Reel Chat with RAY SCHEIDE
– MODERATOR COMMENT –
Welcome to FLW Live Reel Chat. Today we’re joined by standout Walmart FLW Tour pro Ray Scheide. With nearly $667,000 in career earnings in FLW Outdoors events, the Team BP pro now has 19 top-10 finishes to his credit as well as two major FLW Tour victories – a 2004 title at Lake Okeechobee in the very first FLW Tour event of his career as well as the 2009 Walmart Open title at Beaver Lake.
– MODERATOR COMMENT –
Today, Ray Scheide is here to take questions from you, the fans. So, without further delay, let’s get started.
Q: Congratulations on your win at the Walmart Open. My question is this: Which victory was more satisfying — your first FLW Tour victory at Lake Okeechobee in 2004 or your 2009 FLW Tour win at Beaver Lake?
— Jon Pageler (New York City, N.Y.)
A: I think the Beaver Lake tournament was more satisfying. Going through five years without a win makes you appreciate winning a whole lot more.
Q: Since you said you really didn’t have a pattern on Beaver Lake, how did you go about finding enough fish over four consecutive days to win the title? And isn’t that kind of fishing pretty stressful?
— Tom Rinaldi (Hot Springs, Ark.)
A: Yes, it’s stressful. But most of the tournaments I do well in I don’t have the pattern or locations nailed down. It forces you to go fishing every day. You usually do better with an open mind. Usually somebody who wins an event that is four days long, usually that person needs to make an adjustment over some period. You need to listen to what the fish want you to do.
Q: You said you tried to “just go fishing” the last two days of the Beaver Lake tourney. For a pro, what does that really mean?
— Edgar Allar (Smithtown, Va.)
A: You might have a starting spot and an idea on how to catch fish and get a bite, but most days I’d go two hours in the morning without a bite, so I decided to change things up. Once you can get one or two bites and identify the similar things about those two bites, you can start to put together a pattern for that day.
Q: How suprised were you when you found out you’d won the 2009 Walmart Open title?
— Titus Song (Minneapolis, Minn.)
A: It ranks up there with one of the top five surprises in my life — mostly because I didn’t think the people in front of me were going to stumble, as most of those guys had been catching them well all week.
Q: Congrats on the great win at Beaver. Even with the win, you’re not a definite shoo-in for a Cup qualification. How will you approach the last two events of the regular season from 32nd in the standings?
— Jon Edmonton (Fairfax, Iowa)
A: I won’t fish any differently than I’ve fished all year. I’ve found in the past, when you fish for points, you usually come up just shy of where you set your goals. If you fish to win, you’ll be where you’ll need to be by the end of the year.
Q: Ray, I am 21 years old, and I am an Arkansas boy myself. I fish two bass clubs right now, but I watched you guys at the weigh-in in Rogers last week and, man, that is my dream! Is it hard for just a kid like myself to compete with you pros?
— Adam Hamilton (Magazine, Ark.)
A: Once you figure out what you want to do in life, the only thing holding you back is yourself. I’m living proof you can do whatever you want to in life. As a 21-year-old, my recommendation would be to fish as a co-angler for three or four years with the best anglers in the world and really put that knowledge to use as you go forward. That is probably the quickest way to becoming a pro that can compete at the FLW Tour level.
Q: Do you miss the good old days of fishing team tournaments in Oklahoma?
— Sallie West (Oklahoma City, Okla.)
A: Those are the days I’ll never forget. I’ve made some lifelong friends fishing those tournaments.
Q: Pros typically cover a lot of water during a normal tournament day. How often do you stay in one spot, and what factors lead you to move on to another spot?
— Wyatt Wilson (Rockwood, Tenn.)
A: It depends on the lake. If, for instance, on Lake Guntersville where there is a large population of large bass and you’re not getting bites, you know you have to move. On Beaver Lake, I was targeting largemouth bass, and you had to get in the mind-set with the conditions we had — rising water, clouds, etc. You knew it was going to be a grind, and you’d get less than 10 bites a day. On Beaver Lake you had to be patient. You just had to put yourself in a good area and grind it out.
Q: It sounds like you know Jason Christie pretty well. He stumbled on day four, but I think he is a rising superstar in this sport. What are your thoughts?
— Greg (Owasso, Okla.)
A: Absolutely agree. I don’t think it will take him long to get his first win. He’s definitely a superstar in the making.
Q: Congrats on your win at Beaver Lake. Next stop Kentucky: What kind of fisherman will take this one, and what kind of weight will it take to make the cutoff?
— Holly Brinkley (Bradford, Ark.)
A: I would say that the structure fishermen are probably going to excel at Kentucky Lake. Grass can play a role, and ledges will definitely play a role, so structure fishermen will have an advantage. I would say that it will take 18 1/2 pounds per day to make the cut, so 37 pounds (over the opening round).
Q: After going nearly five years without an FLW Tour victory, how difficult was it to maintain your focus/drive over such a long period of time?
— Jon Stebbins (San Diego, Calif.)
A: It’s not too difficult. I had several top-10s and missed winning half a million dollars in 2006 by a couple ounces. You don’t lose focus, but you do get an appreciation for how difficult it is to pull off a win.
– MODERATOR COMMENT –
Unfortunately, fishing fans, that’s all the time we have to chat with Ray today. Thanks to all who tuned in and participated in today’s Reel Chat. And a special thanks to Ray Scheide for giving us his time and insights into tournament fishing. Check back shortly for a complete transcript of today’s FLW Live Reel Chat.