“I wasn't sweating it too much. I just needed a couple of guys to finish in the top 10 at the Classic and double-qualify. I figured the odds were in my favor.”
“From now through September big fish will be in grass packs, ... You need to get a big one ounce jig with a frog or a crabapple or plum colored worm and find your wolf pack of fish.”
“It's been a process, over the last couple of years. Things have changed. The atmosphere at BASS has changed. The culture over there has changed. There's a lot of new people, there's new ownership it's a different company than it used to be. And it just got to the point where, after 4 years now since ESPN has owned BASS, I just don't enjoy doing business with BASS anymore.”
“When you catch a 7-pounder and an 8-pounder on what was really a pretty tough day of fishing, it's just one of those days where everything goes right. It's a thrill to catch one of the biggest stringers of my career in one of the biggest tournaments of the year.”
“It seems we're kind of in the middle of the spawn. Usually, the monster fish spawn first [and they're done spawning]. I expect there'll be a 10-pounder caught, but it won't be a slugfest like in 2001. I think you'll see pretty good weights.”
