THE WALKER CHRONICLES: PART TWO

Story by Dave Rush - Photos by Mark Jeffreys, Dave Rush and Matt Pangrac

Sevierville, TN- This is part two of a two part feature Q&A with Bassmaster Elite Series Pro David Walker.  Fresh off a trip to Japan and China, Walker went one-on-one with The BASS ZONE fielding questions ranging from his world travel to competing in his first Bassmaster Classic since 2006.

In part one, Walker recounted some of his favorite moments from his trip to Asia, and fills us in on his overall experience in Japan and China. To read part one, CLICK HERE.

In today’s feature, Walker looks back on the 2011 season, gives us his thoughts on the upcoming Classic, talks about his 2012 schedule, and some of the hottest topics in the world of bass fishing.

The BZ:  Now that you’ve had a few months to reflect on your first season back with B.A.S.S. and also your first major tournament victory, can you talk a little about how you feel about not only the win but your decision to leave FLW and fish the Elite Series?

Walker:  My off season has had a little different feel to it in the aspect of getting that major win under my belt, but that really seems like so long ago at this point.  In fishing it is a lot about momentum and streaks, so as great as it was to get that win it came at the end of the season so I really didn’t feel like I could carry that momentum on, because it is just so long between the end of the regular season and the next tournament. 

As far as coming back to B.A.S.S., I feel like it was definitely the right decision for me at this point in my career.  Even from the beginning of the season it just felt more comfortable to me, and I was enjoying my time on the water even that much more.  I really wanted to get back to the Classic and I was able to accomplish that goal my first year back, so that is really satisfying.  I am really looking forward to being a part of some of the changes that are hopefully coming as a result of the new ownership, and hope it will push the sport in the right direction.

The BZ:  This will be your first Classic since 2006, how are you feeling as you get closer to the event at the Red River?

Walker:  I am really excited about fishing the Classic again.  That was my whole goal in coming back to B.A.S.S. and for it to be right around the corner is awesome.  I have been working the Classic for my sponsors for the last several years, and to be at that event and not be fishing it is a very painful experience if you are a professional angler.  I told some of my sponsors last year in New Orleans not to plan on me working the show next year because I would be fishing it, so to work so hard towards that goal and make it happen is what it is all about.  The Classic just has a different pulse to it compared to any other event, and having an opportunity to win that event would be a career changing deal for me.

The BZ:  Some guys like to pre-practice for the Classic and others don’t.  Did you make a trip to Shreveport to check out the river prior to the cut off?

Waker: I made a trip down earlier in the fall for a few days just to re-familiarize myself with the river.  I’ve fished some events on the Red River in the past, but I wanted to just take a look at some areas and get a general feel for the place again prior to the official practice period.  I think the river sets up well for the way I like to fish.  Early in my career I tended to fish a lot of river areas in lakes and backwaters, so I think I have a good foundation on that type of water and feel really comfortable going into it.

It is all going to depend on what the water level is when we get there in February.  If we get some rain it could open up a little, but if not I think you are going to have several guys in the same areas and that is just going to be part of the equation.  The thing about rivers is that they can change so quickly, so I think to do well in this Classic you are going to have to be able to adapt not only to the fishing pressure but also the possibility of changing conditions.

The BZ:  What are your thoughts on the 2012 Elite Series schedule and what other events will you be fishing this year?

Walker:  I am really looking forward to the 2012 Elite Series schedule.  We are going to some great places at the right times, but I am more so looking forward to it being more of an actual season.  With the tournaments starting in March and stretching out until almost September, I believe it will make for a much more even playing field and a more interesting year for the anglers as well as the fans. 

I like the idea of being able to do a little bit of everything throughout the year rather than having half of the year based on one technique.  Last year the first four tournaments basically were influenced by spawning fish and bed fishing, this year I think you are going to see anglers be rewarded for being versatile, and have to do a lot of different things to remain competitive as the season progresses. 

As far as other events, I am planning on fishing some of the B.A.S.S. opens like I did last year.  I had intended on fishing some of the FLW opens as well, but the scheduling really just didn’t work out for me.  I have always tried to maintain a pretty heavy tournament schedule because that is where the majority of my income has always come from, so the more events I fish the better chance I have of making a living fishing professionally. 

The BZ:  A lot of things have been taking place in the off season including the introduction of MLF.  Have you had a chance to check any of that out, and if so what are your impressions about what you’ve seen?

Walker:  They have been doing a great job of keeping everything a secret, so I really have only seen what everyone else has at this point.  I think it will be really fun to watch once they come out with the finished product.  My only concern is that I hope we as professional anglers aren’t spreading ourselves to thin.  We have B.A.S.S., FLW, PAA, MLF, UMF, and countless tours associated with each organization not to mention all of the other options out there for anglers. 

To me that is a good news and bad news situation.  The good news is that it shows the popularity of our sport and the potential for growth, the bad news is that when it comes to corporate sponsorship dollars it is spreading that over a larger area and everyone is vying for that same money.  With the economy how it is right now, I just hope that having so many tournament organizations isn’t compounding the problem and making it even that much harder for guys to secure sponsors.

The BZ:  B.A.S.S. recently announced that anglers would not be able to switch boats during the season, basically eliminating the option of running an aluminum boat at certain events.  Do you think that is a move in the right direction?

Walker:  I think that is a great idea and I totally support it.  In our sport we have rules, but there have always been a lot of grey areas.  Anything we can do to add to the integrity of our sport and make it more of an even playing field is a good thing in my opinion.  B.A.S.S. has gotten a lot of angler input on making these changes and I think they are really going about things in the right way moving forward.  I would really like to see us get to a point where our rules are more clearly defined and enforced. You look at an example like the PGA tour and I think that is where professional bass fishing needs to go.  They have a clear set of rules for every participant in every tournament and do a great job of enforcing them.