Q&A with Mark Daniels Jr: ‘Fishing is More Than Just Being a Good Fisherman’
Being on or near a body of water puts Mark Daniels Jr. in a good mood, and those positive vibes explode when he has a rod in hand. But, there was no straight path from his childhood in the California Bay Area to his current position in the Bass Pro Tour. Getting here took decades of dedication, plus the support of his family and friends.
Daniels chatted with MLF about how his enthusiasm for competition helps him stay on top of his game. Hereās what he had to say:
Tell me about recent shoal bass excursion on the Flint River in Georgia, thatās sort of a legendary fishery.
MD: Yeah, it was an awesome fishery. I went down there with Dustin Connell and just hung out for a couple of days and hooked up with a guide named Flint Davis. I had heard about shoal bass, and it was a bucket list fish for me as one of the few bass I had yet to catch. I just wanted to catch a keeper to say I caught one and it was just phenomenal. I caught several quality fish over 4 pounds.
You have a degree in Environmental Science and worked as an agricultural biologist for six years before winning the TBF National Championship and got into fishing full time. Do you get to use the knowledge from your ag days when fishing?
MD: Not necessarily, but some of the things I learned in school like identifying aquatic vegetation are easy for me, and I have learned which ones bass prefer; but Iām not really using it. I was doing a lot of inspecting and certifications for commodities to travel, so a lot of that doesnāt apply to fishing.
Alton Jones told us heās growing a 500-pound pumpkin in a previous Q&A. Got any tips for him?
MD: He needs to put some fish carcass around the root system. Thatās old-school like the natives did it, and I do it to my personal garden all the time. When Iām out fishing, I donāt throw the carcasses back; I put them in my garden and it thrives. I got all kind of stuff growing ā tomatoes, zucchinis, okra, collard greens and all sorts of peppers, blackberries, and blueberries.
Who do you usually travel with when on Tour? What are they like when off the water?
MD: I think everyone knows me, Jacob Wheeler, Dustin Connell and Adrian Avena travel together, and we do all kinds of stuff. We play a lot of golf and recently got into playing poker. Thatās another thing, Iām not a gambler but I am competitive. Weāll play corn hole and basketball too. Those that follow us on YouTube, theyāll see it. Thereās always some sort of competition going on during off days, I guarantee it. It never stops, weāre always doing something. We bet on cut weights, whatās going to win the round, all kinds of stuff ā keeping it interesting and having fun.
You recently surpassed $1 million in career earnings. How did it feel to reach that goal?
MD: It feels great, you couldnāt have told me nine years ago when I started doing this that I would make $1 million dollars by fishing. It was surreal, but when I saw guys reach it, that became a goal for me, and our last tournament was the one. That was really cool and a feather in my cap. Iām not big on celebrating things like that necessarily, but it definitely was a morale boost and now Iām looking at $2 million and want to keep going.
How did you get into fishing and whatās your earliest fishing memory?
MD: I grew up in the Bay Area in California and my dad would take me out on the bay after work. Iād get home from school, and heād get off work and we would go to the bay and fish for literally whatever bit. One of my earliest fishing memories is of fishing for crappie at Clear Lake when I was about 3 or 4 years old. We were using little crappie jigs and I hooked a bass and landed it, and I was like āthis canāt be a crappie.ā The excitement of hooking that bass had me hooked immediately.
You always seem to be having a good time when on the water. Whatās your favorite part about it?
MD: Iām always having a good time and try to stay positive. I thoroughly enjoy being on the water ā saltwater, fresh water, river, lake, stream, pond or whatever. I have a connection with the water. As long as Iām on or around the water, Iām in a good mental setting ā unless Iām losing 5-pounders in a tournament, of course. Thatās a different story, haha.
During major competitions, how do you keep cool in stressful situations?
MD: When things arenāt going your way itās hard to maintain a calm demeanor, but when youāre bent out of shape it derails what youāre doing. If you focus on the negative, and youāre hung up on what happened an hour ago, you could miss a new opportunity because you were still dwelling over that. I try to stay levelheaded so I donāt take myself out of the game, which you can easily do.
Weāre in the middle of a break between Bass Pro Tour competitions. What have you been up to lately?
MD: We went down to Florida for some offshore fishing and caught a big grouper. Aside from that, Iāve just been relaxing and spending time with the family. Weāre always on the road and itās go go go, but you need to sit back and enjoy some family time.
Itās a tight race for Angler of the Year and youāre currently ranked 12th. Whatās your game plan moving ahead?
MD: I want two Top 10 finishes in the last two events, that would be ideal for me and thatās what Iām hoping happens. So, I am considering going up to Mille Lacs for some scouting after ICAST. Iāve been there one time before, but we donāt get up there much so I definitely want to do anything I can to improve my arsenal. I was there one time for the Elite Series in 2017 or 2018. I definitely need to brush up on my game, but itās so far ā an 18-hour drive, but it could mean the difference winning or not.
Fishing is a sport where you have to keep learning if you want to continue to succeed. What have you learned recently?
MD: I feel like the older I get, the younger the sport gets. You have to stay on it; these younger college kids are tough and coming up. Theyāre not messing around, so I have to stay on top of my game and the electronics since thatās a huge part of what we do now.
Out of all your fishing accomplishments, what are you most proud of?
MD: My victory on Lake Oahe (2018 Elite Series). Making the pro ranks is difficult; and in the back of your mind youāre always questioning if you can compete with these legendary guys like Kevin (VanDam) and Skeet (Reese), the guys I grew up watching. So, to get that victory just answers all those questions you have and itās a boost of confidence. Now I fish as a legitimate competitor to win ā I am here to win.
Whatās the biggest challenge youāve encountered in professional fishing and how did you overcome it?
MD: The biggest struggle for me was always money. Getting sponsorships and learning to promote myself was hard. I didnāt have any experience on how to be a salesperson, someone who could sell products and speak about the products and maintain knowledge of those products. Sponsorships are hard to come by when you start talking about monetary supplements. Itās different when companies pay you, and I struggled with that in the beginning, but in time we learn and here we are. Fishing is more than just being a good fisherman like it was in years past, youād do some articles here and there or be in magazines; but with social media itās a different game and you need to be well-rounded and good on all fronts. My wife (Taneisha) was into social media before I was, and said she said I needed to get in on it ā and five years later it was like dang, she was so right.
If you werenāt a pro angler, what would you be?
MD: Before I was doing this, I was working in Ag. Iām passionate about it, but I donāt love it like I do bass fishing. This is my passion and what I love to do. Working in Ag with the farmers and growers was a cool gig.
When did you first know that you wanted to go pro? How did your family react to this career/life goal?
MD: It was right after winning the TBF National Championship on Grand Lake on April 17, 2013. I knew I was going to fish fulltime and it was the opportunity I had waited for my whole life. Everyone was super supportive; Iāve always had a lot of support when it came to that. My mom, dad, and wife, theyāve all been in my corner. Having people pulling for you which makes it so much easier to focus on the water.
Competitive fishing isnāt easy ā so what drew you to it and what motivates you to keep going?
MD: Keeping on racking up the accolades, itās all about winning. Itās so dang hard to win these, but my motivation is the competition.
Where are you headed next?
MD: I have ICAST and then our next one for the Bass Pro Tour is on Cayuga Lake in August.
What do you miss most about home when youāre on the road?
MD: Itās hard to be away from my kids and my wife. Iāve gotten accustomed to it, but you miss a lot of events like their basketball games and track meets. You never get that back and thatās very difficult, but itās the sacrifice we all made in order to do well in this career choice. My daughter, Morgan, is 14 years old and my son, Mark Daniels III, is 19. Theyāre kinda grown, but itās still difficult to be away from them.
Whatās the best advice youāve ever received?
MD: Keep going no matter what anyone else tells you.
Whatās something youāre very good at that the fans would be surprised to learn?
MD: Ping pong, Iām pretty good at ping pong. Adrian Avena is better than me at it, but he also used to play college tennis.