Reel Chat with CLIFFORD PIRCH
Recent FLW Tour winner fields questions from the fans about his Chickamauga victory, topwater fishing, Western anglers, and much more
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Welcome to FLW Live Reel Chat. Today we’re joined by bass pro Clifford Pirch of Payson, Ariz., who is fresh off of his first-ever FLW Tour win.
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With six top-10 finishes on the FLW Tour since 2005 as well as 14 top-10 finishes overall in FLW Outdoors events over the course of his young career, Pirch secured his first Tour win at Lake Chickamauga on April 14, pulling away from the field on the final day of competition and winning by nearly 7 pounds when all was said and done. In total, Pirch has amassed over $645,000 in career earnings from FLW Outdoors events since 2003.
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Today, Clifford Pirch is here to take questions from you, the fans. So, without further delay, let’s get started.
Q: Clifford, what did it feel like to get your very first FLW Tour victory?
— Titus Song (New York, N.Y.)
A: That’s an exciting one. It’s a milestone to get a Tour victory. I’ve had wins out West (including an FLW Series on Clear Lake in 2009), but it’s nice to get one out East. You always feel like you’re fighting an uphill battle against the Eastern guys when you leave the West. I didn’t have the luxury of knowing the secret little areas of Chickamauga — it was a real blessing to get the win. I feel very fortunate.
Q: Heading into the final day of competition on Chickamauga you were clinging to a 1-pound lead. How nervous were you on that final day? Also, when did you think to yourself, “You know, I just might win this?”
— Jim Interlandi (Chicago, Ill.)
A: I wasn’t so much nervous as excited. At that point I knew I was more than in the game. I felt like things had opened up and I had a good chance. Yeah, there were nerves with those caliber of anglers behind me, but I felt I needed to fish calmly throughout the day. The pressure did build up though. I finished the day on the water with a pretty good last stop. Anytime you finish the day on an up note, you really feel good. My last stop I caught a 6- and a 2 1/2-pounder in the last area, so I felt pretty good knowing it was a tougher day — although I knew it would have been real easy for somebody else to hit a pocket and catch 20 pounds and really blast them. You just never know until you see guys weighing in.
Q: Why did you use the shaky head the first two days? Was that for sight-fishing or just blind-casting?
— Tony (Knoxville, Tenn.)
A: I used that bait anywhere I’d had a bite in practice. I knew there were spawing fish, and I could go over to those areas and make that blind cast.
Q: You mentioned early in the week that there were a few other boats in your area. Who were they, and how did they fare?
— Hal (Dalton, Ga.)
A: I think they all did pretty good actually. Rob Kilby — I think he made the top-20 cut. I know Jason Cordiale and Jay Keith did pretty good as well.
Q: What was more exciting, catching that giant 38-pound bag on Clear Lake or catching the 6-pound kicker on Chickamauga?
— Bryan (Kelseyville, Calif.)
A: Man, that’s hard to put a value on. They’re both exciting. That day on Clear Lake was definitely fantasy world. But to put that last fish in the boat on Chickamauga was a great feeling. They both rank up there.
Q: I read somewhere that you had eight to 10 areas (at Chickamauga). Would you describe what your “best” area looked like?
— Alex (Paducah, Ky.)
A: My best areas had rocky banks with either lay-downs or wood-pole docks or both.
Q: What type of line did you use when skipping that jig around docks and to lay-downs?
— Blair (Prattville, Ala.)
A: I had 65-pound braid and 25-pound fluorocarbon leader.
Q: Congratulations on winning with tough conditions with a 
great sack here on the “Chick.” You seem to be a real class act. My question is this: A lot of the guys in my club get locked into topwater early in the morning this time of year. Are we wasting precious time?
— Dan Ratchford (Chattanooga, Tenn.)
A: No, I don’t think so. There was some topwater action, but the later you are in the spawn and beyond that, the topwater bite really becomes an advantageous pattern. It’s hard to make that pattern work when there is any cooling, in my experience. If the water is cooling off while the fish are spawning, for example, I’m not interested in a topwater pattern.
Q: Did you fish any topwater baits (at Chickamauga), and if so, which ones?
— Ian Jones (Knoxville, Tenn.)
A: I did not fish any topwater baits. I had a frog tied on. With the conditions we faced with cooling water temperatures, I didn’t employ that technique.
Q: What were your go-to baits during the Chickamauga event?
— Jon Pageler (San Francisco, Calif.)
A: I threw a number of things, but basically it boiled down to a jighead worm with an 1/8-ounce Redemption jighead with 10-pound braid and a 10-pound fluorocarbon leader. Then my main sight-fishing tool was a Roboworm creature bait with 20-pound fluorocarbon line. I also used a green-pumpkin pepper jig on 65-pound braid and a 25-pound fluorocarbon leader.
Q: What’s bigger, winning the U.S. Open or an FLW Tour event?
— Mark S. (Sacramento, Calif.)
A: I feel like it’s been a blessing to win both. To get the kind of TV coverage you get winning a Tour event, that’s pretty exciting. I’ve enjoyed both. The U.S. Open is like the Super Bowl out West, but winning the Tour was very exciting in many ways.
Q: What other tournaments should I pick you for for Fantasy Fishing? The Western guys confuse me.
— Nicholas (Leeds, Ala.)
A: I do like spawning tournaments with plenty of sight-fishing opportunities. I’m excited about Table Rock, but I don’t know if it’s going to happen with all of the flooding.
Q: Who is your new sponser — HPR?
— Mike (Atlanta, Ga.)
A: It’s a new ammunition company out of Arizona. it’s all American components and American-inspected. It fits the outdoors recreation market, and it’s a neat match. I’m really excited to promote a company that has a great product that truly fits in the outdoor world. And, Mike, if you’re an ammo buyer, go to Scottsdaleammo.com and type in promo code “Cliff”.
Q: Hey, Clifford. I hope you have plenty of those baits you and I used on Clear Lake last year on day one.
— DeJon (Ventura, Calif.)
A: The good thing is that I have some good friends at Roboworm, and if I ever need anything, they can always help 
me out.
Q: What are your plans for Table Rock with the high water?
— Mac (El Dorado, Ark.)
A: Well, essentially I’d like to fish a spawning tournament, but don’t know what to expect. However, with a new moon and a colder spring, I’m hoping for some late spawners. Hopefully I’ll be able to fish a postspawn pattern as well.
Q: Did you panic at all when the water dropped and all your bed-fish disappeared?
— Greg (Little Rock, Ark.)
A: You know, it certainly can break your spirit. When you lose 75 percent or more of your waypoints, it hurts your confidence. I probably had 75 to 100 beds marked, but when the water levels drop 2 feet, basically all of those were now gone. I had to start fresh and felt fortunate to get something going midmorning. And that really helped.
Q: What’s the hardest part about traveling with your whole family?
— Mack (Tacoma, Wash.)
A: I guess the hardest thing is to balance your focus on bass fishing and being a dad and being a husband.
Q: Why do you think the pros from out West have been so successful on the FLW Tour over the past few years?
— Jon Stebbins (San Diego, Calif.)
A: That’s a tough one. It’s hard for me to pin down any one reason. There’s so much variety with Western fisheries that guys are able to take those experiences and directly translate Western techniques/knowledge to a lot of the lakes out East and sometimes gain an edge. But overall, I don’t think there is a whole lot of difference between the Eastern and Western guys.
Q: How do you approach a lake you’ve never fished before? I’m always amazed by how well the pros do when they head to a new lake the first time. Any advice?
— Matt Hunt (San Diego, Calif.)
A: You start with a little idea about the seasonal pattern. Then you try to gain some evidence about which stage the fish are in regarding that pattern. When you head out on the water, you have to fish in that exact moment because conditions are going to change and progress differently from day to day. During practice it’s your chance to get an idea what the lake is offering so you want to see a good section of the lake — you don’t want to be hunkered down in one spot. That’s the time to get an overview of the lake and match my strengths with the opportunities the lake is offering.
Q: Hey, Cliff. Arent you glad you didn’t have to fish with my mother last year on day one at Clearlake? 🙂
— DeJon L. (Ventura, Calif.)
A: I’m sure we would have found a way to make that work.
– MODERATOR COMMENT –
Unfortunately, that’s all the time we have to chat with Clifford today. Thanks, once again, to all the fans who tuned in and participated in today’s Reel Chat. And a special thanks to Clifford Pirch, the recent FLW Tour winner on Lake Chickamauga, for giving us his time and insights into bass fishing. Check back shortly for a complete transcript of today’s FLW Live Reel Chat.