COLUMN : BALOG ON BASS FISHING
PHOTO BY JESSE SCHULTZ bobby barrack ’ s recipe for success
The California legend has been hunting down the right ingredients for decades
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 largemouth .
A s a lifetime fan of pro fishing , I ’ d heard the name Bobby Barrack for decades . Though his likeness rarely popped up on TV or in the big magazines , I understood Barrack was a dominating force in the West . In fact , he was thought to be the most dangerous tournament angler in California .
A little research confirmed the rumors : Barrack had taken down numerous major titles , most on the California Delta , won about a dozen boats , and pocketed hundreds of thousands of dollars on the way . And he ’ d done it with a flippin ’ stick and a frog , to boot .
In my quest to learn more , I spent nearly four hours interviewing the man . The result was some of the most intriguing information I ’ d ever heard on hardcore bass fishing .
Barrack ’ s insight , especially his approach to fishing , is very analytical . Personal rules define his tactics , and success and failures can be credited to tangible actions . Very little is left to chance .
It ’ s important to point out that most of what Barrack holds true has been developed through vast time on the water .
“ From 1995 to 2018 , I averaged 300 days a year on the Delta ,” he states . Quick math figures 7,000 trips or more . In addition , Barrack has always been one to learn through personal experience , ignoring most of what others are doing or saying . In essence , he ’ s been a sustenance fisherman , much like the commercial fishing roots running through his immediate family .
18 FLWFISHING . COM | MAJORLEAGUEFISHING . COM | OCTOBER-NOVEMBER 2020