Courtesy of Alan McGuckin – Dynamic Sponsorships

Thanks to early sunrises and late sunsets, most pros have logged 13-hour practice days in preparation for the Berkley Bassmaster Elite on Guntersville that begins Thursday.

 

Chris Zaldain was certainly among them. He was one of the very last pros to come off the water Wednesday. But the always classy and even-keeled caster of oversized swimbaits graciously took time at the dock to share his thoughts with fans on the eve of competition.

 

Q: Let’s start with an easy one, where did the nickname “Zaldaingerous” come from?

CZ: Brandon Palaniuk started calling me that during one of the very first seasons we competed as pros when I made a lot of Top 10 cuts.

 

Q: What’s going to be the biggest challenge on Guntersville this week?

CZ: Making a clear cast among on the uprooted, chopped up, eel grass floating on the surface.

 

Q: Every fishery is in a constant state of ecological change, but what remains Guntersville’s greatest asset?

CZ: The abundance of aquatic vegetation and shad here is still amazing.

 

Q: How much weight will an angler need to average here each day to get a Top 10?

CZ: I’ll say 17-pounds a day.

 

Q: What four lures can fans watching on Bassmaster.com and Fox Sports 1 expect to see pros using a bunch?

CZ: Frogs, soft plastic stick worms, deep diving crankbaits, and a swimjig

 

Q: What music or podcasts are you listening to most right now?

CZ: Heavy metal – a lot of Avenged Sevenfold