Even as a kid, I had a love for fishing. While my friends were throwing a football around or shooting hoops at someone’s house, I was tying on a hook, or practicing my casting skills in the front lawn.
It wasn't uncommon for neighbors to see me and my older brother Brent with fishing rods in tow riding their bikes to their favorite neighborhood lake. I always said that Brent was my most fierce competitor when it came to catching the most and the biggest and I think that pushed me to get better and better, early on. In 2007 at the age of 18, I decided to enter my first Redfish tournament, and that served as my launching pad to realizing a childhood dream. In 2011, I took first place in the New Smyrna Beach Redfish-Trout Tournament and in 2012 I won my first major redfish tournament in Titusville, Florida. |
As my pro fishing career has progressed I have been fortunate to have achieved first place finishes and other top finishes in the Inshore Fishing Association events, the Bossman Redfish Series, Florida Pro Redfish Tour and in my first Elite Redfish Series, head to head, one pro per boat event, I qualified for the 2016 season with a top 12 finish. I have also fished several charity events for local foundations.
Appreciation for nature and an overall concern for the youth of my community motivate my message to kids; put down the joy stick and pick up a real Joy Stick, a rod and reel and get outside to a nearby lake or body of water. |