Reel Chat with STETSON BLAYLOCK
FLW Tour young gun offers tournament fishing insights
– MODERATOR COMMENT –
Welcome to FLW Live Reel Chat. Today we’re joined by standout Walmart FLW Tour pro Stetson Blaylock. Coming off a Co-angler of the Year season in 2008, Blaylock, 21, has clearly made the adjustment to fishing as a pro. He recently became the youngest angler in history to win an FLW Tour event by outfishing many of the best bass anglers in the game when the Tour visited Lake Norman in North Carolina for the National Guard Open.
– MODERATOR COMMENT –
With all his co-angler success and now making waves as a touring pro, Blaylock is approaching the $400,000 mark in earnings in FLW Outdoors events, where he has amassed five wins and 19 top-10s from one side of the boat or another. Today, Stetson Blaylock is here to take questions from you, the fans. So, without further delay, let’s get started.
Q: You won the Co-angler of the Year title on the FLW Tour in 2008 and switched to the pro side in 2009. How difficult was that transition?
— Jon Pageler (New York, N.Y.)
A: The transition, as far as fishing goes, was simple. I get to do what I want to do now and concentrate solely on making the right decisions and making sure that what you’re doing is right. I fish out of my own boat at home, so it wasn’t a big deal from that standpoint. But the mental aspect was probably the hardest part. Being able to stay focused and make the right call can sometimes be challenging mentally. But sometimes you just have to overcome that.
Q: Stetson, what does it feel like to grab your first-ever FLW Tour win? Also, how does it feel to be the youngest angler to ever accomplish this feat?
— Jon Stebbins (San Diego, Calif.)
A: It feels good. It’s kind of unbelievable because it’s so hard to win a big event like that. You always set high goals in fishing, and it was fun to be the youngest ever. But whether I’m 20 or 40, I’m fishing to win. But it was neat to accomplish that so young because it is hard to get those type of wins.
Q: Stetson, congrats on your first Tour win. I was there and saw you win it. My question is this: What is the norm for tackle and number of rods for a co-angler on the Tour, and how do I go about hitching a ride with a pro on the practice days?
— Mike (Flat Rock, N.C.)
A: When I first started, I had way too much tackle and way too many rods. But you can usually get by with five or six rods total. And in that group, I’d have a couple spinning rods and two or three baitcasters. Tackle-wise, I stuck with four or five things that I know. I didn’t chase any of the wacky colors; I just stuck with what I like: green-pumpkin, watermellon, black-and-red and black-and-blue — those are the four main colors. In my tackle box, I always carried a 1-foot-by-1-foot square tackle box, nothing big. And I only put in there what I thought I might use. Don’t carry a bunch of extra junk. Nine times out of 10, you’ll be able to catch fish using something out of your box. I like to carry plenty of finesse worms, plenty of jigheads, shaky heads, small creature baits, Power Hawgs and Chigger Craws. I’ll also carry a couple of spinnerbaits and a ChatterBait or two.
Q: What is your go-to bait? Color? Weight?
— Ben (Lake Wales, Fla.)
A: It would be a finesse jig and 5/16-ounce in size. I don’t really have a go-to color, but I bring multiple skirt colors (about 40).
Q: What has been the biggest key to your success? Patience, secret baits, friends’ help, etc.?
— Mike Sperry (Boise, Idaho)
A: Probably just experience — fishing in general. You know, it takes all of those attributes to make that work, but time on the water is key. Making the right decision and sticking with that decision, being sharp and spending time on the water — that’s what’s important. I’ve been tournament fishing since I was 10 years old. And that’s one of the reasons I know what to do when the time comes, because I already have 11 years of tournament experience.
Q: What is your favorite fishing line and poundage?
— Ben (Lake Wales, Fla.)
A: My favorite line can vary. For baitcasters, I like to use Triline 100% fluorocarbon in 15-pound-test (size varies a little with each application). For spincasting rods, I use 10-pound Spiderwire Ultracast braided line, and then I tie on a 6-, 8- or 10-pound-test leader.
Q: Fishing as a co-angler, what do you think made you succeed over other co-anglers?
— Jamie (Orlando, Fla.)
A: Co-anglers don’t get the recognition they deserve. I have plenty of buddies who could jump in the front of the boat right now and do as well as I’m doing. But to answer the question, the biggest key as a co-angler is to bring three or four baits your comfortable with, stay focused and don’t lose concentration throughout the day. The other thing is that you don’t always have to catch five fish as a co-angler. But you need to concentrate on catching every bite you get. You need to make sure you maximize your chances to the fullest, make sure your tackle box is ready and be prepared to fish the entire eight hours.
Q: Stetson, Lake Hamilton is my home lake. I catch a lot of fish, but it is in shallow water (5-12 feet), and I have a hard time fishing the deeper brush piles. How should I position my boat to attack these, and how far away? I fish mostly at night. Also do you have any tips for night fishing on Hamilton?
— Dan (Hot Springs, Ark.)
A: When I fish over there, I don’t really worry about how close I get to the brush piles if they’re deeper than 12 feet. Just stay back enough to where you can make an effective cast. I like to fish brush piles with a good weedless jig or Texas rig. I like to use the lighter-weight baits so it doesn’t get snagged as much. Try to position your boat to where you’re casting from the root end of the tree toward the tip, where you’re working your bait that direction to avoid getting hung up as much as possible. As far as night-fishing tips, I’d use a big, black spinnerbait with a Colorado blade and a 7- or 10-inch Power Worm on a Texas rig.
Q: How do you go about fishing a lake that has rising water levels like Beaver? Who do you feel has an advantage at fishing these types of conditions?
— Doug Lane (Lewistown, Pa.)
A: This time of year I’m going to go shallow — I’m gong to concentrate in 5 feet or less. If it doesn’t work, I’ll move back out. A lot of it depends on how long the water levels have been up. Last year, for example, the water was up for a month when the tournament started. But this time, the water levels just moved up. A lot of times when the water levels just move up, the fish will stay where they are — at least for a while. To answer the second part of your question, I think flippers are going to be more successful. I think there are going to be some guys who just find a magic spot and will do well.
Q: Stetson, congratulations on your Lake Norman victory. What conditions do you think you will find at Beaver Lake, and what fishing techniques do you think will dominate?
— Mark Burris (Knoxville, Tenn.)
A: I think the situation has the water levels up, but won’t be as high as last year. But I don’t know if it’s going to be muddy or clear. If they pull muddy water back in the lake this year, it will be almost the same conditions as last year. But if they don’t and there is clear-water situation, it will fish a little differently than last year. But I think this year there will be a lot of fish that haven’t spawned yet. As far as techniques, that’s a tough one. It could be a flipping deal if the water is dirty; it could be a sight-fishing deal if the water is clear. So it’s impossible to tell at this point. If there were normal conditions, it would be a shaky-head tournament, but these aren’t going to be normal conditions.
Q: How do you think you will do at Beaver Lake? Is this lake your type of lake?
— Jeff Davis (Eugene, Ore.)
A: I go to every lake and think I can do well. I know Beaver Lake well, and I’ve fished it a bunch of times. But you really have to get on the right fish to be successful. Yes, I do like Beaver and hope I can find the right fish to possibly win again.
Q: I’m a co-angler from Mississippi, and I fish the BFL. Is there any advice you could give to me for when they are not biting? What is a good go-to bait? And what color and how do I fish it? Thank you.
— Greg Pittman (Walls, Miss.)
A: If the fish are not biting, your best bet is a shaky head, by far. Green-pumpkin is my favorite color; I use it all the time. Just fish it slowly.
Q: Stetson, what made you go with a jig despite all the dock talk saying that it doesn’t work well on Norman at that time of year?
— Alex (Roswell, Ga.)
A: It just so happened that the first day of practice I hadn’t even talked to anybody. I thought, I’ll just try skipping a jig around the docks. I wound up catching 13 pounds the first day of practice. A lot of times I just like to go against what people normally think you should do. I figured out early on that the fish were after reaction bites, and skipping jigs by docks was something a lot of the fish weren’t seeing. It doesn’t always work to go against the grain, but I knew I had a chance to catch big fish that way and it worked out.
Q: What people had the greatest influence on your decision to become a professional angler?
— Keith (Lonoke, Ark.)
A: My family has always supported me in whatever I did. They didn’t hold me back one lick. I can’t give credit to any one person, but my family as a whole really supported me the entire time.
Q: Hey, Stetson, how’s it been? Haven’t seen you since the BFL a few years ago when you won on Hamilton as a boater. Congrats on your Tour win. It’s awesome to see the success you’ve had over the past few years. My question for you is this: How did you go about getting the sponsors you have now? What all goes into it?
— Josh Tittle (Lake Village, Ark.)
A: That’s a tough question. Getting sponsors is probably the hardest thing in this sport, especially in this economy. A good start is to have a good resume, and you have to convince the people you’re going after that you’re going to do more for them than they are for you. If they think you can sell their product, they’ll be interested. But you really have to sell yourself.
Q: Stetson, were you throwing the jig at Norman exclusivously for bedding bass, or were you throwing it at other cover and structure, etc.?
— Mike A. (Flat Rock, N.C.)
A: I was throwing it at everything. I tried to keep it in my hands as much as possible. I skipped docks with it, threw it on beds, threw it in trees and threw it at stumps — it was just a very effective bait for me.
Q: I will be fishing on Georgia on Smith Mountain Lake in October. What would you recommed as bait?
— Jamie (Appliang, Ga.)
A: I’ve never been there, but in October, the fish are moving back in the creeks. A spinnerbait is a good way to catch them in the fall, topwaters are good as well, flukes and plastic minnow-type baits. The biggest key in the fall is finding the fish. Once you find them, you can even catch them on a finesse rig. If you find the fish, stick with the school and don’t let them get away from you.
Q: Stetson, if a co-angler shows up at the dock on practice days, can he usually be assured of getting to practice with a pro, or how do you go about doing this?
— Mike A. (Flat Rock, N.C.)
A: Here’s the way I did it. I don’t remember practicing for my first couple of tournaments. Then, after meeting a few people after a couple of events, I found practice partners that way. I never did stand on a dock and wait for a pro partner, but I know some people who do that and it might work for them. Over time, you’ll find people you trust and be able to fish with them a bunch of times in the future. I found a lot of practice partners from fishing with partners in tournaments. A lot of times it’s how you treat and respect your pros. If you’re good to them, it’s a lot easier to find pros to practice with in the future.
– MODERATOR COMMENT –
Unfortunately, fishing fans, that’s all the time we have to chat with Stetson today. Thanks to all who tuned in and participated in today’s Reel Chat. And a special thanks to Stetson Blaylock for giving us his time and insights into tournament fishing.