Stacey King by the numbers

Seasoned veteran reflects on bird dogs, competition, AOY race

There are many ways to profile an interesting individual like Stacey King, but after getting to know him a bit better, we thought that a numerical breakdown might make for an engaging presentation. Now, if you’ve already assumed we’re driving into a rehashed summation of this accomplished angler’s successful career, hit the brakes – we’re taking a detour.

In fairness, it’s important to note that King’s been at this game for nearly four decades, during which time he’s etched his name on the roster of great ones. But while the credentials merit respect, so does the individual. Moreover, the early goings of the 2011 Walmart FLW Tour season have generated some points worth noting. So here we go – Stacey King, by the numbers:

Personal glimpses

62: King’s age.



15: Years of marriage to wife, Peggy. The Kings call Reeds Spring, Mo., home.

3, 7 and 9: Ages of Witt, Langley and Zebby – the grandchildren with whom King enjoys spending much of his free time.

5: Number of English Pointers that King uses for his primary non-fishing recreation – quail and pheasant hunting. The dogs’ names are Sammy, Rip, Jake, Spud and Bob. Jake has the best nose, but 12-year-old Sammy has the best deal.

“He’s the oldest, so he doesn’t hunt anymore,” King said of Sammy. “He’s in retirement, and he lives the life of luxury.”

1: Number of people in the King household with an iPhone. That would be Peggy.

“She’s eat up with that thing,” King said. “I just have a regular phone that I can’t break when I drop it. I’m pretty good at that.”

4: Number of pieces King cuts his ham and cheese sandwiches into before a day on the water. He’ll eat one every couple of hours, wash it down with water or Gatorade G2 and supplement with energy bars throughout the day.

Breakfast depends on where he’s staying. He and Peggy often rent a house in the tournament venue, and that facilitates his preference for starting his day with bacon and eggs. If he has to do the hotel thing, he’ll grab cereal, pastries and bananas.

The business of bass fishing

1970: Year that King began fishing professionally. Starting his tournament career with the Ozarks Bass Club out of Springfield, Mo., he joined the Bassmaster ranks in the mid-`80s and started fishing FLW events in 2006.

King thanks his father’s cousin for introducing him to bass fishing in his elementary school years.

3: Bass-fishing legends that King credits with shaping his career – Tommy Martin, Larry Nixon and Rick Clunn.

“Those guys have been involved in this sport for a long time, and I’ve been involved with them through my relationship with Bass Pro Shops and Tracker Marine,” he said. “All of those guys are winners, and they’ve been involved with competitive bass fishing since it started. I’ve learned a lot from them, and I owe a lot to those guys.”

1: King’s ranking in FLW Tour Angler of the Year standings after the Beaver Lake and Lake Hartwell events. (He finished second and fourth, respectively, at those events.) King points to meticulous tackle preparation and intensive lake study – including Internet research and networking with local bass clubs and lake managers – for his performance.

“I started off with a good event at Beaver, and the patterns there were to my liking,” he said. “I like fishing in the Ozarks early in the year, so I felt comfortable starting out that way. But after two out of six events, it’s too early to start thinking about the points race. I’m trying to not let that influence my thinking too much right now. You get four or five behind you, and if you’re still in contention, well that’s different.

“Really, I haven’t felt like I’ve had any pressure on me. I’m just fishing and having a good time at it – just taking one day at a time, fishing hard, and seeing how it shakes out.”

1: The number of other anglers tied with King for first place in the AOY race on Tour. That would be none other than 2010 Angler of the Year Bryan Thrift, who won Beaver Lake and placed fifth at Hartwell. Although the two anglers have had only superficial interaction, King holds his younger competitor in high regard.

“Bryan seems like a really nice young man, and from what I’ve heard, his work ethic and his ability to catch fish are par excellence,” King said. “I look for him to go a long way in this business.”

31: Age difference between King and 31-year-old Thrift.

Of today’s younger generation of bass pros, King had this to say: “I think fishing is just a wonderful sport that the old and the young can enjoy and do well at, equally. As far as the competitive part of it goes, the older guys have different resources to rely on and pull from. But the younger fellows have things that we older guys can’t do. For instance, this energy to go out and practice 12 hours without getting worn out day after day – I can’t do that anymore. So both age groups have their advantages and disadvantages.”

Make no mistake, King’s a competitor, but he’s also quick to open up his playbook and pass along his wisdom to those who would seek it.

“I like helping young anglers along. I feel like I’ve helped quite a few of the young anglers that are on the Bassmaster and FLW Tour through the years. Maybe I’ve been a mentor to a few of the up-and-comers.

“That’s one thing in my career: I’ve always liked to see people catch fish. Hiding patterns and hiding the way you’re doing it – that’s never been my deal. I’m pretty open about what I’m doing, and I try to help people as much as I can.”

On the flipside, he’s open to the teaching of younger anglers.

“You never stop learning in this business, and if you do, you’re done. I’ve learned quite a few things from, for instance, Japanese anglers. Some of them are such wonderful finesse and light-tackle fishermen. I’ve always enjoyed that type of fishing, but the techniques they use are things I’ve started doing more and I catch a lot of fish doing it.

“Shin Fukae, for instance, is just an interesting young man who’s so good at finesse tactics. His flick shake method is something that I’ve picked up on, and it’s really been paying off for me.”

Looking ahead

4th: Order of the FLW Tour stop at King’s home lake, Table Rock, in this season’s schedule.

18: The age at which King started guiding on Table Rock.

20: Number of years King guided bass trips on Table Rock.

100: Percentage of confidence King has in his home-lake prowess.

“I’m very comfortable fishing my home lake. I’ve always done well there over the years, and I hope to do well there this time. But I feel comfortable fishing all of these bodies of water (on the FLW Tour). I just go and have a solid game plan when I get to the lake.”

0: Assumptions King will make about the remainder of the season.

“If I can survive Chickamauga – I don’t have to be leading the points – but if I’m still in contention, that’s where I’d like to be after this event. Hopefully, I’ll do well enough at Table Rock to stay there, and then we’ll just have two more to go. Every one that you get behind you and you’re still in contention, you have a shot at it.”

0: Minutes of sleep he’s lost lamenting the short bag (four fish) he weighed on day three of the Beaver Lake event. After the event, King noted that missing that one keeper most likely cost him the victory.

“I don’t even pay any attention to that,” he said. “That was just one of those things that happened that particular week. It’s gone, past, and I’m not going to worry about it a bit.

“I like (this season’s) schedule. I like the types of waters we’re fishing. But if I don’t catch any, what the heck. I’m too old to let it bother me too much. I’m just doing this because I really enjoy it. I love fishing, I love competitive fishing, and I also like the promotional end of the business. So, I’m just at a really good place in my life.”