A Pro’s Perspective -- Gary Klein on Becoming a Better Fisherman
Every once in a while a really unique opportunity presents itself. I happened to be fortunate enough recently to stumble on one of those opportunities. Team Triton touring pro Gary Klein of Weatherford, Texas was in Bartonville, Illinois for an open house at TNT Marine.
Gary was kind enough to spend some time with me and share some of his philosophies on how to become a better angler. I posed the following challenge to Gary: Share with me some of the best questions you receive from anglers. I was unsure what to expect given the open-ended nature of the question. What I got was some of the best insights I have ever been fortunate enough to hear. I can honestly say that as I listened to Gary answer this question, watched Gary interact with others one-on-one at the open house, and focused on the seminar he gave, I became aware that I was observing an individual who was extremely sincere and truly likes working with and helping other folks. It is very easy to see why so many companies are so anxious to have Gary represent them. Hopefully the things below that Gary shared will help each of you to become a better angler.
Number one on Gary’s list was the proverbial “What does it take to become a professional angler?” At first this really surprised me as I thought he would certainly tire from answering this obvious question. However, Gary’s explanation provided some real insight into his personality and to why he is so well respected amongst his peers.
“I get this question from a really diverse group of people and I always find it very difficult to answer in general terms. Before I can answer this question I always try to get some perspective on the individual asking the question. What I try to share with people is that if they chose to pursue this career, the point will come where they need to make some crucial decisions. Last year the longest consecutive stretch of time I spent at home was five days. Young anglers need to understand that it is easy to become misled and get their priorities out of whack. The saddest thing I see is some of these guys in their mid-30’s with a family who think that professional fishing is a gravy train”.
Gary went on to relate how he tries to make sure that he paints a realistic picture to those individuals who ask this question. “I have been fortunate to never have had another job outside of fishing. But I understood early on that this was what I wanted to do from the time that I was fifteen. When I lived in California my life was hunting, fishing, and water skiing. When I saw my first tournament on Lake Orville in Northern California I thought ‘Hey, great’. The entry fee was $25 and first place was $500. The way a fifteen year old’s mind works that is $2000 a month! Since that time I have learned that this is a very humbling profession. I fish for the love of the sport and the competitive aspect is what drives me. It is a beautiful thing in that you can become as good as you allow yourself to”.
The second question that Gary shared was the age old “How do I get a sponsor?” question. “Guys have to understand that sponsors are not there to invest in them. I have never from day one looked for someone to ‘flip my bill’. I have always understood that there is a promotional aspect and an angling performance aspect to sponsorship. Personally I would be fishing with or without corporate help. For me the key is to have something to offer the companies. I therefore work with companies that have products that I respect. My key is to focus on pushing myself to be better. People need to understand that, in fishing, last week is over with and you need to deliver this week. I have always figured if I deliver on the water the companies will deliver for me off the water. I also spend time off the water at seminars. Some pros spend too much time on the water trying to perfect the art of angling and not finding a common ground in the mix.”
Gary talked about some additional aspects of sponsorship, but his message was clear: he focuses on products he uses, he makes sure that he is successful on the water, and he devotes time off the water to give back to other anglers.
Gary then turned his attention to the mental side of fishing. He identified “How do I become a better fisherman?” as another one of his favorite questions. It was extremely interesting to me that the questions he was stating were his favorites were some of the questions that I thought he would find redundant. As I mentioned earlier, I found Klein to be extremely engaging and to show an uncanny ability to relate to people. His answer to this question again re-emphasized his tendency to focus on helping others out:
“Eventually anglers qualify themselves. A good angler needs to understand their strengths and weaknesses. They need to come up with their own game plan and they need to always have an open mind. After two or three years most anglers today have the basics down. The information flow today is incredible. Anglers need to understand that it is all a process and the next step is the mental side of fishing. My greatest battles are with my self. I have a hard work ethic. I have a hard work ethic and sometimes that keeps me from fishing my intuitive side. You need to make sure you don’t second-guess yourself and instead go with the flow. You also need to understand that people being at different points in time in their fishing career shapes what I am telling you. Your life experience dictates how you interpret what you are told. In addition anglers must constantly push themselves. There are four main things you need to consider: the time of year/seasonal pattern, the type of water (man made, natural, river/current, or tidal), the species of fish (largemouth, smallmouth, or spots), and your strengths and weaknesses. I respect the angler that knows their limits and accepts their responsibilities.”
Gary went on to talk about the importance of spending as much time on the water as you can. “Every bite makes you a better angler. Every species you catch makes you a better angler.”
Gary also put on a seminar later in the day. The seminar mirrored many of the comments that he shared above.
Gary spent a lot of time NOT talking about lures. He emphasized, “Lures are nothing more than tools”. He presented the concept that 90% of all the lures we carry are “defensive lures”. By this he meant that most of the lures are never used but are there simply as a security blanket. He explained that too many anglers get way too caught up in the “secret lure syndrome”. Further, he pointed out that when you catch a fish YOU did it and not the bait. In fact, there are probably many other lures that would have caught he same fish. The key in his mind is the presentation – which you control. As he put it, lures can either be characterized as draw baits or target baits. In his mind, draw baits are those baits that bring the fish to you, where as target baits are those that bring the lure to the fish. Water clarity, fish temperament, and fish curiosity are the keys to picking the proper tool to use -- NOT your favorite color or what worked yesterday.
Some of Gary’s most interesting comments focused on watching the co-anglers that he has shared the boat with. He pointed out that those anglers that show up with 15 rods and three tackle boxes are almost always less effective than those with three rods and one box. In his mind, this goes directly to focus. Those with a limited arsenal believe in themselves, are aware of the conditions, and generally perform better. Those who pack the kitchen sink normally spend a large percentage of the day looking for the “secret lure” and not focusing on their presentation.
Gary’s final comments focused on most anglers’ unwillingness to invest the required time to understand the fish. He emphasized that a lot of anglers spend their time learning lakes or spots and do not focus on the bass itself. He pointed out that there is no way he could be successful given the demands on his time if he had to learn each individual body of water. Instead he has spent his time understanding the fish itself and how it relates to its environment. Once he came to understand that the key is the fish and how it relates to its environment, his success improved dramatically. He pointed out that even now that he knows that the key to success is to focus on the fishes’ behavior; he has difficulty doing so from time to time.
I took away three things from spending several hours interacting with Gary. First, this is one professional angler who really enjoys people; and, more importantly, helping people. Second, Gary is an extremely “cerebral” fisherman who works hard at improving himself. Third, Gary seemed always to come back to two basic messages: “know yourself and know the fish”. These are two messages that this angler will definitely pay attention to this year.