BACKLASH
Q&A
ANDREW UPSHAW
Winning the Costa FLW Series
Championship was not a bad way
to end the year, huh?
Definitely. I wish I could end the
season like that every year.
When you start talking about the
amount of tournaments you fish in
a year and how long a season it is –
from January up until we were fish-
ing in November – and then to win
the very last tournament; that’s
pretty spectacular in my book.
Especially after the year you had.
Yeah, I had a very blessed year. I
was consistent in the Costas. I made
a lot of cuts on Tour and won at
Cherokee. I made the Cup and the
Costa Championship. I had the kind
of year you always hope to have.
Best fishing year of your life?
There’s not a year even close to
it. Even after just winning the Tour
event, nothing was going to beat
this year. Then the Costa
Championship was just icing on the
cake.
Pretty good icing.
Yeah, and the funny thing is, I
always used to tell my wife and any-
one who would listen that I was
going to win a Costa event before I
ever won a Tour event. And I always
said my first win would be in Texas
on Toledo Bend or Sam Rayburn.
Instead, I won a Tour event
before a Costa, and they came in
Tennessee and Kentucky, both fish-
ing for smallmouth. That was never
on my radar.
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How did a Texas angler get so good
fishing for reservoir smallies?
So, I traveled for a year with a co-
angler named JB King. He’s a very
good friend of
mine; someone I’ve
always looked up to.
Well, he also happens
to be a guide on Dale
Hollow. So, during that year,
he really helped me understand
how those smallmouth set up in
reservoirs like that. It was very
instrumental.
and quite profitable for you this
year. Do you officially like small-
mouths more than largemouths
now?
Never. I really like catching small-
mouth, but there’s nothing like
catching a 10-pound largemouth.
Seeing one of them come out of the
water, so big it can’t hardly jump …
there’s nothing comparable for me
as a bass angler.
How many 10-pounders have you
caught?
Twenty-two, and 18 have come
from Toledo Bend.
Toledo Bend has quite the special
place in your heart, I bet.
It does. It’s where I won the very
first tournament I ever fished when
I was 14. I was fishing with my
neighbor, Harold Gilbert, fishing in
the back of the boat, though it was
every man for himself. I even
remember the lure I won it on – a
silver flash-colored Bomber Long A.
You actually got started fishing
FLW events pretty young, even
before FLW College Fishing
events, didn’t you?
I did. My very first BFL I fished I
was 17 as a co-angler. I remember
practicing and being on a big stringer
of fish, but come the tournament my
By Sean Ostruszka
TULSA, OK
boater never would go where I want-
ed to fish. After that, I said I was
done with that. I wanted to control
my investment and fish in the front
of the boat.
So the next one I entered I did as
a pro on Toledo Bend, and I finished
second by 1 ounce. I was hooked
after that.
at that point, were you already
all in on becoming a professional
bass fisherman?
Yeah. I actually played college
football for a second at Louisiana
College before suffering a second
knee injury. After that, I decided I
should probably focus on something
with some longevity, and at about
the same time I realized I could
make some real money fishing.
Speaking from experience, knee
injuries are rough.
Oh, I know. I’ve torn my ACL four
times and had five knee surgeries
over the years.
Four aCL tears? Yikes.
Last one was last year. Tore my
ACL playing flag football, of course.
My wife, Valerie, said I’m no longer
allowed to play recreational sports.
I actually didn’t know if I could
stand on the deck come the
Amistad Costa that kicked off this
year. So, to have the year I’ve had
fishing with a bad knee is really
something.
FLWFISHING.COM I WINTER 2020