Vance McCullough

 

Can’t figure out how to use your mobile phone? Find a kid. It’s funny because it’s true. The younger set takes more readily to new technology than do the old dogs.

The same is true on the water. Many of our sport’s youngest competitors excel when there’s a deep bite that favors the ‘video-gaming’ approach. Well, if you can’t beat ‘em, hire ‘em. At least, for a day.

Many tournament pros, current and former, also make good money as fishing guides. In Florida, Peter Thliveros has been putting clients on double-digit bass, mostly by floating or trolling shiners. It’s the best approach for those who seriously want to catch the fish of a lifetime.

Increasingly, however, clients prize knowledge over big fish. From the famed ledges of TVA reservoirs where Ryan Salzman guides to the vast waters of Lake Erie, home to Matt Becker, these two young FLW Pro Circuit standouts and others are staying booked by conducting trips specifically designed to teach aspiring tournament anglers how to use the latest electronics or master a new technique or tactic.

While you can learn a lot by watching videos, there’s often no substitute for a real life teacher (just ask any number of students – or their parents – who have endured the recent experiments in ‘distance learning’ this year).

The COVID-19-induced downtime has kept the pros near their homes this spring. It has created a great opportunity for locals to get on the water with them and, not only catch fish, but to go to school with a pro.

The 2018 FLW Rookie of the Year, Becker is currently 2^nd in Angler of the Year points on the FLW Pro Circuit. While he continues to prove himself in competition, Becker is also proving to be a great teacher. “I’ve been staying on the water as much as I can. I’ve been running some guide trips and electronics classes.”

Even experts need to brush up now and then. Becker points to the upcoming Chickamauga event which will see a lot of fish, and a lot of anglers, on the offshore ledges. He will get some practice licks in, and maybe make a little money in the process. “I just signed up for the Toyota Series on Pickwick, which is here at the end of the month, just to get back into the swing of things – the tournament scene – and to get some more ledge-fishing experience before we head to Chickamauga.”

Becker sees the teaching/guiding trips as a way to support the companies that support tournament bass fishing. After all, it’s easier to sell graphs to people who know how to use them. “I’ve had great interest in that. I started doing it about a month ago now and it’s really taken off. I’ve been fully booked as long as the weather is decent and I can make time to get out, so I’ve always got somebody. I can go jump in their boat and dial-in their electronics for them and tell them what they’re looking at and everything, just help people get familiar with the electronics they have on their boat so they can find fish whenever they’re out on their own. I try and do everything I can to help grow the sport.”

Salzman made the FLW Cup last year. He is working hard to qualify for the championship event this season. Regardless of tournament finishes, Salzman has become a top guide on the TVA lakes of North Alabama. As soon as conditions allowed for a return to business he started guiding again. “I’ve actually been busy for about two weeks solid now which has been great,” he said in mid-May, adding that he lost more than $20,000 due to an estimated 30 cancelled guide trips from March through April.

“They come for specific trips, like to Pickwick to catch smallmouth or for the Guntersville Rat-L-Trap bite.” Avid anglers frequently book trips to learn certain techniques from touring pros such as Salzman. Some are learning the lakes that they compete on, or plan to, through a fresh set of eyes.

“I do a lot of tournament tactic training. A ton of guys want to learn about electronics. I offer electronics trips, and you also have the pre-tournament trips. Today I had a local guy. He just wanted to learn something new at the lake, and they’re spawning right now so I taught him how to sight fish, and I taught him how to throw a big swimbait.”

As for the swimbaits and glide baits, Salzman said that Guntersville bass will not only follow the lures (a common complaint when using oversized plugs) but they will readily eat them. “I caught a real big one on a glide bait today. I was throwing the Duel Hardcore Twitch’n Ninja Glider. I like to play with different baits when I’m on a guide trip. I’ll get the guys going, catching them, and I’ll throw fun things like that and if I do get a bite it’s usually a great big one. It’s fun for everyone to watch.”

Teaching such techniques is a big reason Salzman and Becker stay booked. It’s not just about catching fish. Check them out and spend a day on the water. There’s no telling what you’ll learn.

Ryan Salzman can be found at AlabamaBassGuide.com: https://alabamabassguide.com/

Salzman is active on social media as well – check out his Instagram for a good laugh.

Matt Becker lives in Finleyville, PA and can be found on all the popular social media platforms and at MattBeckerFishing.com: https://www.mattbeckerfishing.com/?fbclid=IwAR36EiTvUHLAsLpcSFYtBJ3GXlAssxc-3QY3CL-2RTyaFG3Yuy_sNh_PJ7c