Fishing Fridays Radio Interviews Bernie Schultz Over a Million {Dollars} in Prize Cash
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I am excited immediately as a result of immediately we have now Bernie Schultz.
Bernie is a local Floridian with greater than 30 years of expertise competing on the highest degree of match fishing.
– With two US and two Canadian titles, he has gained properly over 1,000,000 {dollars} in prize cash.
– Along with competing on the Bassmaster Elite Collection, Bernie Schultz serves as a marketing consultant to most of the largest manufacturers in fishing, together with Shimano, Rapala, Mercury Marine, Energy Pole, Garmin, and others.
– He additionally serves as a columnist for a number of main fishing publications, together with Bassmaster, Florida Sportsman, Ontario’s Simply Fishing, and Inside Line.
Welcome, Bernie.
The way you doing, Mike? Good to satisfy you.
All proper, yeah. Nice. Inform us, what are you as much as immediately?
Oh, I obtained just a few renovations happening on the home. I’ve obtained a bit little bit of a down interval between tournaments, and we’re doing a kitchen remod. That sounds fairly boring, I am certain, to your listeners, however that is what is going on on at our home immediately.
What’s your subsequent match?
Subsequent match is on Lake Hartwell. It is on the Georgia-South Carolina border. It is proper on the state line, and it is a fabulous fishery. That is within the first a part of April. Then we depart instantly from there to Winyah Bay, which is on the coast simply north of South… what’s it? Charleston.
Okay, gotcha. How lengthy have you ever been fishing?
Properly, I have been fishing tournaments over 30 years. I have been fishing my complete life. At the same time as a extremely younger child I used to be on the water. My grandfather and my mom had been form of the inspiration for me. We lived on a lake in Sanford, Florida. That is the place I discovered to… I imply, I discovered the fundamentals there.
Good. So it was your grandfather and your mom?
Appropriate, yeah. My dad did not fish, however dad all the time made certain there was water close by and that I had a ship. My grandfather was a fisherman, and my mother was uncovered to that early on. That is the place I obtained it, was by way of them.
Wow. Inform us, how did you begin fishing competitively? From whenever you had been a child and also you had been simply doing it for enjoyable, after which hastily you determined to begin fishing competitively?
Properly, I form of backed into it, Mike. I used to be a pupil on the College of Florida, and one in all my instructors was in a bass membership. We found out fairly early on in the course of the class that we each fished and that we had a typical curiosity, after which we began fishing collectively. He inspired me to come back to a bass membership assembly, and I did. As a visitor, I used to be invited to fish in a match, and my first draw was Shaw Grigsby, of all individuals. That form of hooked me at that time. I imply, I would been fishing lengthy earlier than that, however that was my first publicity to aggressive fishing.
Your first publicity to aggressive fishing, and also you get partnered up with Shaw Grigsby.
Yeah. Fairly unusual flip of occasions, however… And we have remained mates to today. Shaw was an excellent angler once I obtained concerned with the membership. I knew how you can fish, however I did not perceive the mechanics of match fishing. It is a utterly totally different factor. I imply, fishing below the clock with the stress of cash on the road, and at this degree, with sponsors and media and followers, it actually adjustments the entire manner you method the sport. Fishing for enjoyable is… you already know, that is one factor, however whenever you begin a profession in aggressive fishing, you determine fairly shortly that there is a massive transformation.
Properly, let me ask you. That is all the time fascinating to our listeners, is, what is the largest downside, or what is the largest problem you discovered whenever you obtained into aggressive fishing?
While you go fishing for enjoyable, there’s not plenty of stress. While you’re fishing for survival, in your revenue, for elevating your loved ones, or for the businesses you signify, it places plenty of stress on you. I feel the largest problem is staying up with the fish and managing all these pressures. Fish transfer. , most tournaments are multi-day occasions, so it isn’t like you possibly can go on the market for someday, and no matter occurs that day determines the end result. Most tournaments are three to 4 days lengthy on the degree that I compete at. That form of takes the luck issue out. It’s important to be persistently productive over these three or 4 days. With all of the pressures that I discussed earlier, it turns into a problem. Like I stated, fish transfer round. You bought to remain up with the fish, and issues change continually.
Yeah. , relating to match fishing, I perceive expertise performs an enormous a part of it. What did you study over your profession in aggressive fishing that is helped you to succeed?
, it is only a matter of time on the water, and also you begin choosing up issues. I imply, you study methods and methods, and also you discover ways to use all of the lures which are utilized to totally different depths and sorts of cowl. , bass are cover-oriented creatures. They prefer to be round issues, often. That does not imply they are not free-roaming. There are free-roaming fish. There are education fish that simply journey chasing bait fish. However for probably the most half, bass are cover-oriented, structure-oriented. They relate to one thing. It is the teachings I discovered all through my profession attempting to determine how the bass are regarding key buildings or options of a physique of water that form of has helped me survive.
Proper. Let me ask you, whenever you’re going right into a match, particularly at your degree, and you already know it should be a multi-day occasion, do you place collectively a plan of assault for every day, or one plan of assault for all 4 days?
Properly, ideally, you desire a single plan to work all through a 3 or 4 day occasion. However you already know, like I stated earlier, fish have fins, and so they use them. I imply, they transfer and so they do various things. Their temper adjustments. Climate continually adjustments. Even if in case you have secure situations, the fish typically make a dramatic change of their habits. So you already know, it is continually adapting and attempting to determine what the fish are going to do subsequent. Normally, there may be some consistency with minor variations, however there are some days when it is dramatically totally different, the place you need to scrap what you are doing and begin from scratch.
, and I all the time ask this of the those that we interview, is do you will have a set restrict of how a lot time that you’re going to work a particular plan, and if it isn’t working, then you definitely transfer on immediately? Or are you a kind of anglers that is extra of a really feel form of individual?
It’s positively by really feel. I feel that speaks for many guys. I imply, attempt to give your recreation plan each alternative to work, however in some unspecified time in the future if it turns into futile, you simply need to scrap it. That is what separates plenty of anglers on the water in how profitable they’re of their careers, is how properly they adapt. It’s important to adapt continually. Because the solar will get increased, the water begins to heat, or if in case you have a chilly entrance are available in the course of the hours of competitors, issues are going to vary. If the barometer adjustments, if there’s present circulate that is… , like when you’re fishing on a reservoir and so they begin working water by way of the generators to create electrical energy, that technology places fish in key locations, and you need to adapt and discover out the place these key spots are. It is all the time adapting and attempting to regulate to regardless of the state of affairs brings.
What do you discover is the toughest half about implementing your plan when you will have wildly altering variables?
Simply staying up with it. Timing. , a lot of fishing efficiently in tournaments is keyed on timing. It is figuring out the place to be and when to be there, and having the precise method of the precise lure, the precise presentation. I imply, it might come right down to casting angle. There’s so many variables. It is unbelievable to try to take all that in and try to course of it. I do know I’ll make it sound a bit tougher than it’s, however typically it’s that difficult.
While you’re going by way of your tournaments, and the variables are altering and also you’re form of making adjustments as you go, are you taking notes as you go, or are you one in all these guys that simply retains it in your head?
It is in my head. Only a few guys hold notes. I imply, there are guys that hold logs after an occasion’s over with, and perhaps they report issues at evening after they’re off the water, however I do not suppose you are going to see any high-level match competitor cease what he is doing to jot down down any notes throughout a contest.
Do you depend on your electronics?
Completely. I run Garmin electronics, and I am utilizing the brand new Livescope. It is unbelievable what you possibly can see underwater with that factor. I can really see fish swimming beneath the floor with my electronics. I can see them method a lure. They’re that good. I could make a forged, I can see my lure fall by way of the water column, and I can watch fish react to it. It is unbelievable what you possibly can see with electronics now. I rely closely on the GPS points of them as properly.
That is wonderful. What have you ever discovered that is made you higher since you’ve got began and as you’ve got gone alongside over the past 30 years?
You do not have sufficient time for that, I can inform you. I imply, it is a fixed course of. Should you’re not studying, you are falling behind. This sport is continually evolving. The know-how, the tools we have now, and the methods. I imply, that is to not say that outdated methods do not apply. They do, and so they work properly. At instances, it is the old-school techniques that work the perfect. However anymore, the extent of competitors is so excessive and so expert and so developed that you simply actually need to be in your recreation, and electronics is an enormous a part of that.
Proper. I feel in any sport, know-how is actually taking part in an even bigger and greater position yearly.
Completely. Completely. I imply, any sport, I feel that speaks to.
Yeah. Lastly, as we come to the tip of our interview, I wish to ask you… I all the time ask these two questions. What’s your most profitable fishing secret?
It is not a secret, however the perfect recommendation I may give your listeners is time on the water. The extra time you spend on the water, the extra publicity you are going to need to what is going on on, the weather, the habitat, and the way the fish are regarding all of that. Sitting in an armchair watching fishing reveals on TV, that is not going to get it. You will study some staple items, however till you are on the water making use of what you already know and studying by trial and error, you are probably not going to progress as shortly. So get on the market and spend a while on the water and get to know what is going on on.
Good. Second query. What’s your most profitable or your favourite fishing lure or bait?
That is powerful. I’ve a number of. So far as lures, the conference time period lure and plug, most likely a Rapala Unique Floating Minnow can be my first alternative. It is so versatile. It is formed like a minnow. It is buoyant, however it may be labored beneath the floor as properly. It is a actually good software. Then a Yamamoto Senko. It is a gentle plastic worm. Most of your listeners, I am certain, are very accustomed to that. I actually like these loads. Then most likely for a 3rd alternative can be a Hildebrandt spinnerbait, a tin curler, a bait that I designed for them. These three baits are most likely my most assured go-to lures that I can suggest.
Good. I would prefer to thanks for being on our present.
Positive.
However earlier than we go, in fact that is skilled fishing, so do you will have something that you simply wish to promote? Should you do, inform our listeners what it’s and how you can get it.
Properly, you already know, anyone at this degree of the sport is supported by firms, each marine, sort out, and typically firms that are not concerned within the sport instantly. Non-endemics is what we confer with them as. I’ve a sponsor web page. You’ll find all of the sponsors that assist me there. They’re the largest manufacturers in fishing. I imply, I’ve obtained Ranger, Mercury, Motor Information, Garmin, Hildebrandt, Rapala, Fuji Rod Parts, T-H Marine. I imply, I’ve obtained plenty of firms I signify on the market, and I am most likely not going to get all of them in.
You possibly can study loads from what I write and what I share by way of these web sites, these publications. There’s additionally an index for vintage angling. If guys like outdated lures and so they wish to find out about them, I’ve an index of vintage lures on my website.
Bernie, that is plenty of nice info for our listeners. Once more, I wish to thanks for being on our present.
Yeah, man. Any time. Simply give me a shout. I am comfortable to assist.
All proper, nice. Hey, good luck within the Elite Collection this yr.
Thanks, sir. You may have a very good day.
All proper. Take care.
