Reel Chat with SAM NEWBY
– MODERATOR COMMENT –
Hello, FLW fishing fans. Welcome to FLW Live Reel Chat, the latest interactive feature on FLWOutdoors.com. Joining us today is Sam Newby, winner of the 2005 EverStart Series Championship. Newby, a native of Pocola, Okla., boasts more than $480,000 in career earnings and owns 10 top-10 finishes at FLW Outdoors events. In addition to collecting $140,000 for winning the most recent EverStart Championship, Newby also holds two additional titles – finishing first at the FLW Tour Lake Champlain event in 2002 and first at the EverStart Series Central Division event on Fort Gibson in 2000. Newby’s FLW Outdoors career began back in 1996 when he started fishing the Wal-Mart BFL Okie Division.
– MODERATOR COMMENT –
Throughout the next 30 minutes or so, Sam Newby is here to chat about the thrill of winning the 2005 EverStart Championship, life as a competitive bass angler and just about anything else you might want to ask him. So fire away, fishing fans. Sam is eagerly awaiting your questions.
– MODERATOR COMMENT –
Editor’s Note: FLWOutdoors.com moderators retain editorial control over Live Reel Chat discussions and choose the most relevant questions for guests and hosts.
Q: Congratulations on your victory (at the EverStart Championship)! How do you prepare for a large tournament like that one?
— Michael Bonner (Loganville, GA)
A: I prepare for all large tournaments the same way. I try to practice between four and seven days. This place was big, so I practiced seven days; there was a lot of water to cover. I basically tried to break it down by lakes. I prefished the first day on Wheeler because I was more familiar with that one. Then I went to Pickwick and fished some areas I had fished in the past, but I really didn’t do that well there. Then I went to the opposite end of Pickwick and practiced again for another day with fair success. Then I went to Wilson one day and didn’t do well there. And the final place I went was Bay Springs, but I didn’t like how it worked out, so I went back to Pickwick for the remainder of my prefishing. Ultimately I spent the whole tournament at Pickwick.
Q: If you were to list three main factors as keys to your success at this level of competition, what would they be? (By the way, congratulations at Pickwick!)
— Matt Mroczek (Osceola, IN)
A: Confidence is No. 1. It’s that way with anything in life. I guess perseverance and ability would be the other two. I’m able to break down water quicker and make decisions quicker. You have to remain extremely focused, and that comes with experience.
Q: With respect to the fact that much of your success is due to your own mental and physical prowess, there is a saying, “Behind every successful man there is a woman.” What role has your wife played in helping you become the man you are today – both personally and professionally? Knowing you are for real, inside and out, and wanting to give credit where credit is due, I’d like to say Kudos to your wife for a job well done! Way to go, Sam! Good luck next year!
— Teresa (West Monroe, LA)
A: My wife has played a really big part. She’s supported me from the beginning. I couldn’t have ever done this without the support at home. She keeps track of all the paperwork and bills while I’m on the road. I’ve gone through many highs and lows, and my wife has been extremely helpful through many of those lows.
Q: I am going to fish the BFL for the first time. I have fished competively for three years at the local level, and I think it is time to move up to the next level. How realistic is it to move up through the BFL to the FLW Tour?
— Steve Hilton (Lawrenceburg, KY)
A: You can move from the BFL to the FLW Tour, but you have to go through the Stren (EverStart) Series first. That’s how I moved up. The first year I fished an EverStart, I won a tournament and I was able to build from there.
Q: How do you get started as a co-angler even if you have never entered a tournement?
— Oliver (Sterling Heights, MI)
A: I guess I’d go to Wal-Mart, pick up a BFL brochure and figure out which local divisions you can fish. Then you can start as a nonboater and start to learn from the pros. That’s probably the best place to start.
Q: I would like to retire from my current profession and fish full-time, but the money issue and finding sponsors hold me back. What course of action would you advise for someone who is just starting out in tournament fishing (on a local level) to make it big at the pro level someday?
— Shannon Jones (Grayson, KY)
A: You’ve got to make sponsors aware by winning tournaments. Start at the local level and win a lot of tournaments, and then keep moving up to bigger divisions and tournament trails. But even if you make it to the FLW Tour, there’s no guarantee you’ll get sponsors. It’s definitely a long road to hoe to get there. There are other factors than fishing that go into getting sponsors as well. You have to be personable and be able to speak to people. I was told a long time ago that it’s not how many fish you catch but how many boats you can sell. And that’s true, to a certain extent. Ultimately, you have to sell yourself to the sponsors.
Q: What area of Pickwick were you fishing (to win the EverStart Championship), and did you use any techniques other than a brown jig to catch your fish?
— Dan Carlson (Santa Margarita, CA)
A: The specific area of Pickwick I fished was along the Alabama/Tennessee border. And during the tournament I caught all of my fish on a brown jig – a homemade jig to be exact.
Q: I just completed my first year as a co-angler and learned a huge amount. I plan on fishing another season as a co-angler. Do you have any advice for someone fishing out of the back of the boat that might help?
— Steve (Bloomington , IN)
A: Most of the co-anglers who have done well behind me have fished slow. They’ve downsized their baits and tackle and really take the time to fish areas that I’ve missed.
Q: I’m wondering how to catch more fish in the fall. What’s best, a jig-and-pig or crankbaits? How deep?
— Dustin Palmer (Benton , AR)
A: It really depends on the area of the country you live in, but I’d say spinnerbaits and buzzbaits work well in the fall. Once the water gets down in the 60s, you can usually catch fish in 6 feet of water or less, assuming the water is somewhat colored or stained.
Q: What kind of line do you use: brand, size and types?
— Doug (Clarksburg, WV)
A: I use different sizes and types for different situations. But mostly, I use Berkley 15- or 20-pound Big Game line. I usually use clear line, 90 percent of the time.
Q: At some point or another, we all experience high points and low points in our personal and/or professional lives. Whenever any highs and lows may have come your way during your career of fishing in tournaments, how have you focused on getting to the point where you are today on the tour?
— Truman (West Monroe, LA)
A: I guess it comes down to confidence. I’ve never lost confidence in my ability to catch fish even in rough times. When I had my big slump, I tried to fish in a different way than what I was used to. But then I switched back to fishing the way I like to fish, and I was able to get out of my slump and have a good rest of the year. I really like to power fish – pitching a jig or throwing a spinnerbait. That’s just what works best for me.
Q: What makes you think you can’t throw the jig on Okeechobee?
— Cole (Minnetonka, MN)
A: You can throw a jig on Okeechobee, but I’ve had way better success fishing soft plastics, like a Sweet Beaver. The reason is that the mats are so thick and tight that a weed guard on the jig picks up a lot of weeds. I like to use a 1 1/2-ounce weight on 80-pound Spiderwire to break through those grass mats. Those mats are some of the most dense mats we face on the FLW Tour, assuming the hurricane hasn’t washed them away this year.
Q: FLW is rumored to hold events in Canada. Would you enjoy fishing Ontario’s natural lakes, and what are your thoughts on this subject?
— Mike Jones (Emory, TX)
A: I’ve never fished in Canada, personally, but I really like Northern fishing. I fish Lake Vermillion in northern Minnesota, and that’s a great place to fish. If they bring tournaments up there, I’d love to go.
Q: Sam, congrats on Pickwick. On tour, do you condense your tackle to just the time of year and type of lake, or do you take the whole store to the tournament? If condensing, what colors and type baits do you take along?
— Brian Hufhines (Amarillo, TX)
A: In the past, I used to take a whole lot of extra tackle in my truck with me. But this year, I narrowed it down a lot more to predominantly jigs and spinnerbaits. Basically, I use about 20 different colored jigs and about 10 different spinnerbaits. My jig color choices depend on the water color, the bottom color, the color of the algae and the type of light during the day. For spinnerbaits, I like white, chartreuse and brown – they’re great fall colors as well. Basically, my spinnerbaits don’t look a whole lot different from each other with the exception of color emphasis. Overall, narrowing down my tackle selections has allowed me to be a whole lot more focused.
– MODERATOR COMMENT –
Unfortunately, that’s all the time we have today. Sam wanted to thank the fans again for coming out and participating in his chat. He wishes everyone well and hopes to see you along the tour next year.
– MODERATOR COMMENT –
Tune in for the next FLW Live Reel Chat. You can bet we’ll have another compelling pro on deck to answer all of your questions.