COLUMN : BALOG ON BASS FISHING the rise of dakota ebare
Hard work has paid off for former ‘ rodeo bum ’
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 .
T exas pro Dakota Ebare is one of the hottest tournament anglers in America . This year alone – in the span of a month – Ebare racked up back-to-back wins on the Toyota Series Presented by Phoenix Boats and Tackle Warehouse Invitationals , and has crested the $ 1 million mark in career winnings . Fans know Ebare as the ultimate road warrior , never letting off the gas , competing anywhere and everywhere .
Born and raised in Watson , Louisiana , Ebare moved to the bass-fishing Mecca of Sam Rayburn Reservoir at the age of 24 . From there , he took on an intense practice and touring schedule to learn everything he could about bass fishing , spending as many as 200 days a year on the road ( and nearly every other on the front deck of his boat on Rayburn ). But Ebare ’ s story is much more than one of practice makes perfect . It ’ s a timeline of intense dedication – coupled with a few lucky breaks – that molded Ebare into one of today ’ s top competitive anglers .
scraping by to get started
To learn the story of Dakota Ebare , it ’ s necessary to start in 2010 . Totally consumed with bass fishing through his high school years , Ebare competed in the old family boat , complete with a 90- horse engine and a rusty trailer . All he wanted to do was fish . Tuesday , Wednesday and Friday featured night tournaments around home , followed by an overnight camp-out at the boat ramp to get in line for the Saturday derby .
Ebare quickly won his fair share , but the good times couldn ’ t last . The old outboard finally blew , leaving a cash-strapped teenager at a standstill . “ I couldn ’ t get ahead ,” Ebare said . “ It was extremely frustrating .”
20 MAJORLEAGUEFISHING . COM | JUNE-JULY 2023