By Pat Gilliland, freelance journalist
Two lifelong Oklahomans fishing in this year’s Bassmaster Classic exemplify the kinds of choices, sacrifices and rewards that can come with chasing the dream of fishing for a living.
“I could win the Classic, and Tuesday I’d be back at work,” said Palmer, part owner of C&C Hardware, a store that has been in his family for three generations.
Balancing store responsibilities and professional fishing, Palmer qualified for his second consecutive Classic through the Bassmaster Elite Series Angler of the Year standings.
Jones qualified for his second Classic by winning the Bassmaster Central Open on the Arkansas River at Fort Gibson last June. That’s also how the angler, whose home is 10 minutes from the Arkansas River, qualified for the 2014 Classic.
Dreams vs. Reality
Jones said his “dream-come-true would be to fish for a living.” But with a wife and two sons, he is grateful for his job with AMET in nearby Fort Smith, Ark., that allows him to work 10-hour days and have Fridays off, perfect for fishing in regional events.
That’s served him well, with two championships in the Bassmaster Opens Series and an Angler of the Year trophy in Major League Fishing’s Toyota Series.
Twice, he’s qualified to fish the big leagues, once with B.A.S.S. and once with MLF. Both times, he declined, opting for the security and flexibility of his job as a machine programmer.
Since then, he’s picked up major sponsorship from Bushnell Optics and The Bass Tank that would help with tour expenses, and the itch to go pro has intensified. (His sponsors he promotes on social media include #Booyah #Yum #teambushnell #bushnelloptics #thebasstank #mercurymarine #basscatboats #powerpole#costasunglasses #ecotungsten #proguidebatteries#viciousfishing #sixgillfishing #bassboattechnologies #Huk#Rodcoffin #Rivervalleytruckoutfitters #MWM)
“Now the task at hand is to requalify,” Jones said.
He knows a couple of things could hold him back from becoming a full-time pro.
“It’s a downfall of mine, and I know it. Because … when you win, you want to win more. And when you try to win every time, try to hit home runs, you strike out several times,” Jones said.
In other words, he’s more focused on winning than earning points for consistency. That makes it harder to qualify for the Elite Series, which invites Opens anglers based on points.
So he plans to keep fishing the Central Opens and going for wins.
“That’s the only way I can get in the Classic without fishing the Elites, is to win the Opens. Every time I show up, that’s what I’m going to do, is try to win one of them, so I can go back.”
Jones said the other thing that could hold him back if he were to requalify for the Elite Series is his commitment to his wife, Angel, and their sons Hunter, 14, and Fisher, 8.
“It’s hard for me to be gone months at a time. To me, it’s a hard road to do it if you have a family,” Jones said. “If I was single and didn’t have a job …”
Third-year Elite Series pro Palmer understands those kinds of choices.
“I made sure when I started I didn’t have any bills,” said Palmer, who is single and owns land near Coalgate in southeastern Oklahoma.
He worked extra jobs and saved money to have what he thought it would take to fish two years on the Elite Series. A windfall came in winning nearly $100,000 in an amateur fishing league.
He’s been a consistent performer with the Elites, qualifying for the Classic each year, which keeps him on the pro tour. It also helped him land a two-year title sponsor deal with Gill Fishing. (His other sponsors include Horizon Trike & Marine, Booyah Bait Co., Thomas Madden Insurance, Sunline, Lumo Batteries and Abu Garcia. His boat is a Phoenix and his motor a Mercury. He promotes these on social: #gillfishing#horizonTrikeandmarine #yum #booyah #abugarcia #sunline#phoenixbassboats #mercury #lumobatteryusa #CandChardware#ThomasMaddenInsurance #thebasstank #NuThreadz)
With his winnings and sponsorships, Palmer has cleared about $20,000 each of his first two years after expenses including entry fees, travel, gear and maintaining a well-equipped boat and truck.
So, when he’s not traveling in his camper-topped dually, towing his boat to Elite Series events, usually accompanied by girlfriend Lauren Hayes, he’s glad to be at work in Coalgate. The business responsibilities limit his time for practicing on tournament waters but provide a steady paycheck.
“I don’t have the sponsorship money to just do fishing alone. That’s the hard gist of it,” Palmer said.
He also acknowledges emotional ties for doing his part to keep the doors open at the hardware store that has been in the family of his mom Ann for so many year. Luke now owns the store with dad Tammy Palmer and his mother’s brother. “Can’t find anyone else to help run the store,” he said.
As much as Palmer values the above-average performance that keeps him in the Elites and working with sponsors, he would love to hoist a B.A.S.S. championship trophy.
“I want to win one. I thought after the (Lake Guntersville Elite) practice I really had a shot,” Palmer said.
As often happens, conditions changed. That's when anglers get to adapt, which Palmer did. However, execution also is key, and Palmer was unable to land the first fish he hooked, probably a 5-pounder.
“To win one, everything has to go right,” he said.
He was in the Top 10 the last two days, which meant he had a video camera in his boat. With live television coverage both mornings on FS1, in addition to coverage on bassmaster.com, viewers saw his resilience as he lost four fish in a row and still managed to catch a limit and stay in the Top 10, finishing eighth.
Close-to-Home Classic
One of the things Palmer likes about fishing the Elite Series is traveling to new fishing locales, from the St. Lawrence River and Lake St. Clair that straddle the U.S./Canadian border, to Florida, Alabama, South Carolina and several Texas lakes and rivers.
Sometimes the pro tour takes him to a lake that’s unfamiliar even though it’s not far from home. Case in point: Lake Ray Roberts, home of this year’s Classic.
Although neither Palmer nor Jones had fished Ray Roberts before qualifying for the Classic, both are eager to take on the lake less than 30 miles south of the Red River and east of Interstate 35.
“It’s got standing timber in it, it’s got a lot of offshore structure, and the way that it looks kind of reminds me of Fort Gibson,” Jones said. “And with the water being high, it could be similar to the way Fort Gibson fishes when it’s up.”
“I’m excited to get there. I know it’s got a lot of good fish in it and it’s going to be a fun Classic to be in,” Jones said a week before arriving in Texas.
Palmer said he spent most of his time at the lake before it went off limits to Classic anglers April 1 getting familiar with structure and how to get around. He fished nearby Lake Texoma over Memorial Day weekend to see how fish are responding during this period of unseasonably mild temperatures and high rainfall.
“It sets up pretty good for me, especially with the weather doing like it is,” said Palmer, who hopes to catch fish flipping willows and brush in midrange depths. “You’re going to have some good weights, especially with the lake being up. I think a lot more fish are going to be caught.”
Still, he thinks it will be a “grind,” with anglers competing for prime locations. “If I get 6, 7, 8 bites a day, I’ll be happy,” Palmer said.
Originally set for March, the 51st Bassmaster Classic was rescheduled for June in hopes vaccinations and other developments to curtail the COVID-19 pandemic would allow for the return of fans and industry representatives for what has become known as the Super Bowl of professional bass fishing.
Last year’s Classic, with attendance of more than 120,000 during a week of events in early March at Lake Guntersville and Birmingham, Alabama, was one of the last major national events to take place before the spread of COVID-19 shut down much of the nation.
Like the rest of the professional sports, B.A.S.S. had to suspend its competitive events during the uncertain times. However, as the year progressed, B.A.S.S. was able to regroup and conduct its full field of events on professional, pro-am, club, collegiate and youth levels, through which anglers qualify for the Classic.
Now that Palmer and Jones are in the Classic, they want to win. Palmer finished in 15th place last year. Jones ranked 39th in 2014.
As an Elite Series pro, Palmer places value on making the cut to championship Sunday, when only the top 25 anglers fish. In addition to the thrill of competition, the reward comes through consistent paychecks and more exposure for his sponsors.
“But don’t get me wrong, I’d love to win one,” Palmer said.
Jones is more likely to take risks to get the win. “I might end up 50th. But …I’ll be swinging for the fences, for sure,” Jones said.
IF YOU GO:
Bass fishing fans typically flock to the lake for early morning take-offs, to get a closer look at their favorite anglers in their boats. Some fans also follow along in their own boats. Of course, the bigger crowds will be in Fort Worth, where the industry-leading Bassmaster Classic Outdoors Expo and weigh-ins take place.
Events throughout the Bassmaster Classic are free and open to the public, although the host city charges a fee for parking at the Fort Worth venues.
Take-offs for competitive fishing days will be at 6:15 a.m. from Ray Roberts State Park’s Isle du Bois Unit.
Weigh-ins at Dickies Arena in Fort Worth are expected to begin about 4:30 p.m.
In between, fans are encouraged to check out the Outdoors Expo at the Will Rogers Memorial Center. Exhibitors will be onsite selling a variety of merchandise for fishing, hunting, camping and more.
Also planned for the enjoyment of children and families is the new Go Out(side) Experience.
For more information and live coverage of the take-offs, fishing and weigh-ins, go to bassmaster.com.
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