I even had a really good practice . I thought I was going to catch them no problem . The first day , I caught a big one first cast , and then it was like I couldn ’ t do anything right . I just had one of those days . To have a bad tournament and then turn around and the next two Top 5 both of them , it was huge for my year for sure .
How different are each of the steps up the ladder to the pro ranks ? You started out with an awesome College Fishing career that included a win at Guntersville . You fished BFLs even before that and some Toyota Series since . Did you ever feel out of your comfort zone as you moved up that ladder ?
No , not really . Once I started seeing a little success where I could consistently finish Top 10 , Top 5 here at home – we have a bunch of good fishermen in East Tennessee . It ’ s hard to win a local tournament here . Once I started seeing some high finishes and some success , I knew I could compete at the next level . We had already had some success in college , and I ’ d seen some of those guys go on and do good . I saw some success in the BFLs and the Toyotas and the Opens I fished .
I think beginning this year on the Pro Circuit , I definitely saw some of the big-name guys that I ’ d been watching on TV forever and I thought do I have any business being here ? Then I got 18th on Rayburn first tournament and I was like , ok I know what I ’ m doing good enough to compete with them . I think that was huge .
Momentum is a big part of this sport . Obviously the financial part of it is something a lot of anglers worry about . It takes a lot of money and sponsors and a great support system to shell out the entry fees , the prefish , to travel all over the country and just spend so much time fishing .
For sure . That ’ s why I quit fishing bigger tournaments there for a couple years to try to start a business of my own . I ’ ve always wanted to fish , and I want to make that my Plan A , but just something else going on on the backburner .
I was really blessed to have Doomsday [ Tackle Co .] come on board and help me out this year . I ’ m just super blessed to know some of the people I know and have some of the friends I have . I definitely have a really good group of supporters , that ’ s for sure .
Speaking of your biggest supporter , how ’ s married life ? It ’ s only been , what , five months since you and Isabella tied the knot ?
Everything is good .
Did you guys get to take a honeymoon with the wedding in the middle of the Pro Circuit season ?
We didn ’ t . She had just started a new job for the state . She was in training and everything , so we didn ’ t get to , but we ’ re planning on it in January depending on what we see for the schedule next year .
Marriage and fishing aren ’ t the only things you have to juggle . How ’ s the gutter business going ?
It ’ s good . I ’ m lucky to have some of the guys I have – my dad and Corey and Jimmy Neece – they ’ re the ones who initially got me into it . They have a killer roofing business , and they provide a lot of work for me and a lot of tips . Jimmy ’ s been good as gold to me .
Is there anything you do for fun that isn ’ t fishing ? A lot of times touring pros have just enough time to catch bass , shoot some deer and spend time with family when they ’ re not working their day job .
I love to deer hunt and turkey hunt , but I haven ’ t got to do that as much . I haven ’ t got to turkey hunt at all the last few years , but I normally try to deer hunt a little in the fall and I play a lot of golf in my off time . I ’ m no good at it , but I do play .
You and me both . You told me when we talked after you won ROY that it ’ s not about the techniques and the casting accuracy and the electronics expertise for you – it ’ s about what ’ s between your ears . What do you do to re-center yourself when that part of it goes haywire ?
There ’ s definitely been days on the water where I don ’ t feel like I ’ ve made good decisions . Sometimes it ’ s because you gamble and it doesn ’ t pay off . I think staying on the water , staying fishing tournaments , doing things like playing golf and living life and not really worrying about it too much – I think you can definitely overthink it . Staying in touch with the fishing game and just trying fish as much as you can , that ’ s mainly the biggest part for me and trying to be the best I can at it .
What do you listen to when you ’ re on the road or just out fun fishing or running errands or whatever ?
I listen to all kinds of music . l listen to country , rap , rock ‘ n ’ roll , electronic music . I listen to whatever .
Do you have a bass fishing idol ?
I did before I started doing this , but now I just see them as competition . Probably BP , Brandon Palaniuk , if I had to pick someone .
What ’ s the biggest five-bass limit you ’ ve ever caught ?
I had like 30.20 one day on Chickamauga . I caught ‘ em off the ledges in like 10 or 15 minutes . I had an 8-pounder and two over 7 and two over 6 .
If you could fish any lake on the planet , what would it be ?
I ’ d probably go somewhere I ’ ve never been before . Somewhere out West where they catch those big spots or Clear Lake or something . The St . Lawrence and Champlain are my two favorites , they ’ re awesome , and I love Guntersville , but I ’ d go somewhere I ’ d never gone before .
What ’ s the bigger highlight for your 2022 season : getting married or winning Rookie of the Year ?
Getting married for sure . Fishing is a big unknown . I ’ m proud of my accomplishment of Rookie of the Year and I hope I can continue that dream and chase after it . It ’ s been awesome . I had a blast this year . I think it ’ s a great year to build off of .
Somebody like Isabella , though , I met her five years ago , and I knew pretty quick she ’ s the one I want to be with . I love her to death . That ’ s something that ’ s going to last hopefully a long time versus a fishing career . Getting married was the best thing that happened to me this year .
OCTOBER-NOVEMBER 2022 | MAJORLEAGUEFISHING . COM 89