The Yin and the Yang
Cecil and Castledine became such a success because both
members’ fishing styles, philosophies and work ethics clicked
immediately. They were compatible enough to work well togeth-
er, yet different enough to learn from each other. Both claim to
be much better anglers now due to their team dynamic.
“Our relationship is a rare circumstance where our
strengths complement each other instead of canceling each
other out,” Cecil says. “I’m the logical guy; everything has to
make sense to me. I analyze things maybe a little too much,
and it’s a fault when it comes to fishing. On the other hand,
Todd is a free spirit. He is that pure intuitive guy. He’ll just pull
up on a bank where he’s never fished before and catch a 10-
pounder without having to know every reason why it should
be there. He has made me a better fisherman by teaching me
to let those gut feelings have more influence on a fishing day.”
Castledine says Cecil has taught him a tremendous
amount about being resourceful on the water.
“Russell is the best at taking something simple or obvious
and turning it into something big,” he says. “He has a gift for
finding overlooked gems within the obvious. He makes the
best out of what’s inside the box, and I am always thinking
outside the box. When we combine those two strategies, it
makes for some great days on the water.”
Great days, indeed. For the last six years, the pair has
made a nice living fishing regionally, with each member clear-
ing more than $50,000 in winnings during some seasons. Up
until now they’ve never seen the need to go out on the “big
tours” and spe nd more money to compete when they could
stay close and clean up around home.
The Right Time for the Tour
Unfamiliar Territory Ahead
The Texas titans will certainly have their work cut out for
them this year. Neither angler has been to any of the 2018
FLW Tour venues except for Kentucky Lake. They say they
have no plans to pre-practice and will rely on the official
three-day practice period to find fish.
“Oh, we’re going to take some lumps, no doubt,” Cecil
says. “The sheer size of Okeechobee is intimidating. I’ve never
fished for spotted bass, and two stops are spotted bass
lakes. And from what I know of St. Clair, it’s a total small-
mouth deal, so we’re going to be in a lot of unfamiliar territo-
ry this year.
“But we see it as a challenge and as an opportunity to
grow as anglers, to see new parts of the country and experi-
ence new fisheries.”
Even though they’ll compete against each other for bigger
payouts on the FLW Tour, they plan to share information just
like they have for years in the FLW Series.
“Moving up to the Tour will not change a thing for us,”
Castledine says. “We have always found our own fish and
stayed out of each other’s way. We’re not going to start step-
ping on each other’s toes just because the payouts are big-
ger. We respect each other too much for that. We would
rather zero than go in on the other guy – or go in on any guy,
for that matter. The money is simply not worth sacrificing a
friendship or the integrity of the sport over. That’s just the
way we are.”
“The biggest problem we’ll have is deciding whether we
should buy spinning rods or not,” Cecil says jokingly. “I don’t
think we have ever had a spinning combo in our boats when
fishing in Texas.”
Last season, while competing in Texas tournaments,
Castledine and Cecil kicked around the idea of giving the FLW
Tour a whirl in 2018. When the Costa FLW Series Southwestern
Division wrapped up on Texoma in September, Castledine won
the points title and Cecil finished runner-up, validating their
theory that they needed to take the next step.
“We kind of knew then that the time is now,” Cecil says. “It’s
good timing for both of us. I have an awesome group at the
office that can handle the rep group business when I’m gone.
I don’t have to get a check in the tournament just to fish the
next event. I can now go and totally focus on fishing.”
As for Castledine, his sponsor support has stepped up
enough to give him some extra breathing room to fish the Tour.
“I think fishing a national-level tour is a bucket list item for
most tournament anglers,” Cecil adds. “The allure of traveling the
Tour for a year or two has always been there for both of us, and
we’re not getting any younger. Plus, it’s a way to totally immerse
ourselves in a lifestyle that we both love and represent.”
Todd Castledine (left) and Russell Cecil have relied on contrasting approaches to tournament fishing to forge a successful partnership on the water that
they hope will translate to success on the 2018 FLW Tour.
JANUARY 2018 I FLWFISHING.COM
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