The competition bug bites hard
As the boys grew , so did their competitive desire to outdo each other . Naturally , such behavior filtered into their biggest passion .
“ The competition was intense ,” Chris adds . “ We ’ d all be in the boat together , and the guy in the front had to move to the back once he caught a fish . We rotated that way all day .”
Eventually , a champ was crowned , but not without some serious contention from the other two .
After some time beating up on each other , the boys decided to test their skills against others . Local tournaments were a good place to start . With the three Lanes all working “ real jobs ” during the week , teams were selected for the weekend derbies , with the primary goal of winning enough cash to buy some gear and fish again . Remember , this was a time before high school or college fishing , and the only thing the Lane boys knew about pro fishermen was what they saw on TV . At the time , tournaments were treated more as cash games .
“ For us , fishing was just a way of having fun – nothing more ,” Chris recalls .
The boys toyed around a bit with college , but none made much out of it , too busy working in the real world and at a family business .
“ There was no thought that we needed to go to college to get a business degree to go fishing ,” Arnie laughs .
Each just focused on their immediate future , and fishing more , and larger tournaments . Entering a BFL event , however , opened Chris ’ eyes to a bigger picture .
Making bass fishing a living
Chris ’ first BFL – a 2000 Gator Division tournament on Lake Okeechobee – allowed him a new sense of freedom , fishing as an individual rather than in a team environment .
“ I fell in love with that feeling of controlling my own destiny ,” he recounts .
Still , as each of the Lane brothers continued to succeed , none were starry-eyed with the thought of going pro . As Arnie relates , advancing “ came the original way . It evolved as a living , more or less , by how much money you made , to see if you could afford the next tournament .”
Bobby qualified for the All-American in 2003 , an event that would forever change his destiny . Working in lawn care at the time , his weeklong vacation resulted in a third-place finish at the tournament , and a check for $ 10,000 .
“ I came home and immediately sold my business ,” he says . “ I was done working .”
Arnie would also qualify for the All-American in 2005 , but never went all-in with a fishing career .
“ I watched my brothers go through it , and that ’ s what they want to do ,” he explains . “ It takes someone special that can handle the travel , and I ’ m a bit more of a homebody . I ’ m just at a different point in my life .”
A decade-and-a-half later , Arnie continues to be a major player in the local tournament scene around Florida .
A career that almost never was
Chris has won the most titles of the three , possibly due to his brothers ’ early coaching . But , typical of the Lane model , his triumphant career was almost not to be .
After a number of poor finishes in 2006 , Chris contemplated throwing in the towel on his tournament hobby . But a Southern Open was coming to Okeechobee .
“ I wasn ’ t even going to fish because I only had one day to practice ” Chris remembers .
Evidently , one day was enough ; he went on to win the tournament and $ 71,000 in winnings from a new boat plus cash .
“ That level of payment was more than I made all year working full-time ,” he recalls . Thus , the pro fishing career of Chris Lane was launched . Possibly no other family has made more money fishing bass tournaments than the Lane brothers . Yet , none of the three ever considered their approach any more than the usual brotherly competition early on . Perhaps that ’ s their secret .
The only thing worse than losing is losing to a sibling ; it ’ s an ingrained rivalry unlike any other . And , in the case of the Lanes , that rivalry was a championship recipe .
PHOTO BY JACOB FINE
Cal Lane
LANE LINEAGE
The Lane family bass lineage runs deep , now in its fourth generation . Chris Lane ’ s son , Cal , recently qualified for the Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit , where he will be competing on occasion with dad and uncle Bobby . At 18 years of age , Cal has decided to forgo thoughts of college and turn pro right out of high school .
While his path parallels the Lane model , his fishing methods are unique . A product of the new generation of pros , Cal uses modern sonar to his advantage , and has grown accustomed to TVA lakes and offshore fishing . Conversely , Bobby insists he and Chis always try to “ stick to the roots – little technology and fishing the bank .” It will be interesting to see who comes out ahead in the ongoing family contest .
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