PHOTO BY JODY WHITE
PHOTO BY COBI PELLERITO
ROY 2019 AOY 2020 already has a pair of Bassmaster Classic trophies . The top-ranked angler in the sport is 30-year-old Jacob Wheeler , who was 21 when he won the Phoenix Bass Fishing League All- American and 22 when he won the Forrest Wood Cup . And this year ’ s Pro Circuit ROY , Kyle Hall , is just 23 .
And then there ’ s Nelson , the 45- year-old painting contractor . Most pros his age are veterans with at least a decade of experience at the professional level . Still , Nelson wouldn ’ t change how his career has gone to this point .
“ People always ask why I waited so long to go pro ,” he says . “ I wanted to be smart about it . I wanted to get everything set up so when I took my shot , I did it right . I didn ’ t want to go broke trying it . That ’ s just me .” The results speak for themselves . Back in Berrien Springs , Nelson and his wife , Karla , have a bookshelf in the corner of their living room . It ’ s one of those decorative shelves that looks like a boat cut in half , and it ’ s surrounded by fish mounts . The shelves tell the real story of his “ slowly climbing the ranks .” He ’ s got various fishing accolades and trophies on there , including hardware from his three Toyota Series victories .
But there ’ s one shelf you can ’ t miss ; one that stands out from the others . It ’ s the one with his Rookie of the Year and Angler of the Year trophies seated side-by-side . Few anglers have ( or will ever have ) a shelf exactly like it .
Resting in his living room with Karla and their two dogs , Annie and Soffy , Nelson occasionally looks over at that shelf . He admits , even with all the trophies , he still doesn ’ t feel he ’ s “ arrived ” yet in the sport . Still , he looks , reflects , and feels that sense of fulfillment .
Most of all , he smiles .
SEASON RECAP
There was very little drama in this year ’ s Angler of the Year race . Nelson made sure of that . With two top fives and very nearly a top 10 in his first three events , Nelson took the lead after the second event and basically never looked back . It was some key bites at each event , though – ones he landed and didn ’ t – that proved it wasn ’ t always as easy as it looked .
1 . Sam Rayburn Reservoir – 5th
“ I was excited to go back and redeem myself after the year prior ,” Nelson says . “ Plus , I wanted to see how the lake fished in its normal state . It fished tough , but I figured it out and really got in touch with what was going on . I ended up losing one fish that could ’ ve given me the victory the final day .”
2 . Harris Chain – 11th
“ That was my first time there and knew a lot of guys were going to run to Griffin because the grass was so good there ,” Nelson recalls . “ I figured I ’ d try to stay close and sight fish . On day two , late in the day , I had a pair of 13-inchers in my livewell . I pull into a spawning area and catch an 8-pounder , and then I pole down on a 5-pounder just as John Cox came idling in . Within minutes , I caught that 8 and the 5 to completely turn around my day .”
3 . Lake Martin – 2nd
“ This one was a comedy of errors ,” Nelson says . “ I thought this one was going to be my toughest event of the season because I ’ d never fished that style of lake before , with spotted bass . I messed up a few big sight fish the first couple days , and then the last day , I had one on the bed late in the day . I missed her twice and time was running out . I knew if I caught her , I ’ d win , but I didn ’ t want to be late , so I headed in . I got back six minutes early . I probably could ’ ve caught her in those six minutes .”
4 . Lake Chickamauga – 41st
“ That ’ s a special place because any cast can be a 10- or 12-pounder ,” Nelson says . ” There were too many boats for that lake , and I knew there was always going to be somebody on the next spot I ’ d try to fish . Fortunately , I had a sneaky spot ; a deep tree I caught the majority of my weight from . Unfortunately , I lost two fish that were 8- , 9-pound-class fish . In a tournament like that , those kickers are what make or break your event .”
5 . Mississippi River – 12th
“ That was a fun one ,” Nelson recalls . “ It was a neat place to figure out because the fish shift with the rise and fall of the water , and I knew I had a good area . I just had technical issues that cost me the third day .”
6 . Lake Erie – 34th
“ This ended up being my toughest event ,” Nelson says . “ Erie is only three hours from home , but I ’ d never been there . It ’ s a body of water that ’ s so big with so many options , so I had to decide if I should lay up and stay close or go for it . On a long run , though , a lot can go wrong . You can catch 25 pounds , but if you can ’ t get back , the Angler of the Year title is done .
“ I wanted to figure out something close but never really did , so I ran to the Detroit River . On day two , I had 19 pounds , and I had to stop myself . The competitor in me wanted to keep fishing , but I finally said ‘ what are you doing ?’ I left my main area with hours to spare because I wanted to be safe . I was treating that one as a two-day tournament , and I stuck with my plan .”
OCTOBER-NOVEMBER 2020 | MAJORLEAGUEFISHING . COM | FLWFISHING . COM 37