Every year in America, there are a number of anglers who decide to make bass tournament fishing their career. As in other professional sports, the majority will fall short of their dream. Only a small minority, who are both talented and lucky, will succeed.
Thirty-three-year-old David Walker, who lives in Cannon, a tiny, rural community in the mountains of eastern Kentucky, is one of those dedicated and enthusiastic anglers who is climbing major rungs up the career ladder of pro bassing. Since the inception of the Wal-Mart FLW Tour, Walker has had seven top-10 finishes. He has also finished 11th twice, 12th once, and 13th once. Walker has earned a check in every Wal-Mart FLW tournament but one!
Walker, whose mother is deceased, lives with his 71-year-old father, Vernon. His father is legally blind, so he does not get to attend as many of David’s tournaments as he would like. Vernon, however, keeps up with the tournament standings when his son is on the road and to quote David, “gives me grief if I don’t do good.”
Bass Fishing: How did your love for fishing evolve into a career?
Walker: I grew up in Michigan, and I could ride my bike down to a boat livery. I counted crawlers (nightcrawlers) and boxed them up for sale. In exchange, the people who owned the place would let me use a rental boat.
The old fellows caught pike and bass. I fished for whatever. I didn’t care.
Every year for my birthday, Dad would take me fishing on Lake St. Clair. We would drift with minnows and nightcrawlers to catch perch, walleye, and smallmouth bass.
After high school, I was at a local boat show when I saw a booth for a bass club, the Oakland County Bassmasters. I signed up. I didn’t have a boat at the time, but I wanted to learn more about bass fishing.
I fished with the club for three years, and I bought my first bass boat. My final year, I was angler of the year, and the club won the state championship.
Bass Fishing: Where did your fishing go from there?
Walker: Most of my family lived in Knox County, Kentucky, and I started hauling my boat to Kentucky and fishing with my cousin. In 1990, dad was ready to retire, and he wanted to move back to Kentucky. I had been ready to move to Kentucky for a long time. So, we did.
After we moved, I bought a new bass boat from Southeast Marine in Corbin. Then, I started looking for a bass club to join. I told my cousin I was going to join the Tri-County Club in Corbin. My cousin advised against it. He told me, “Those guys are pros.”
I fished and learned a lot from the club. I was angler of the year, and my final year, I was elected president.
Bass Fishing: When did you start fishing tournaments outside your club?
Walker: In 1992, I told one of the bass club members that I had decided to fish Red Man. I remember what he said, because it was the same thing that my cousin had told me when I decided to join the bass club. He told me, ” You don’t want to do that, those guys are a bunch of pros.”
It didn’t discourage me. In 1994, I was the points champion in the Mountain Division. (A title that he claimed again in 1998.) During that same time, I fished some of the Golden Blend tournaments as a no-boater. I had never fished a tournament where you stayed away from home. I roomed and practiced with Bill Taylor. He has taught me more about fishing than anyone.
After that I started fishing the Red Man Pro-Ams as a boater. I didn’t know that it would eventually develop into the Wal-Mart FLW Tour. In fact, I considered focusing my attention on the B.A.S.S. circuit. Charlie Evans told me that I was doing exactly what I needed to do. So, I stuck with it. When the changes took place, I was glad that I did.
Bass Fishing: You have created an impressive record on the Wal-Mart FLW Tour for someone who is new to pro fishing. Tell us about your rookie year?
Walker: The first year of the tour, there was only one tournament with a first prize of $100,000 and the entry fee was $1,500 as compared to $500 for the others. I had heard that all the big-name pros were going to fish the tournament. So, I was afraid to pay my deposit for it.
By the time the big tournament rolled around, I was leading the FLW angler-of-the-year race. I tried to get in the tournament, but it had filled up. I ended up losing the title by only 5 pounds, even though I missed a tournament.
Because I almost won the title, Sammy Lee with Ranger boats contacted me, and I had my first sponsor. OMC also agreed to help me. After that, I was contacted by Gambler/B.A.N.G.
Bass Fishing: How is your goal of becoming a professional bass fisherman going?
Walker: In 1998, I quit my job at a machine shop to fish full-time. I had actually quit the job two years ago when they wouldn’t give me time off to fish a regional. After the regional, they called me back, and we worked out a schedule where I could work part-time when I was home.
But, it finally got to the point where I simply had too much to do. The job didn’t leave me enough time to prepare for the next tournament. When you’re a pro fisherman, you wear a lot of hats- mechanic, clothes washer, etc.
I was also missing out on opportunities with my sponsors. Sponsors are 9-to-5-ers. I didn’t have time to stay in touch with them at the machine shop. By the time I got home, it was too late to call them. Now, I have more time to help my sponsors. I visit bait shops and boat dealers to promote my sponsors’ products.
Bass Fishing: Fishing fans don’t always realize what a demanding schedule professional anglers have. Describe your schedule this year?
Walker: I started the year by going to the St. Johns River (FL) in January to pre-fish for a tournament. Then, I left there and went to Okeechobee to pre-fish for the Wal-Mart FLW tournament. I went back to the St. Johns to fish a tournament. As soon as it was over, I returned to Okeechobee for the Wal-Mart FLW tournament.
As soon as that tournament was over, I fished the EverStart tournament on Okeechobee. I spent the first week of February at Lake Martin (AL) and then I was home for three days. I left to go to Lake Murray (SC) for the Wal-Mart FLW tournament and then on to West Point (AL) for the EverStart.
I was home for awhile to check on dad. Then, I left for Lake Lanier (GA) for the next Wal-Mart FLW tournament.
This April, I travel to Santee Cooper (SC) for the EverStart, and I leave from there and head to Beaver Lake (AR) for the Wal-Mart Open.
After that I fish the EverStart tournament on Eufaula in May. Then, I leave there and drive straight to Memphis for the next Wal-Mart FLW event.
Bass Fishing: What is something totally revolutionary that you would like to see happen in tournament fishing?
Walker: I would like to see some team competition. There could be a Ranger team, Chevy team, EverStart team, Coca-Cola team, and so on. The members of the team would be paid a regular salary, just like a professional basketball team, to fish tournaments around the country to promote their sponsor.
Because the tournaments would be held at different times and places, a team would recruit fishermen with different skills. You would want some structure fishermen, some sight fishermen, some flippers, top-water experts, and so forth.
The emphasis would be on a team’s success, not an individual fisherman winning money.
Bass Fishing: What do you feel has been the most important factor in helping you succeed as a tournament competitor?
Walker: Some people are just better at certain things than others. You have to have desire.
I pay attention to everything. Even when I was a non-boater, I studied the successful guys. The little things are what people overlook.
I keep my mouth shut and I listen. I go to seminars. The top guys tell more of their secrets there than anywhere else, because the audience is seldom fellow competitors.
Last year I drove to Knoxville, Tennessee, to listen to Tommy Biffle. After the seminar he said, “I hate it when guys like you are in the audience.” Tommy, like a lot of the pros, wants to do a good job, and he tells the audience some great information.