Reel Chat with JIMMY HOUSTON

– MODERATOR COMMENT –
Hello, FLW fishing fans. Welcome to FLW Live Reel Chat, the latest interactive feature on FLWOutdoors.com. Joining us today is Jimmy Houston, a two-time BASS Angler of the Year and one of the most recognizable faces on the professional bass-fishing circuit. Jimmy Houston, host of popular television show “Jimmy Houston Outdoors,” has been fishing the FLW Tour since 1997.

– MODERATOR COMMENT –
Throughout the next 40 minutes or so, Jimmy Houston is here to chat about life on tour, his television show or just about anything else you might want to ask him. So fire away, fishing fans. Jimmy Houston looks forward to hearing from you.

– 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: How old were you when you got your first bass boat, and is it true that topwaters are the best lure to use when it rains?
— Alex F (North Providence, RI)
A: I actually got my first boat when I was in high school (1958 or ’59), and it really wasn’t what we consider a bass boat now. I had a 20-hp motor and put a trolling motor on the front of my boat when that was unheard of. Trolling motors were made for only the back of the boat back then. Everybody thought I was crazy. But now it’s unheard of not to see trolling motors on the front of the boat. Bass fishermen are innovative, and that’s why we have such great equipment. As for the second question, I’d disagree a little bit with that. I’d go with a spinnerbiat on top of the water or a buzzbait. My third choice would be a topwater bait.

Q: Do you think your success on the media side of fishing has hurt you on the competitive side as far as high finishes and payouts? Was this your desire and vision from day one, or did this just kind of happen?
— Dave (Raeford, NC)
A: You know, the media came along because of the tournaments. Particularly the early TV guys, we started in the tournamants and TV came along because of our success in those tournaments. Because of my success, I wound up being guests on other shows, and people started saying, “You should get you own show.” However, I will say that I do 52 television shows a year, and it definitely hurts your success. If you just think about the days involved, it becomes very difficult to prepare for fishing tournaments. It’s almost impossible for me to devote any time to practice. In FLW Tours, there’s unlimited practice, and guys can spend sometimes 30 days practicing. In BASS, you only get three days of practice, but I rarely even get to use those three days. Tournament competitors nowadays are just so, so good. I do love tournaments, the competition and the comaraderie, but I’m really not a tournament fisherman – never claimed to be. In the early days, the skill level in tournaments was only at the top of the tournament field, but now everyone is a great angler. So, it’s a lot tougher to compete with little or no practice. This next year I’m planning on dedicating at least three days to practice fishing for every tournament. Whether that works out or not, it’s hard to say.

Q: Since you’ve been a competitive angler for quite some time, do you think that this sport will continue to be able to support the two major circuits, or do you think this will evolve into something where the two cicuits will combine for the better of the sport and its competitors?
— Dave (Raeford, NC)
A: That’s really difficult to answer. It is a possibility that the two circuits could combine. I like both organizations. I’ve fished BASS for a long time, and I’ve supported the FLW Tour from the beginning – Irwin Jacobs is my good friend. But, yes, the sport can support both organizations. We’ve got to the point where we’re bringing in many, many outside companies. And when that happens, there is enough support out there for both organizations to continue. Somebody was just telling me the other day, the three hottest sports right now are NASCAR, poker and bass fishing. Those are the things that have really captured the imagination of the American public. There are plenty of people who don’t bass fish but are still captivated by the sport. Why? Because it’s fun and entertaining.

Q: Jimmy, what is your opinion about where bass go when they are released from tournament weigh-in sites? Do they hang around the weigh-in area for several days?
— Tim Kennedy (Hixson, TN)
A: The fish actually do both. Depends on the time of the year. If it’s in the spring, the fish are going to go directly to the nearest spawning areas. Outside of the spawn, they will generally go back to the areas where they were caught. We’ve tagged a lot of fish over the years, and we’ve definitely learned from that. In theory, the bass are a little bit like homing pigeons.

Q: Jimmy, what is a good way to start the process of becoming a pro angler?
— Brant Davidson (Cache, OK)
A: One of the key things is to fish as many different lakes as you possibly can. One of the easiest ways to do that is to join a local bass club. Fishing with different individuals is very important because you get a lot of knowledge that way. If a person really wants to become knowledgeable, you can look at the Internet, read books and watch DVDs. We had to learn by trial and error back in the old days, but that’s a very inefficient way to go about things. I’m personally very impressed by the knowledge all of the young guys have today. When I first met Kevin VanDam, for example, he won a tournament and came up to me and said he was able to beat me as a result of watching something on my TV show. We’re both fishing the same area, but he was making many more casts than I was. Finally, it’s just getting out on the water and fishing as many tournaments as you can. Too many people worry about sponsors right away. But if you’re good enough, sponsors will find you. Sponsors definitely are watching for the next great group of young guys.

Q: Hi Jimmy. What is your favorite lake to fish in Tennessee?
— Doug Fraser (Ashland City, TN)
A: I would probably say Kentucky Lake, which isn’t in Tennessee. Chickamauga is a good one as well. Tennessee is a state that has a reputation as a difficult state to fish. Percy Priest is another good one. Nickajack is also good. The lakes on the upper end of the Tennessee River are tremendous pieces of water. On a side note, my wife actually won every Bass N’ Gal tournament that was ever fished in Tennessee.

Q: Jimmy … When you and your production crew sit down to discuss what lakes you will fish for your show, what criteria do you use? Also, do you view your show more as entertainment over teaching bass fishing?
— GL (Jackson, MI)
A: What we try to do, because I live in Oklahoma, we do more TV shows with geographical considerations than anything else, just because lakes in Texas, Oklahoma, etc., are closer. But I’ve fished all over the world. We try to put ourselves in the best situation. We’ll go to a certain lake when it’s the best time to catch certain fish. I generally go South in the winter and North in the summer. We try to also hit the right weather conditions. I’ve been doing this for 29 years, and we’ve never staged on fish. Some shows do that, but we don’t. If I go out fishing and we don’t catch anything, we won’t do a show. With our show, we try to blend entertainment with education. To me, fishing is fun. That’s what we try to do with every TV program. And that’s what it’s all about. Unfortunately, some tournament fishermen forget to have fun – they don’t even have fun when they’re winning.

Q: What is the most important thing you do when trying to pattern fish?
— Rod Blankenship (Fort Payne , AL)
A: The obvious thing is that you need to catch more than one to start developing a pattern. You think about four things: time of the year, type of water – you wouldn’t pattern a fish the same on a river as a lake – you’ve got to think about what the water is doing, and what the weather is doing. If you’re just going to go fishing for the fun of it, then you try to use those criteria. If you can’t develop it, go to the next likely pattern. But tournaments are different. With so many boats, you might start with your fifth-best pattern because guys are so good that all of the easy patterns are going to be figured out. If you do what other people aren’t doing, your pattern will likely hold up better. However, the one time of the season that doesn’t always work is during the spawn. And if it was up to me, I wouldn’t have any tournaments during the spawn.

Q (MODERATOR): Maybe can you explain the evolution of catch-and-release.
A: I fished my first BASS tournament in 1968, third one they ever had. I caught 11 bass that weighed 52 pounds, 11 ounces. It was a 15-bass limit back then. Now, it’s a five-bass limit, of course. That 52 pounds I caught, we carried them in an icebox to the weigh-in. Three of those fish were filleted and given to charity. But those fish – three of those over 8 pounds – never swam in that lake again. But now we’ve changed to where we have 98-percent release ratios. There are new technologies that allow you to actually weigh the fish right in the water. They’re currently testing it in Canada right now. We’ve progressed so far, but there is still work to be done. Bass fishermen are the best environmentalists in the world. We’ve done a lot for the environment because we love the bass more than anybody.

Q: Jimmy, what do you think is the single most important advice you can give a co-angler to do well behind a pro?
— Mike Leland (Collinsville, OK)
A: I think one of the key things they need to remember is to fish to their strengths. I think there are certain lures – Carolina rig, tube, etc. – which lend themselves to fishing out of the back of the boat. But if you’re not used to fishing those lures, it might not be the best approach. Co-anglers need to watch carefully what their pro is doing – the color, technique, etc. So, if you know what’s working and watch what the pro misses, you can take advantage of that. If a pro leaves a piece of cover, take it. The pro is going to get the great spots; he’s paid the price to be there. But that doesn’t mean you can’t use what he’s using to your advantage.

Q: On a cloudy day, what lures do you think would work best? It just rained yesterday and it is overcast, so what lures or presentation would you use?
— Kerry McDonnell (Milford, KS)
A: With cloud cover, that provides cover to the fish. That means you can fish shallower. Today, it’s cloudy here, and we’re throwing a chartreuse and white spinnerbait. Darker colored baits normally work better on cloudy days. But the key is that you can fish shallower and closer to your fish.

Q: What is the best thing to do when a river is flowing fast and is really stained?
— Jason Rampley (Chatsworth, GA)
A: If the river is real, real muddy, you’ve got a problem. Fast water doesn’t really hurt you. You have to look for places where the river brings food to the fish, around eddies, etc. Jigs and spinnerbaits work well. And in these conditions you can fish really shallow. After a heavy rain, search out small pockets and look for “sawdust” – dark brown stuff that floats on the water. But the bass will lay up right under that stuff, because it’s relatively clear underneath that stuff. The bass will stay shallow there. Use a jig and penetrate that stuff, and you’ll be all right.

Q: How fun is it to go fishing whenever you want, have your own boat and fish in these tournements? I have always wanted to do what you people do, but never had the money.
— Arthur Long (Greeneville, TN)
A: I’ve had a unique life. I never had the money to go fishing in the old days either. (Laughs). But now I fish about 100 to 150 days a year. The best thing about my job is that we get to meet some really nice people. We’ve met celebrities, and that’s always fun. But some of the best people we meet aren’t famous at all. We get to fish a lot of nice places and just try to put ourselves in the best places we can. Desiring to be a professional angler is never easy. You’re always worried about money. It’s like having kids. If you waited until you had all of your finances in order, you’d never have kids. In my early tournament days, I had to finish in the money just to buy gas to get back home. So, I’d say if it’s your dream, don’t let the money stop you. A lot of people have quit their jobs to follow their dreams. But to be sure, it’s not always easy. You have to love what you do. And fortunately for me, I’m not smart enough to do anything else but fishing.

– MODERATOR COMMENT –
Unfortunately, that’s all the time we have today. Jimmy Houston wanted to thank the fans again for coming out and participating in his chat. He wishes everyone the best.

– MODERATOR COMMENT –
Stay tuned for our next chat, scheduled to run a few days after the conclusion of the FLW Tour event on the Potomac River.