Story by Alan McGuckin

 

Photo by Rob Matsuura, MLF

Highly likable Florida Pro Keith Carson never had an inch of doubt that his 20-foot aluminum Vexus^® boat would deliver him safely and smoothly through big waves amid a mind-boggling 96-mile round trip run from Trenton, Michigan, to the northernmost corner of Lake Saint Clair. The Flippin, Arkansas-built vessel led him to the richest win of his career at the Tackle Warehouse Invitational on the Detroit River in late July.

However, two days later, as he drove to visit relatives in Ohio, he largely lamented that he had to use forward-facing sonar to claim the $80,000 first-place prize.

“I don’t want anybody who reads this to think for one second that I’m not grateful. I’m super grateful. I bought a home nine days before I won, and we’re about to have our first child, so the money means the world to us right now. But this win really got me thinking about the fact we’re being forced to use technology and the same basic technique to be competitive, and that concerns me a ton,” says Carson.

Carson, age 37, is by no means an old-timer, but he longs for the days when an angler’s intuition meant more than real-time images on a sonar screen, even though forward-facing sonar helped him catch every one of the 67 winning pounds he weighed in.

“I relied on it (FFS) purely because I’m tired of getting my butt whooped by it. So, I pinged a Berkley PowerBait MaxScent Jerk Shad on a medium-light 7’2” Fenwick walleye rod to catch every fish. But I’m really worried that if all the retailers are selling is spinning tackle, light line, jig heads, and plastic minnows, the sales of all other tackle are going to struggle in a big way, and that doesn’t leave the fishing industry in a healthy place,” adds Carson from a realistic perspective.

Carson says he’s absolutely certain tournament organizations are at a time of critical and necessary decision-making to help protect and preserve the fishing tackle industry, as well as the diversity of techniques that simply make the sport he dearly loves more fun.

One topic he’s not contemplating, however, is his recent decision to run an aluminum Vexus^® AVX2080. “I’m mostly a shallow-water guy, and I love the way this aluminum boat performs in shallow water, but I proved it’s also totally capable of competing and winning in big water, fiberglass-dominated events like Saint Clair. I never once felt that guys running more expensive fiberglass boats had an advantage over my aluminum Vexus. Not to mention, my fuel economy was absolutely awesome on that superlong run,” says Carson.

“I chose to run a Vexus this year because I wanted to be part of an independently owned boat brand with a bright future run by guys like Keith Daffron and Randy Hopper, whose whole lives have been dedicated to building the industry’s highest quality fishing boats. They always pick up the phone and take care of me when I need them. That’s how they do business. And to be honest, this is the first season in a decade that I haven’t battled boat issues. I’m thrilled to be running a Vexus,” concludes Carson.

If only his soul felt equally at ease over the concerning impact of forward-facing sonar, his recent win would feel as cozy as the new home where he and his girlfriend, Shaylee, will soon welcome their first child.

To learn more about the Vexus culture and quality Keith Carson loves, please visit vexusboats.com.