Fukae defies long odds, cultural barrier to win 2004 FLW Angler of the Year award

Japanese native enters record books as first foreign-born angler to capture coveted FLW prize

PLATTSBURGH, N.Y. – Heading into Lake Champlain, Shinichi Fukae of Osaka, Japan, knew that a special place in bass-fishing history was within his grasp. Already leading a talented field in the prestigious FLW Land O’Lakes Angler of the Year race, Fukae needed one more stellar outing to secure a place in the record books. But would the pressure finally get Fukae?

To be sure, Fukae had every excuse in the book at his disposal if he were to fail. For starters, Fukae had a tremendous language and cultural barrier to overcome all year. In addition, Fukae had never had the luxury of fishing any of the FLW Tour lakes until this season – a huge disadvantage when stacked up against the likes of FLW Tour veterans Larry Nixon, Rick Clunn, Clark Wendlandt, David Dudley, David Walker, Guido Hibdon, Dean Rojas, Dan Morehead or any of the other top North American competitors he faced in each and every FLW competition.

But then again, Fukae wasn’t like any other rookie to ever fish the FLW Tour. As the reigning Japan Bass Angler of the Year, Fukae approached every tournament with relentless precision. As an extraordinarily studious competitor, Fukae diligently and meticulously charted the conditions surrounding each and every catch all year long. He used his GPS the way a classical painter would use a brush. He studied the weather as if he were a seasoned meteorologist. And he practiced as much as he possibly could – knowing that he had no choice but to invest himself totally into his research if he were to have any chance of competing with the Americans.

While the task was formidable, the results were almost immediate. At the first tournament of the year (and his rookie debut) at Lake Okeechobee, Fukae finished in fourth place, outfishing 196 other competitors in the process. At the Atchafalaya Basin the next month, he landed in 11th place. At Old Hickory Lake in March, Fukae proved human for seemingly the first and only time all year, recording a modest 71st-place finish. From there, however, there was no looking back. At the Wal-Mart Open at Beaver Lake in April and at Kentucky Lake in May, Fukae compiled two more top-10 finishes, sixth and fifth place, respectively.

By the time the final regular-season event on Lake Champlain had arrived, Fukae’s nascent American fishing career had finally come together. And, as usual, it didn’t take Fukae long to make an impact. With everything on the line, the Japanese native netted a 17-pound, 4-ounce catch on the opening day of competition to position him perfectly for yet another run at a tournament title. However, with Greg Hackney breathing down his back and FLW Tour veterans Mike Surman, Tracy Adams, Wendlandt and Walker well within striking distance of the AOY award, Fukae didn’t have much room for error.

But as it turned out, the other pros never had a chance. By the time Thursday’s competition had concluded, Fukae made sure that no other angler had a mathematical chance at winning the AOY award. In the end, Fukae’s 14-pound, 1-ounce stringer on the second day of competition was good enough for a 24th-place finish on Lake Champlain as well as an indelible place in the record books.

For his efforts, Fukae took home the AOY honors, a check for $25,000, a brand new Ranger boat and more than $110,000 in winnings on the FLW Tour for the 2004 season as well as the respect and admiration of bass-fishing competitors and fans alike. Not bad for a 32-year-old angler stranded more than 6,700 miles away from home.

Q&A with Shinichi Fukae

In an effort to get some better insight into Fukae’s American debut on the tour, FLWOutdoors.com sat down with the newest FLW Angler of the Year to find out what made this most improbable run possible.

FLWOutdoors.com: Did you ever think in your wildest dreams that you would win the FLW Angler of the Year award in your first season?

Fukae: No, I still can’t believe it.

FLWOutdoors.com: Were you nervous heading into the Lake Champlain tournament, knowing that you were so close to winning the AOY award?

Fukae: I couldn’t sleep at all. I was thinking about everything – the wind, the weather and the places I was going to fish. I was very nervous.

FLWOutdoors.com: How difficult was it coming from Japan – not knowing the language or having any experience fishing American waters – and trying to compete on the FLW Tour?

Fukae: I feel like I had a handicap all year. I couldn’t speak English. I didn’t know what weights were good enough to win. So I knew I had to practice very hard. I made sure that I got to the lakes earlier than anyone else.

FLWOutdoors.com: On average, how much time did you spend practicing before each FLW tournament?

Fukae: Two weeks per tournament. For me, studying for a tournament is a little like studying for exams back home. I still get very nervous in my stomach before each tournament.

FLWOutdoors.com: You said that, at the beginning of the season, you never thought you had a chance at winning the AOY award. So what were your goals early on?

Fukae: In the beginning, I didn’t care about how much weight I caught. My goal was just to come in 50th place or higher at every tournament.

FLWOutdoors.com: Did your bass-fishing experience in Japan help you in any way once you got to America?

Fukae: My experience on Lake Biwa (near Kyoto, Japan) helped. The lake is the largest in Japan and only about an hour away from my house. I was able to use a lot of the same techniques in America that I used on Lake Biwa. The lake is very shallow in the south – like Okeechobee – and very deep in the north. There is matted grass and other (structure) that is similar to the lakes we fished this year.

FLWOutdoors.com: When did you first start fishing competitively?

Fukae: I started fishing when I was 8 years old. And I started fishing competitive bass-fishing tournaments when I was 18 years old. I’m 32 years old now, but in my heart, I still feel like I’m only 20.

FLWOutdoors.com: Which AOY award was more difficult – the award you won in Japan or on the FLW Tour?

Fukae: This one. It’s a lot harder to win the angler of the year here. There are so many great anglers on the FLW Tour.

FLWOutdoors.com: Many bass-fishing fans are probably going to have a difficult time understanding just how you overcame such long odds to win the AOY award. How exactly did you do it? And what factors played a part in your title?

Fukae: I was kind of lucky we didn’t have a lot of bad weather on the tour all year. Because the conditions stayed relatively the same at each tournament, I didn’t have to make too many adjustments. If the weather had changed a lot, I think some of the veterans like Guido Hibdon and others would have had an advantage over me because they would have been able to adapt a little bit better.

FLWOutdoors.com: Do you feel like you’ve already mastered the art of bass fishing in American waters?

Fukae: I know I won the Angler of the Year award. But I also know I still have a lot to learn.

FLWOutdoors.com: Do you plan to fish next year on the FLW Tour?

Fukae: My goal is to stay in America and fish as long as I can or as long as I have enough money to fish. I would like to get some American sponsors though. I’m going to try and save all the money I win so I can fish next year. That’s why I’m staying in a (motor home).

FLWOutdoors.com: Now that you’ve made the FLW Championship scheduled for this August on Logan Martin Lake, how are you going to prepare?

Fukae: I’ve already been practicing at Logan Martin. I spent a couple of weeks there earlier this season. And I’m going to go back and practice some more. But first, I’m going back to Japan. When I return, I’ll do some more practicing. The one thing I do know is that it is very hot (in Alabama). Very hot.

FLWOutdoors.com: By qualifying for the FLW Tour Championship, you will be competing for a top prize of $500,000. Is that surprising to you?

Fukae: (Smiling) I’d never thought I’d be fishing for $500,000.

Editors note: FLWOutdoors.com would like to thank FLW Tour co-angler Michi Oba of Tokyo, Japan, for providing the translation during this interview.