Catching up with Canterbury
The Alabama pro is getting some R and R, but has an eye on next season too
Whether it’s hunting whitetails, catching up on projects around the home or setting out to fish for other species, what an FLW pro does in the offseason can provide some clues about his personality and lifestyle.
For Quaker State pro Scott Canterbury, the offseason couldn’t be going any better. Although the Alabama angler is itching for the start of the next Walmart FLW Tour season, he’s been taking advantage of what will amount to a five-month break.
Canterbury has stayed busy by applying his carpentry skills to household projects. His main project during the fall was building an impressive outdoor kitchen and fireplace on his patio, and since he enjoys cooking, he expects that the new addition will help him expand his culinary skills while entertaining family and friends.
Aside from his home improvement projects, Canterbury still takes time to visit some of his closest fisheries – strictly for relaxation. Lake Guntersville and the Coosa River are among the waterways that Canterbury has fished since competing in the Forrest Wood Cup last August; however, it’s crappie that he mainly targets, along with Coosa River spotted bass.
“I do a lot of crappie fishing this time of year,” says Canterbury. “I fish the rivers, and especially the Coosa River where we catch a lot of big spots in the wintertime on a jig. I’ve done that on a few trips, but we fish a little and more than anything just take it easy and enjoy being out there.”
Taking a break from the intensity of practicing for tournaments and then competing in them is a common theme among pros in the offseason months, but that’s not to say an angler doesn’t contemplate the coming season, and how to improve his game. Canterbury certainly is. He’s been evaluating any potential weaknesses in his skill set.
“You think of a lot of stuff, and I’ve tried a little bit of everything over the years,” says Canterbury. “But if there is anything that I would like to improve on, it’s that I want to catch more fish on a topwater because it produces some big bites.”
Topwater bites have played a huge role in the past toward propelling other touring anglers into better standings and bigger checks, which is why Canterbury’s yearning to catch more on the surface could be the ticket to reaching his goals for the 2016 season.
“My goal starting out every year is to make a run at Angler of the Year,” says Canterbury “I’ve had some really good starts, and three or four tournaments into it I would be right in there at second or third place. Then there’s always that one tournament that messes it up for me. I just want to stay consistent, and I definitely want to get that first Tour win – that’s another big goal.”
With the start of the season less than two months away, Canterbury will count down the days until it’s time to get back on the water, come what may.
“I usually say that the schedule really does not matter to me a whole lot. I just enjoy fishing no matter where we go, and you really can’t predict the schedule this far out because we can’t control the weather,” he adds. “But FLW has made great efforts to try to put us in good places at good times. You just never know, but I am looking forward to it and think it’s a great schedule for next year.”