Navionics in your bathroom?

WHAT?!?!?  I bet you're thinking that I must be joking, or off my rocker to suggest that I have my graph in my bathroom.

I'm not, and I don't.

What I have is the new Navionics App for my iPhone 5.  Downloaded from the Apple store for $14.99, I have all the lakes in the US and Canada right at my fingertips.  So while I'm riding with coworkers, having lunch, riding the subway, or just lying in bed, I can look at the lakes and rivers that I love, as well as the ones I'm not as familiar with.  I can link it with all my devices which will allow me to view hotspots on my boat that I marked last week while I was getting my hair cut, I can share my information with friends of mine, I can log fish and weather conditions, view ramps and launches, find new humps and bumps to explore, and the GPS feature will allow me to even use it in a pinch if my graph on my boat should malfunction.  Don't believe me?  See for yourself!  These are actual pictures taken from my personal iPhone.

If you're like me you really don't have time to go out and sit on your boat at lunch and study contour lines.  You have stacks and stacks of paper maps that you paid for and are outdating themselves as I write this.  Never buy another map again.  Never forget it at home.  Never find that your son scribbled all over it with a marker.  Everything you need is in the palm of your hand.  At a price that is equal to that of one paper map.  There's really no reason not to buy it!

The more I use this app the more useful I'm finding it.  For instance there are many small-craft bodies of water that I fish with my brother out of a small canoe.  For years we've had to try to mark logs or trees to remember where we caught fish, and we never had contour lines to guide us, and now that's all going to change.

Navionics also shows you:  Magazine articles and guides, Marinas, Fuel Stations, Marine and Outdoor Shops, Marine Repair, Boat Dealer and Builder, Waterfront Restaurant, Tides, Currents, Lakes, as well as Latitude and Longitude.  Zoom in and out.  Take pictures of your map.  Track your route.  Add waypoints.  Adjust your map settings.  You can do it all from this app.  I'm telling you right now, this is the REAL DEAL!

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 Jonathan Carter

Why is it Maine gets no love in the Bass Fishing world?  I spent my summers there as a teenager and some of my fondest childhood bass fishing memories came from that great state!

I have no idea but you're absolutely right, there is great bass fishing in Maine. 

In your opinion is it harder to compete with anglers who live in the South because they have the benefit of fishing all year in warmer weather?

Yes and no, I'm usually able to find open water in December and then again at the end of March/beginning of April, so I don't lose as much time as I did a few years ago.  Plus I really felt like living in Maine gave me an advantage at The Classic because I was just used to fishing in weather like that and a lot of other guys weren't.

Speaking of The Bassmaster Classic, was it at all intimidating for you to be there with guys like KVD and Ike?

I thought it was going to be, but as soon as I got there Skeet Reese and Brandon Palaniuk came up (to me) and welcomed me which was really great and after that I wasn't nervous at all.



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.  We had a camp up north and I would go out and fish in a canoe with my mom.  I'd fish and she'd paddle.

Is it still relaxing if you're tournament fishing?

I love fishing, but I'm very competitive, so it's most relaxing when I'm catching good fish.  I'm the type of guy who, and this actually happened, I'll win a tournament but be disappointed because I lost a fish that I know would've increased my weight like two more pounds.



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

I'm mostly self-taught.  I joined a club when I first started and there were two guys, Mark--who's actually a sponsor of mine now, and Dan who taught me some things and my current fishing partner Joe Holland is a big help.  We push each other and encourage each other to learn new techniques or styles.

What's your favorite technique?

Without a doubt, runnin a jig over deep structure.

What's your lease favorite?

Believe it or not finesse fishing, which is odd because that's how I fished all the time when I first started.

What's your favorite lake?

China Lake.

Least favorite?

Mystic and Charles Rivers(laughing).

(I'm laughing too) Why is that?  Did you do poorly there?

No not at all, in fact I've won there, there's just very few fish.  Or at least it seemed like there were very few fish.

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

You mean other than fishing lol?

Yes, that's everyone's response, lol.

I guess maybe a writer for an outdoor magazine.

Ok Jonathon, time for five in the box!

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

I'm always fishing.  If I'm not it's very rare, and I'll be at church, but I'm always fishing.

2.  Do you have any pretournament rituals or superstitions?

No.  None at all.

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

I would have to say that my best would be either Oneida or Erie because I'm most familiar with them and I'm really looking forward to them both.  I think I'll struggle the most at the James River just because I don't know as much about it yet.

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

Right now it would be Lake Chickamauga.  They're catching like 30lb bags right now, it's unbelievable!

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

There's really nothing.  I'm a teacher who's been very fortunate to have been given the opportunities that I have.

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!

 

Web Page Launched!

It's official, www.JimRoot.Net has launched today!  Now you can get all the info on my 2013 fishing season from wherever you are in one place!  There's even a guest book where my friends and fans can leave me notes and cheer me on!
Thanks to all my friends and family for their amazing support.  This is going to be my best year yet!

See you soon and keep fishing!

~Jim