Bubble Boy Jordon Helps Major League Fishing Put On World Class Event

Over the years, Major League Fishing champion Kelly Jordon has made his mark as one of the top anglers in the sport.

But in Nacogdoches, Texas, as the first ever Major League Fishing General Tire World Championship event unfolds, Jordon is the first guy out of the points.

Putting him into the dreaded “Bubble Boy” status as the odd man out.

“It’s really hard, it’s killing me,” said Jordon, flashing his customary East Texas smile. “(But) this is not a team sport, it is a team organization and we have an awesome team.”

Because of that, Jordon is more than willing to take one for the team, so to speak, turning his attention from possibly winning the MLF world title into helping ensure that the league’s first appearance on CBS Sports network television is nothing short of world class.

“We (are) all doing the best that we (can) to have the best venues to make a successful TV show and hopefully catch the snot out of the big ones,” grinned Jordon.

As a native Texan, KJ is certainly no stranger to the great bass fishing found throughout the Lone Star State.

From his days as a guide on Lake Fork to his current home near bass-rich Tyler to his Major League Fishing Challenge Cup win in 2014 at Lake Ray Roberts, Jordon is quite familiar with all that is good about bass fishing in Texas.

Which is why he has played such an integral part in putting on this week’s world championship event on waters in and around Nacogdoches.

In fact, the site selection of Lake Nacogdoches and the other spots that anglers will visit has basically come down to Jordon (and MLF TV producer Randy White) personally selecting them.

“I was very happy that I was able to do all of that (help with venue selection),” said Jordon. “Now all the guys have got to do is to go out there and prove me right that there are big ones here.”

That seems to be one of the operative phrases being tossed around this week – as in “big bass” – and Jordon is stoked by the fish catching potential that this week’s anglers have of catching bass weighing north of five, six, seven or even eight-pounds.

And for KJ to feel excited about the big bass catching potential of the Nacogdoches area, well, that’s saying something since he is one of professional bass fishing’s most well known big bass specialists.

Need proof? Then consider that on the Bassmaster Elite Series tour, Jordon has notched more daily Big Bass Awards than anyone else.

Not to mention the fact that at Lake Ray Roberts a few years ago near Denton, Texas, he set the MLF big bass benchmark with a seven pound plus fish, a league record that stood until Bobby Lane topped it in Louisiana a couple of years ago.

“Every one of these lakes (around Nacogdoches) that we’re going to (this week), the lake record is in excess of 14-pounds, if not close to 15-pounds,” said Jordon. “We were actually going to (consider going to) one lake where the lake record is closer to 18-pounds, but we had no service there, so didn’t get to go there.

“So yes, there are great big fish (in this area) and the potential for great fishing (overall) is high,” said Jordon.

Given the grass, standing timber and fertile water of most Pineywoods bass waters – along with the fact that many of them are slot limit lakes, which works to help protect trophy caliber bass – and Jordon is pumped about what is going to unfold here this week.

Even if he had to make a personal sacrifice of sorts.

“We’re actually going to one lake that is my favorite lake in the state of Texas to fish right now (Lake Naconiche),” smiled KJ. “I didn’t want to let that cat out of the bag, but I said ‘Hey, I’ll take one for the team and expose my little hidey-hole deal.”

With a March 2017 Texas Parks and Wildlife Department ShareLunker bass (a fish that weighs 13-pounds or better and is donated to TPWD for spawning purposes); a 14.12-pound lake record in July 2016; and stockings since 2009 that have included approximately 380,000 Florida largemouth bass, 100,000 ShareLunker offspring fingerlings, and more than 700 retired hatchery brood fish ranging from 3 to 7 pounds; and it’s easy to see why Jordon is so excited.

Especially as the MLF world championship field descends upon the 692-acre Naconiche and 2,212-acre Nacogdoches this week – and other area waters as well – to do battle and try and win the first ever MLF world title.

“You get our guys on it, and (well)…” said Jordon at one point as his voice trailed off. “The potential is there.”

“It’s going to be fun to watch,” he added at another point. “I hope it’s ridiculous (the fish catching action). I think we truly have a chance – an excellent chance – to have some double-digit fish caught. I’m not going to guarantee that, because I don’t want to jinx it, but I think there is a very high probability that happens.”

If it does – or even if it’s just sizzling action of solid fish that causes the MLF SCORETRACKER LIVE! leaderboard to buzz with activity – it should make for exciting television.

Even though Jordon is an intense on-the-water competitor in his own right – something evidenced by his four B.A.S.S. victories, a FLW Tour triumph and his MLF Challenge Cup victory – he’s also a keen observer of the sport.

And as such, he feels that this week offers huge potential for growing the sport of professional bass fishing and possibly attracting new fans and new viewers when it is all said and done in Nacogdoches.

“I couldn’t hardly sleep last night, I can’t wait to see what these guys do out here,” said Jordon with another big East Texas smile.

And that’s true of many other MLF observers as the best in the world of professional bass angling seek to prove it on fish rich waters in East Texas.

With the CBS Sports television cameras ready to record all of the exciting start-to-finish action as the rest of the world watches and looks on.