I caught the bass fishing bug at a very early age, spending my summers at our family cottage on Black Lake in New York. I couldn't wait until I turned 16 to join the local bass fishing club. When you join a bass fishing club, you automatically become a tournament angler, wanting to test your skills against others. With me, this passion grew, wanting to get better and better, to prove myself at a higher level.
By the age of 25, I had won the New York State Bass Federation's Angler of the Year title. At age 35, I finally won a national tournament, being crowned Champion of the 2000 Florida Bassmaster Invitational on Lake Okeechobee.
Tournament bass fishing had become the nucleus of my life at this point, although being unable to make a living at it, had eventually taken it's toll on my passion to compete.
Today, I now realize this journey was a necessary part of developing the on the water instincts needed to be an effective guide. I now spend my time split between Florida and New York sharing what I have learned with others who are thrilled with pursuing and catching this wonderful sportfish.