“ They would be ending their day of practice or whatever , and they would take the time to talk to me , which was really cool , because I was kind of showing them that I was actually interested in this ,” Morrison said . “ And it was really from that point where it started , where I kind of realized that this was actually a thing that I could be doing .”
As soon as he was able , Morrison started fishing tournaments . It didn ’ t take him long to find success . Less than two months after he turned 16 , the minimum age required to enter MLF events , he competed as a co-angler in a Toyota Series event on Champlain ... and finished second . He also finished second in his first event as a boater , a June 2018 Phoenix Bass Fishing League tournament on Champlain .
For the next few years , Morrison only competed locally , fishing tournaments around the Northeast . He notched a few more Top 10s as a boater in BFL events , but his first win eluded him . Following the 2022 season , Morrison ’ s father told his son that if he was serious about chasing a professional fishing career , it was time to branch out . So , Morrison spent the first few months of 2023 living in Florida with Cipoletti and Garrett Rocamora , the idea being that he could explore new fisheries while simultaneously working to earn his captain ’ s license and start a guide business .
“ We just kind of had been looking at everything and came to the conclusion that I may have been falling behind a little bit because I could only fish tournaments half of the year up
PHOTO BY ROB MATSUURA
Bruiser-class smallmouth bass , like this one weighed at Stop 5 on Lake Champlain , were a big part of Morrison ’ s breakout season .
Morrison battles an airborne smallie during Stop 5 on Lake Champlain , his home water .
PHOTO BY ROB MATSUURA
OCTOBER-NOVEMBER 2024 | MAJORLEAGUEFISHING . COM 45