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Louisiana pro, Jeff
Connella, headlines this installment of The BASS ZONE’S new feature, Sophomore Season, where 2006 Elite Series rookies will be followed during their sophomore campaign on the 2007 Bassmaster Elite Series.
Connella’s rookie season saw him captured four top 50 finishes and log a top 10 finish on Grand Lake. Connella has high hopes for his second season on the Series. “Last year I had no help and I had zero prior knowledge. I really gained a lot of confidence as the year went on in my own ability to locate and find fish very quickly. I think that experience is really going to help me this season,” said
Connella.
During the 2006 Elite Series, Connella had previously only fished one stop on the Series and found it challenging to develop a pattern during the three practice days he had before each tournament. Connella told The
BZ, “I was in awe at the beginning of last season but I worked hard all year and I’m probably twice the fisherman now that I was at the beginning of the 2006 season.”
Connella considers himself a power fisherman, but his rookie season taught him the importance of versatility. “I fished a drop shot for the first time ever and I really learned about how to read my sonar. In years past, if I wanted to know how deep the water was, I would just stick my rod in the water and if I couldn’t touch the bottom, I was fishing too deep,” said
Connella.
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Connella’s goal for the 2007 Elite Series is straight forward. “My ultimate goal this year is to gain a Bassmaster Classic birth for 2008. I came so close to making the Classic last year, but my lack of consistency really bothered me.”
Connella uses an interesting analogy in his mental approach to the 2007 Series. “In poker, they say that there are two types of players, sharks and minnows. At times last year, I felt like the minnow. I think the difference this year is that I can smell a little blood in the water,” said Connella.
The 2006 Elite Series held some memories for Connella that will be hard to top during the upcoming season. Connella told The BZ, “My most memorable moment from last year happened during the final day on Grand Lake and almost became famous, but thankfully the cameraman was changing film and didn’t catch it on tape,” said Connella. “I hooked one big fish and he started swimming away from me. When I set the hook, my rod flew out of my hands a good ten feet away from the boat. I had just caught a fish the cast before, and my hands were still slimy. I was able to get the rod back, but I lost the fish.”
What does Jeff Connella want to be remembered for after the 2007 season? “I’d like to be known for being professional on and off the water, respected by both the fans and my fellow competitors,” said Connella.
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Connella’s desire to become the ultimate professional was spawned from interaction with some of the sports greats during the 2006 Series. “At the Grand Lake tournament, Iaconelli would not leave until every autograph was signed, and I really respected that,” said Connella.
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“At the Kentucky Lake stop, I was fishing right across the river from Rick Clunn and he pulled over and really started to pick my brain about how I was catching fish. For a rookie like me, that was probably the highlight of the year.”
In the sea of sponsor wrapped tow vehicles on the 2007 Series, Connella’s ride will stand out. “I have wrapped my truck myself. I’m letting both businesses and the average individual pay to sign my truck and actually have their name on my truck. The cool part is that 10% of the money goes to the Children’s Miracle Network to help children right here in Louisiana. They have one of the best pre-natal care units in the country and my daughter was born three weeks premature. I would like to give back to them because they have given so much to my family.”
During the 2007 Series, Connella will also continue to hold down a full time job back in Louisiana as a Civil Engineer at the Department of Transportation, a career he has had for fourteen years.
Connella told The BZ that he will fish out a Triton with an APSpayroll.com wrap. He is also sponsored by M&M Dodge and told The BZ that he recently inked a deal with V&M and Cyclone baits.
Stay
Tuned for more of the Sophomore
Season..........
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