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North Bend,
Ohio. – The BASS ZONE caught up with Bassmaster Elite Series pro Bill Lowen as he was leaving a series of meetings at the Skeeter Boats factory in Kilgore, Tex. Lowen told the BASS ZONE about his preparations for his third season on tour, new projects and recollections on 2007.
“There’s not too much new in my world this year,” Lowen told The BASS ZONE. “I have been working on getting things ready for the season. My sponsors remain pretty much the same, but I am working on my boat wrap and one other project.”
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Lowen said that he is still undecided on his boat wrap, but that he has one new project in the works that he is excited about. With his home water being the Ohio River, Lowen is known for swimming a jig in the shallows, but like so many anglers, has never found a rod that suits his trademark style.
In partnership with his sponsor, All Pro Rods, Lowen has been working on what he calls the perfect swimming jig stick. “For years we have been throwing these lures on heavy action rods and flipping sticks,” Lowen said. “They were taxing to throw because you had to work hard to cast with stiff rods, and the stiffness made it harder to present lures where we wanted them.” |
Lowen said that he had an idea in his mind about what he felt would be the perfect rod to cast and swim his jig, so he talked to the people at All Pro, and a year later they had what he feels is his dream rod. “It took us a year to get it just the way I wanted it,” he said. “It is basically a rod with the backbone of a flipping stick with a tip like a spinnerbait rod.”
Lowen said that he is looking forward to the season getting started and that he was looking at his sophomore season as inspiration to improve going into 2008. “I did some things differently in my sophomore season than I did in my rookie year,” Lowen said. “I fished differently last year, I made more cautious decisions and I think it made a difference in how I finished.”
What he intends to do is fish more aggressively and put himself in position to be in the Classic again, a tournament he missed qualifying for. “I have analyzed it all off season, and am going to go after it differently this year.”
| 2007 was not without highlights for
Lowen, and according to him, the California swing was high on the list. “I know that a lot of the guys weren’t thrilled with the time and expense of the trip to the West,” Lowen said. “But it was different for me, I really felt at home on the Delta, and learned so much at Clear Lake that it made for a really memorable trip.” |
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Lowen said that he spent a couple of extra days in California on Clear Lake throwing swimbaits. “I didn’t catch any giants out there, but I learned a lot about throwing those big baits and it helped me see where I need to apply them.”
Another benefit of the trip to California getting to spend some time with a sponsor he rarely gets to see. “I got to visit with the guys at River2Sea,” he said. “I got to see their new Junk Grenade flipping jig before it was released, and have been excited about it since, it is the best all around jig I have used.”
His wrap is not yet completed for his Skeeter, but said that the boat company would be involved in his graphics for the season. He also said that he is working on what his tow vehicle will be for the season, and that another sponsor; Plapp’s Pro Outdoors has been instrumental in his vehicle needs. “I’m still working on the tow vehicle,” he said. “The van from the last two years had more than 60,000 miles on it, and it was time to turn it into Plapp’s, so we’ll see.”
He reported that he will be traveling throughout the season again with his wife Jennifer, who has been a fixture on the Elite Series since Lowen joined the tour. “Having Jen on the road with me is a real blessing,” Lowen said. “She helps keep me going by handling all of the day to day business stuff while I compete; I couldn’t do it without her.”
For more on Lowen and his sponsors visit his website at:
http://www.billlowen.com
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