SOMETHING FANS MAY NOT KNOW: I got my start tournament fishing, when a buddy asked me to fish a Grove Lions Club tournament, on Grand Lake with about 70 boats. It was in earIy spring, with very cold water temps. There were very few fish weighed in. We weighed in one fish, that weighed 4 pounds and finished 4th place—and won $700.00!! I thought that was pretty easy! For the next three years I fished lots of local tournaments, here in Oklahoma. I actually won 13 tournaments in a row. I fished my first Professional Tournament, Anglers’ Choice Circuit, when I was 40 years old. I actually won the first tournament, which was held on Grand Lake, and then I was Angler of the Year the first full year that I fished that circuit. I started fishing the pro side of (BASSMASTERS) when I was 42 years old, and qualified for the Top 100 that first year. In 1997 I started fishing the FLW Circuit as a Pro. I won the FLW CHAMPIONSHIP in September of 1999. Five weeks later, in November, I won the first Ranger M1 Millinneum Tournament, which was held in Cypress Gardens, FL. During my career, I have won, in excess of $2,250,000. I just have to say that I have always been blessed–much more than I deserve. I am one of very few Pros who does not fish nearly every day of the year. I have three other professions as well. We (my wife and family) have a steel manufacturing plant, that fabricates storage tanks for industry, and a construction company that installs them on site, here in the USA and oversees. We also have a cow/calf operation with about 900 head of mama cows.