.  I lost a job due to layoffs and took it pretty hard and a friend of mine told me to relax and go fishing--it will help. So he handed me his spinning rod and some tubes and I went to the lake. I caught a 3.5lb bass that day, and that's why I started fishing.

That bass I caught that day changed my life. It turned a negative into a positive.

 

Is it still relaxing if you're tournament fishing?

 

Anytime I'm on the water, if its a tournament or just for fun I'm relaxed and in a good mood.

 

Every day you have "The question of the day" on Facebook that tends to have a lot of great questions, and a large group of people who respond.  How did that come about?

 

It started when I asked a question about if you took the top anglers from B.A.S.S. and FLW who do you think would win. Then i started asking questions about different techniques and people really liked it and has been growing ever since.

 

Is there anyone that you look to as a teacher or that you can turn to for advice, tips, help with new lakes?

 

A lot of the stuff that I've learned from is online. Youtube is a great tool. I learned from the best, learned spinnerbaits and crankin from KVD, flippin and pitchin fron Denny Brauer. But I learn all the time from other anglers. I would like to fish with Ott and learn from him!

 

 

What's your favorite technique?

 

I would have to say crankin'.

 

What's your favorite lake?

 

I'd have to say Lake Boon, it's my home lake and I have more history there than anyplace else.

 

Least favorite?

 

I have two of them. Fort Patrick Henry simply because I don't think there is a single fish in it. The other would be South Holston Lake because I can catch them from 7am to noon after that I might as well pack up and go home (laughing).

 

Other than life as a Professional Angler, what is your "dream job"?

 

I would've loved to have played Professional Football or Basketball.

 

 

Ok JcB, time for five in the box!

 

 

 1.  What's it like on Sunday morning when you're not fishing?

If I'm not working I go to church then I go out to eat with my parents.  After that I spend time with my kids.

2.  Do you have any pretournament rituals or superstitions?

On the way to the lake I will listen to some music for about 10 minutes then I turn it down and give myself a pep talk and go over things in my head. Also I like my baitcasting reels a certain way on the boat.  I  used to wear the same pants but I can't wear them anymore because they have a hole in the back that got too big!  lol

3.  Where do you think your best finish will be in 2013, and where do you think you'll struggle the most?

We'll have to see.  There are a lot of good anglers around, but I think I'll do pretty well at Douglas or Cherokee.  I know I'll struggle the most on South Holston unless I can figure them out in the afternoon.

4.  What's the one body of water you would fish in 2013 if you had your choice?

Just one?!?!? That's a hard one, there's so many great lakes the produce big trophy fish but I would have to go with the BIG O (Lake Okeechobee).

5.  What's one thing that nobody knows about you?

I still watch Saturday morning cartoons with a bowl of cereal.  :)

Me too.  Good luck, buddy!

 

5 In The Box with Casey Martin

Casey is on the road when I call him.  Is there truth in the rumor he has a golden horseshoe in his pocket right now?  Maybe.  But it certainly wasn't given to him.  And while he's so nice he might very well give you the shirt off his back, don't expect him to give you that horseshoe...

What's it like, being so hot that it's rarer that you don't place in a tournament?  You're hotter than a two dollar pistol right now!

HAHA well I put a lot of hard work in.  I've spent the past two years fishing as a co-angler and trying to learn from the best of the best in the sport.  I've been fortunate to have fished with some really amazing anglers like Gary Yamamoto and Jason Christie and that can really cut down your learning curve.  I've learned so much in the past two years and it probably would've taken me over a decade to learn all that on my own.  I was never a great flipper and I got paired up with Jason and he was flippin the day I was with him and I just watched him, watched what he was doin, and he told me a little bit about what he was lookin for during practice and stuff like that.  You can go from not really having a clue to bein' way ahead of the game on a certain technique.  When I was on Lanier I was with Brent Ehrler, and I set my rod down and he let me come to the front of the boat and he showed me on his graph:  this is brush, this is fish inside the brush, things like that, and you would never know that unless somebody pointed it out to ya.

It certainly helps to have people who are willing to teach you what they know, that's for sure.

Yeah it's really just been an amazing couple of years, I'm still kind of in awe of it really.

So what are you planning to fish in 2013?

I'm fishing the FLW Tour, The Southeast Everstarts, and possibly The Northern Opens.

You're from Canada, so you grew up fishing cold water like I did, and when I say cold water I mean lakes that either freeze over, or that just don't provide year round bass fishing the way that Guntersville or Armistad or Okeechobee do.  What do you find to be the biggest difference?

Well to me the biggest difference is pressure.  In the south you can find fish on a ledge or a rock pile and you might pull up and fish it for an hour and not get bit but those fish are there and someone else pulls in after you leave and they catch 30 pounds.  Whereas up north on St. Claire or Erie I mean it just seems like when you pull into a spot like that if those fish are there they're gonna eat, the fishing up there is just so good but there's not the same kind of year round pressure up there that you have in the south.  Okeechobee, where I just got done, you better have them dialed in:  what kind of bait, what time of day they eat, where and when they set up; cuz if you miss it then you can go from having 30 pounds to not getting a bite.

While we're talking about north and south, I have always insisted that the smallmouth bass up north are different than they are down south, that they just seem to have an attitude up here and are generally a lot meaner and when I tell people that who haven't fished up here they look at me like I have three heads.

(Laughing)

Would you agree?

Oh yeah absolutely I don't know why they're like that but smallmouth up there seem to be 10 times stronger than the southern smallmouth even though smallmouth like at Pickwick and Wilson Damn down here in Alabama--they're strong, but they are nowhere near as strong.  Those smallmouth up north just never quit.  You can get them to the boat and they'll just start runnin' again.  I don't know why they're so mean maybe it's from living under the ice.  I had one on Erie that went from being down 25 feet to the top of the surface in like 2 seconds, jumped like 6 feet in the air, spit my lure, and was gone just like that and there was nothing I could've done!  It's almost like Tarpon fishing!

 

Was fishing something you did with your dad or siblings or did you just kinda find it on your own?

I grew up fishing with my Dad and my Grandfather.  I fished with my mom a little bit too but mostly it was my Dad and Grandfather.  Most of the time when we went out we went walleye fishing.  I mean the Detroit river system is great for walleye, it's great for bass too don't get me wrong, but it's a great walleye fishery and that's really what we fished for.  That or perch.  I didn't really start fishing for bass until I got into high school.  I'd fish with a couple of buddies and we'd go look for bass after the walleye shut down just for fun, not like any kind of tournament.

Is there anyone now that you look at and try to learn from or call for advice since you've been fishing competitively?

Oh definitely the way I kinda came up through the ranks, fishing the BFLs, having to make it on my own so guys like Jason Christie or Bryan Thrift, I look more towards guys like that.

What's your favorite technique?

I'd have to say whatever the fish are biting!  Honestly that's the truth.  I think the co-angler deal kinda helped me become versatile.  The problem is I'm not an expert at anything.  Let's say I go out and I catch 'em all on a 5XD, I'm in LOVE with the 5XD after that!  And then I'll buy every one I can get my hands on.  I think I have a short-term memory, so whatever's working at that point, that's kinda what I'm focused on.  If they stop eating whatever I'm throwing I'll lose confidence in it fast, but I gain confidence in something else fast too so I think that helps me.

What's your favorite lake?

I'd have to say my favorite lake to fish is St. Claire in Michigan.  I've had horrible, well, not horrible, I've had really not great tournaments up there, so I kinda have a passion for revenge.  But it's also a great place to just fun fish.

What's your least favorite?

I'd have to say any shallow/stumpy place, like the Washita River.

Like Santee Cooper?

Exactly, Santee Cooper is another one (laughing).  I hate that place.  Driving around there is hard enough.  I was there last year and it was one of those deals where I either cashed the last check or just missed it but I was just happy to get out of there!

If you weren't on the Tour, what would your dream job be?

You mean other than fishing?  My dream growing up was to be a professional hockey player but that doesn't turn out for too many, HAHA.

OK Casey, time for 5 in the box!

1.  What's it like on a Sunday morning when you're not fishing, and it's just you and your girlfriend?

Church, watch a movie, maybe go to dinner.  I really like to cook, I think another profession I might've chosen would've been a chef.  I spend a lot of time grilling out and just enjoy being in town.

2.  Do you have any pretournament rituals or superstitions?

I don't really have any that carry over, but if I catch 'em real good one day I'll try to do the same thing the next day like get up at the same time, eat the same thing, not mess up the routine.  I don't have a lucky t-shirt or anything like that.

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?

I'd have to say probably I'll struggle the worst at Beaver Lake or Seminole.  I've never been to Beaver Lake, but last year I bombed at Seminole.  I found some fish but they weren't there in the tournament.  I'd have to say my best would be Chickamauga because it's a Tennessee River lake.

4.  What's the one body of water you would fish in 2013 if you had your choice?

 Lake Champlain or someplace down in Mexico like Sugar Lake.

5.  What's one thing that nobody knows about you?

I dunno, I'm a pretty open book.  I speak French, not many people know that.

Thanks, Casey.  Good luck to you in 2013! 

5 In The Box with Allison Shaw

Allison Shaw is relaxing at home in California watching the Everstart weigh-ins live at Lake Okeechobee, Florida's "Big O".  Our initial greeting is interrupted by us both being shocked at the weight of the current leader, Ben Todd, who is currently waaaaaaaay ahead.
Allison
"Dude that's a six pound average...God I wanna be there right now!!!"

We laugh; hers is more of a giggle really, but it's infectious and makes you want to laugh more when you hear it.

Q:  Allison, why do you fish?

I got the bug, I grew up fishing, I caught a huge, I mean I caught a 7 pound bass when I was 8 which is huge for any 8 year old, and I've been fishing ever since.  My Dad and Pappa (my grandpa) taught me how to fish.

Q:  Is it different now?  Does the pressure of competition take the fun out of it?

It's different but if anything it's more fun.  I'm competitive by nature.  I don't have all day to just lay around, get a tan, wait for the bite and reel it in, and that requires an understanding of the science and biology of fishing:  migration, prespawn, postspawn, and you'll never know everything.

Q:  We've talked before about techniques and presentations and I know you love to throw a drop-shot whenever you can.  Who do you watch or read about to get better?

I watch a lot of Aaron Martens videos, in fact I watched a few of his the night before my first day of filming The World Series Of Bass.  I mean I know how to drop-shot for the most part, but just watching someone do what you like to do the most is really helpful.  There are so many different ways you can throw it, bring it in; there are a million different things you can do with that one simple bait.

Q:  Some people have said that you're the Danica Patrick of fishing, how does it feel to have your name said in the same sentence as someone who's had such a tremendous impact for a whole world of women on what has for years been considered a "male dominant" sport and what do you see as your responsibility to other women who look at you and see an opportunity that maybe they didn't see before?

Ever since that all started when I was back in college (people referencing her to me) I've interpreted that to mean being an advocate.  It's really flattering to be put in the same category as her, I mean honestly I'm nowhere near her level yet but if I help promote this amazing sport to other women then maybe I'll have an impact on them in some small way that will lead them to trying to positively impact others.

Q:  Along with that likeness to her comes the image of you as being just a sex symbol as opposed to a real threat to compete.

Yep.  That's always been a concern.  There are advantages to being a woman, of course.  But I was lucky enough to show people in college that I'm not just trying to take pictures with fishing rods.  I watch videos and read and practice every day to get better and to become a better angler.  I'm from LA, I'm not from the country, though I am at heart and spent my summers fishing at my Grampa's.  But honestly, at the end of the day my goals are the same as everyone else's on the water:  catch big fish and win. 

Q:  What's your favorite lake?

That's tough.  I love The Delta because I like the idea of having tides in fresh water I feel like it adds a whole different dynamic and it really offers many different places for you to fish your strengths.  But at the same time when I was in Texas I had an opportunity to fish Lake Amistad and oh my goodness it was like Lake Mead on steroids and there are huge fish.  The water is really clear and the landscape is breathtaking. 

Q:  What do you have planned for 2013 other than fishing?

I was a child development major in college, and this year I've started a program called "My Mom said there's nothing I can't do".  Basically I'll be travelling to elementary schools all over the country, talking to them about pursuing their dreams, working 100%, and not letting anyone tell them they can't reach their goal to be whatever they aspire to be.  I mean, a girl from LA, who would've thought she would be competing professionally with all these guys from the south?!?  So if I can do it, and I'm in my fifth year now, then clearly anyone can do it.

That's really great.  I have always given back to my community so I value that in others.

Yeah there are a couple of charity tournaments that I'm going to be at as well.  One of them is in Newtown Connecticut, there hasn't been much detail released yet, but it'll be coming out soon and I know it's going to be a great event.  And the other is The Indy Bass Club there are two people who are members of that club who have been diagnosed with cancer and they wanted me to come out and be a guest speaker at their fundraising event.  I'm going to record some footage from everywhere I go and put together a sort of memoir that should be really cool to watch because it'll show that you really can accomplish a lot if you want it bad enough. 

Q:  You're an artist too, right?

Yeah, (laughing).  I paint anything:  horses, people, babies, dogs, pets, pictures from trips to Fiji, poems, really I can paint anything.  I paint a lot at Holidays or as gifts.  I paint with my fingers.  I put white on my pointer finger, black on my ring finger, and the color that I'm using on my middle finger, and that, in my opinion, is the best way to blend water-based acrylics.  That's how I taught myself.  Then when I'm done I go back over everything with a really, really fine painter's brush.  It takes me between 18 and 30 hours per painting and I am taking deposits all the time. 

Q:  How do people contact you if they want something painted?

Most people contact me through Facebook or they can email me.


OK Allison, it's time for the 5 in the box:

Q:  Let's start with the obvious, the one that I'm sure a lot of guys want to know:  Who is Allison Shaw dating?

Allison Shaw is dating herself (giggling).  I'm being selfish for the first time in a while.  Everyone thinks it's really cool to date a tournament angler until they actually date one and for the moment I need to focus on myself.

Q:  Tell me one thing nobody knows about you?

(Laughing) I was on two really lame MTV dating shows when I was in high school. 

Q:  Do you have any pretournament rituals or superstitions?

I have a wooden fish key chain that my Gramma gave me that I always take with me.  I always used to have it with me as a kid when we would fish as a family and have a contest to see who could catch the first fish for a dollar and I had it with me when I qualified for the National Championship in College.  (Between giving this interview and it being written almost all of Allison's gear was stolen out of her boat, including that wooden key chain.)

Q:  If you had to guess where your best finish would be in 2013 where would it be, and where do you think you might struggle?

Probably The Delta.  Oroville is closer to Chico but I only fished Oroville once.  And I really wanna do well on The Delta.  Clear Lake will definitely be the hardest for me just because I've never fished it before.

Q:  What's the one body of water you would pick to fish in 2013 if you had your choice?

I wanna go to Smith Mountain Lake in Virginia.  I heard it's really beautiful there.

I'm sure they'd love to see you there.  Good luck this year, Allison! 

Thanks, Jim.  You too.  And a huge thanks to Hennessy Funds (Title), ATF Fishing News, My Webfix, Topwater Clothing, ATX wheels, YoZuri, Heroes on the Water, Lake Fork Trophy Lures, Dobyns Rods, Rod Glove, PCI, Phoenix Bar and Irish Gathering, Golden State Orthopedics, Rayjus Jerseys, Oakley Big Bass Tour, Salamander Sinkers, Pizz Customs, Lake Fork Tackle, Lazer Trokar, Damiki, Bass Hookups, Pink Fishing, and all my family and friends for supporting me!

The Deadliest Catch LIVE From Cayuga Lake

September 8th, 2012

I have fished big water my entire life.

I have fished big water in Upstate NY my entire life.

I have fished big water in Upstate NY my entire life in conditions that would make some experienced southern anglers cry.  I know this for a fact, because I've seen it.  Never have I ever been scared.  Not at Erie, not at Ontario, not on Oneida, and certainly not on Cayuga Lake despite having lived in a house on the East Shore where the waters of that beautiful Finger Lake were 10 feet from my back door and boat sat in a mooring 5 months out of the year.  Never, that is, until I fished Cayuga on September 8th in the Toyota Tundra Bassmaster Weekend Series event out of Union Springs NY.

I've spoken to several guys I know that I've become friends with that I met on that trail last year who also happened to fish that day and we all agreed on one basic point:  no matter how many times we talk about that day, and no matter who we tell, nobody understands just how bad it was.
"We speared 3 waves, the second would've knocked me out of the boat if it weren't for the console."
"My 100 MPH rain suit from Bass Pro failed, and I got soaked underneath it".
"Waves were crashing over the side, it was hailing/raining, and we couldn't see more than 10 feet in front of us because it was completely grey".
"I saw a guy waving his net, he was broke down.  I tried to help him, but I quickly realized I'd sink too.  I told him "Buddy, I can't help you except to call the Coast Guard" and he understood and thanked me for slowing down."

How the hell are you suppose to fish in weather like that?  The short answer is, you don't.  You do the only thing you can:  find cover.  We found ours, as did some others, in a very secluded place, but we paid the price for it when we left and had to return.  Truth is we had no business being on the water that day.  Nobody did.  The lake was unfishable after 8:30 am, forcing people to dock or seek shelter in a secluded hideaway.

The fishing had been slow prior to that, too.  I'm not sure if they sensed the change in weather, or if the recent cold snap had them in transition,  but few people found "good" fish, and even fewer had limits.  I'm not sure what the lake is doing now, as I have resisted any thought of return to that place since getting beaten up that day.  With a similar forecast on the horizon for this weekend at Oneida I've wanted to save my nerve for that.  Hopefully I won't look around and have to ask "Where's the Discovery Channel film crew?".

Good luck, and be safe.