New York angler’s laid-back style leads to success in the Wal-Mart BFL
Jeffrey J. DeFranco is one cool dude. Not cool as in “hey man, wazzup?” But cool in terms of attitude and his general outlook on life.
Try as you may to break the spirit of this energized angler from upstate New York, you’d probably be better off trying to find a Wal-Mart in Telegraph, Texas, or catch bass out of a bar ditch along I-35.
DeFranco is an eternal optimist and he’s got the Lord on his side. Factor in a successful business, a wife who loves him dearly and a best friend who’d give him his last spinnerbait skirt, and it’s fair to assume the 35-year-old angler has everybody, and everything, working in his corner.
DeFranco doesn’t like to think of himself as being on top of the world. Content was his descriptive word of choice.
“I’ve been blessed,” he said. “I feel very fortunate to be where I am in my life today.”
Consider the impressive track record DeFranco has pieced together since getting his feet wet in the Operation Bass Red Man Tournament Trail (now called the Wal-Mart Bass Fishing League) and one would have to believe that he is equally pleased with his performance as a tournament angler as well.
Many anglers compete for years-some their entire life-and never manage to take home a single championship crown. But DeFranco is different. Very different.
A regular in the BFL’s Northeast Division for only five seasons, DeFranco’s resume reads like that of a seasoned veteran with three times the experience under his belt.
1997 Champion, Lake Champlain
1998 Champion, Thousand Islands
2000 Champion, Thousand Islands
2001 Champion, Wal-Mart BFL inaugural event, Lake Okeechobee
4 additional Top 10 finishes at lakes Champlain, Cayuga and Thousand
Islands
Four-time Regional Qualifier
If those stats aren’t convincing enough, consider this: DeFranco has been bass fishing for less than a decade. In fact, he’d never thumbed a baitcasting reel prior to that fateful day in 1992.
“That’s pretty much where it all got started, and I’ve been hooked ever since,” DeFranco says. “Bass fishing is a great sport -one that everyone should take the opportunity to enjoy.”
DeFranco’s destiny
It’s well known that every change, be it good or bad, is brought about by some sort of catalyst. The instigator in DeFranco’s case was his long-time friend and business partner, Kevin Bishop.
Bishop, also a regular in the BFL’s Northeast Division, took DeFranco fishing at a local hotspot outside Penfield called Braddock Bay.
The two anglers landed several bass that day. But more importantly, they formed a tight bond that has grown stronger with the passage of time.
“Kevin showed me which side was up with bass fishing,” DeFranco says. “He took me under his wing and showed me what the sport was all about. But I have to admit, I didn’t really have any interest in pursuing tournament fishing at the time. I was on an entirely different skill level.”
Still, a seed had been sown. And its roots began to take hold amazingly quick.
The more DeFranco fished for bass, the more intrigued he became by a fish that has captured the hearts of millions worldwide.
The allure wasn’t just in catching bass, either. He was captivated by the challenge of finding them and devising different ways to put fish in the boat.
While his enthusiasm was a definite plus, it wasn’t the only valuable trait DeFranco had leaning in his favor. He was good at it, and Bishop was among the first to notice his special gift.
“Kevin was the one who told me I had something special,” DeFranco says. “The more often we fished, the more he encouraged me to give tournament fishing a try.”
DeFranco didn’t waste much time in taking the quantum leap. He entered a pair of Red Man Tournament Trail events in 1996 and nailed down a seventh as a non-boater at Thousand Islands. He’s been a “holy” terror in the Northeast Division ever since, capturing eight top-10 finishes and four wins in 25 tournaments entered.
Then and now
Nearly 10 years have gone by since DeFranco and Bishop first shared the flipping deck of a bass boat. In the meantime, they have served as best man in one another’s wedding and pooled their efforts to build a successful industrial painting business-New York State Painting.
Jeffery usually handles the general operations and scheduling duties of the paint business, while Kevin takes care of the marketing chores. But come tournament time, all titles are out the window.
“Kevin and I travel together to all the tournaments, so we always help each other out to make sure everything gets done so we can leave and not have to worry about it while we’re gone. Having that peace of mind means a lot to us both. And I’m convinced it has played a big role in my success thus far,” DeFranco says.
Peace on the water
While financial stability helps, it isn’t the major force that drives DeFranco when he’s on the water.
His description of the rock-solid support he gets from his devoted wife, Christine, and son, Nicholas, 7, and the rich spiritual relationship he has with God might serve as an inspiration to anyone who is struggling with life’s day-to-day hardships.
“My wife and all the support she has given me over the years has been very instrumental in my success,” DeFranco says. “If things aren’t alright with my family, then I’m not alright on the water. Being relaxed and feeling it is a major key.
“I also attribute a lot of the peace I feel to my strong spiritual belief,” he added. “When I’m out there on the water, there is an inner peace I can’t find anywhere else. It’s like therapy. The water has been there for me my whole life-either from the boat or from the bank.”
The root of his secrets
Robert Vannerson, Wal-Mart BFL Northeast Division tournament director, describes DeFranco as predominantly a jig fisherman who knows how to adapt to changing conditions very quickly, especially on impoundments where grass is the major draw for the cover-loving largemouth.
Vannerson is pretty observant. DeFranco was quick to admit his addiction to the bottom bite and says the Stanley Jig is one of the main tools he uses to get the fix.
“The jig is my go-to bait and I’ll fish it 12 months out of the year-right up until the ice is on,” DeFranco said. “It’s a great bait to use on grass lakes, but you’ve got to learn how to adjust between different sizes and presentations to catch fish at different depths.”
While it may sound strange, DeFranco’s jig fishing prowess is linked to a period in his life when he had no idea such bait even existed.
A native of Rochester, DeFranco grew up fishing for channel cats, perch and bass amid the small canals and streams that spill into Lake Ontario. His baits of choice were live worms and crabs, but he rarely used a bobber. A keen sense of touch and other natural instincts told him when he was getting bit.
“Not only did it help me develop a great sense of feel, but it helped me develop some patience,” DeFranco said. “My buddies and family used to be amazed at how I could set in one spot for hours waiting for my rod tip to move. But it just came natural to me. I think a lot of that experience has crossed over into my tournament fishing and helped me become more effective with bottom-bumping baits.”
Another trait that aids DeFranco’s consistency is his uncanny ability to make knee-jerk decisions that are just as logical as they are quick.
That’s not to say he’s never taken a rocky road. He has. But not very often.
“Knowing when to leave, stick it out or refine your approach are major keys,” he explained. “Most of the tournaments that I’ve won weren’t won in the spots I thought I’d win in. Instead, I had to make adjustments.
“It’s all a matter or learning to go with the flow instead of panicking when things aren’t working out the way you’d hoped they would. I can recall some days when I didn’t have a fish at 12 o’clock but still managed to finish in the top 10.”
Regardless of where his name winds up in the final standings, DeFranco says he always makes a point not to let it go to his head. He’ll certainly take the prize money. But when things go sour, he doesn’t lose any sleep over it.
“There are a lot of guys on this level who take this tournament fishing way too serious,” DeFranco says. “They pay for their entry fees on credit cards and go into the tournament worrying about doing good.
“There’s no room for long faces on the Wal-Mart BFL. In my opinion, that negates the whole reason for being out there. I’m just out there having fun, and I don’t have to work at it to maintain that feeling. It just happens that way.”