COLUMN: BALOG ON BASS FISHING
Lloyd Pickett Jr.
PHOTO BY ROB MATSUURA
secrets of the all-americans
How five BFL standouts became perennial contenders for one of
bass fishing’s greatest championships
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
For more than 20 years,
Joe Balog has made his
living in the fishing industry
on and off the water. A
successful tournament
angler from the Great
Lakes region, Balog now
lives in Florida, where he
continues to work in product
design, marketing and
outdoor media when he's
not chasing trophy
largemouths.
I
’ve long considered the All-American to
be at the top of competitive fishing’s
bucket list. While angler-of-the-year titles
and world championships get all the press, the
All-American, which is the championship for the
Phoenix Bass Fishing League presented by T-H
Marine, is tougher to conquer. Period.
Consider this: In each season for the last five
years, an average of about 4,300 unique anglers
fished across the nation on the boater side of the
Phoenix Bass Fishing League. Of that figure, only
42 qualified for the All-American each year
through the standard Regional process (seven
others qualified each year through TBF’s championship).
So qualifying is roughly a one-in-a-hundred
shot, at best. Contrast that with most major
pro fishing leagues, where as many as a third of
the anglers in the field might qualify for the yearend
championship.
Despite the difficulty of making the All-
American, a few anglers seem to have cracked
the code, making qualifying a routine thing. As
we’ll see, their secrets lie in careful planning and
playing to their strengths.
The Mississippi Hammer
Lloyd Pickett Jr. has qualified for six All-
Americans since 2011, making him one of the
hottest anglers on the BFL trail. However, even
with his modern success, Pickett’s tactics remain
old school.
“I look for a Regional location where I have
some experience, and where I can throw a
Carolina rig,” he says.
You heard right. Pickett’s secret lies in the
technique that dominated during the 1980s.
“I’ve earned 95 percent of my earnings – over a
half-million dollars – with that technique,” he says.
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