Sunday, October 27, 2002
Forty-year-old Mark Wilkinson may not be the youngest rookie if he qualifies for the national FLW Tour for pro bass anglers, but he'll be among the most determined.
Wilkinson, of Columbiana, is a lifelong angler but only recently a tournament fisherman. He was bitten so severely by the competition bug, however, that he's set his sights on the big time and is on the verge of making the jump.
Fished as a youngster
"I fished as a kid on Salem Reservoir and walked the shoreline or cast from a rowboat," Wilkinson said about his early years as an angler. "That taught me a lot about fishing with weightless worms and other finesse tactics and helped me progress to where I am today." He decided a few years ago that it was time to test his skills competitively, particularly after he watched the Red Man All-American Championship on television.
"The announcer was explaining how people got involved in tournament bass fishing, including the fact that some of the competitors were non-boaters. I decided to call the people who ran the former Red Man tournaments (today they are part of the Walmart Bass Fishing League sanctioned by FLW Outdoors) to see how I could get involved."
Wilkinson spent his first season as a tournament angler casting from the back deck of other anglers' boats.
"We got to the last tournament of the year at Tanner's Creek (near Cincinnati on the Ohio River), and I was paired with a guy who was flipping real close to the cover. I wanted to fish a little differently, so I decided it was time to get my own boat," Wilkinson said.
Applied some logic
He was applying a bit of logic he learned from his father.
"He always told me that I should fish the way that I thought would be best, not by copying what others were doing," Wilkinson said. "So that's what I have done, just basically modifying what I learned as a kid."
This year, Wilkinson narrowly missed his goal of qualifying for the FLW Tour, a nationwide circuit for pro bass anglers. In fact, were it not for equipment problems at Lake Champlain on the Vermont-New York border, Wilkinson may have earned the opportunity to fish against the other FLW Tour competitors like Kevin VanDam, Rick Clun, Jay Yelas, Larry Nixon and other well-known pros.
In addition to fishing the FLW Everstart tournaments this year in Minnesota, Michigan, Vermont and New York, he finished third in the Basswater Trail's Northern Ohio Division.
Much to learn
He also is quick to recognize that he has much to learn yet to succeed in the world of big time bassin'.
"I'm still nowhere near as talented as 90 percent of the people I fish against," he said. "But I do have heart and that's helped me gain a few successes. I'm obsessed with doing well and I've put myself on a crash course to get it done -- to get to the point where I decide whether I can make it."
He's working hard at it, too. Last year, he fished 28 tournaments. Counting the actual tournament days (some run as long as four days) and the practice and travel time, that's a substantial commitment of time and resources. "I couldn't do this without sponsorship and I'm proud to have support from Mountaineer Race Track and Gaming Resort." His truck, as well as his Ranger boat, are decorated with the sponsor's name. "You'd be surprised how much attention my boat and truck attract with the logos on them."
He continues to learn and recommends that those contemplating a move into pro bass fishing consider starting a bit slower than he did. "I jumped right in, but I think it's best if you join a club and learn some of the basics at the ground level. I had to learn boating, electronics, reading the water, understanding maps and GPS, and dealing with long-distance travel. Those are all things to consider; it's not enough to just be a good fisherman."
It also helps to have plenty of support at home. He's quick to thank his wife, Nadja.
"I didn't have to cut the grass once this year," he said. "She encouraged me to do this and supports me 100 percent."
jwwollitz@aol.com