Athletes

Family is a very important part of my life; in fact, it was my oldest brother that introduced me to fishing. He always took me fishing with him at small farm ponds when I was younger. Back then, I was always in the outdoors, and this is when my love for being outside and exploring started. Ever since these younger years, winter here in Ohio is the hardest part of the year, as it keeps me cooped up inside most of the time, when I am not down south fishing. My Mom and Dad, along with my brothers and sisters, have always been supported of me and my career path since I started tournament fishing at the age of 11.

In my very first tournament, I finished 3rd. It was a state tournament that brought together Ohio’s top junior anglers. By finishing in the top 6, I qualified for several other tournaments that year. They took me to Maryland and Missouri, where I finished 2nd in the United States. I joined the Masters Anglers, a junior bass fishing club that competed in tournaments throughout the state on local lakes and ponds. A couple years after the club started, I took over as the president of the club, renamed it to be called The SS Minnows Junior Bass Club, and was in charge of scheduling tournaments and keeping the club running. Many successful tournament years followed until I turned 18 and graduated from the junior level club. Since then, I continue to help out with the club as much as possible. It was those years of junior angling that lit the fire inside me to pursue my dream of becoming a top professional bass fisherman.

I have competed in the Bassmaster Northern and Southern Open Series for several years, and plan to continue fishing them until I qualify for the Elite Series, the big show. The Open Series are routes to qualify to compete against the top professionals. Along with these tournaments, I will be fishing other professional tournaments such as The McDonalds Big Bass Splash series. Fishing is one of America’s favorite pastimes but for some, like me, it is a profession.