PROFESSIONAL ANGLERS ASSOCIATION
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Byron Velvick – He Belongs in the Elites.

By Terry Battisti for the PAA

Making the Elite Series is probably considered one of the highest forms of confirmation in the sport of tournament bass fishing. Once you qualify to share the water with Kevin VanDam, Skeet Reese or Rick Clunn, you know you are part of an elite group of anglers.

One step higher on the confirmation ladder, though, is maintaining your status as an Elite angler. If one thinks it’s tough to qualify for the Series, think how difficult it is to sustain your place there.

Being an angler on the cusp of sustaining your Elite status not only wears on your pocketbook but more important, it grates on your confidence as an angler. Questions like, “Do I belong here,” or, “Am I really at this level, begin to take their toll.

These are the thoughts that filled Elite angler Byron Velvick’s mind until recently.

But his start at the top of the national scene left him scratching his head in bewilderment. 

Velvick’s run changed in late 2007 when he won the Bassmaster Elite Series Wildcard event on Lake Okeechobee – a tournament that rekindled his mind and spirit to believe he belonged with the best. In 2008 his confidence was boosted even more as he qualified for his first Bassmasters Classic. From there, there was no stopping him.

In the last four Elite events, Velvick has made a check and in three of those events he fished all four days – a feat any angler would be proud of. But his first three events had shades of years past. How did he pull himself back and how was he able to rebound from those first couple years in the Elites?

I had the opportunity to talk with Byron about his successes and his bad years, and here’s what he had to say.
 

Too Many Pans on the Fire:

“In my first couple years in the Elites I was doing too many things,” Velvick said. “I had the Bass Center deal going and I was trying to start my business, Amistad Lake Resort. I’d also just come off The Bachelor – it was too much for me to handle while still trying to keep my head in competitive fishing.

“There were many times I’d spend a lot of my practice period on the phone doing business and when I wasn’t on the phone, I’d be thinking about things like, ‘I wonder if we got the liquor license for the Resort.’ It was all a major distraction.”

At the same time, he was also wondering if he really belonged in the Elites.

“The results I was having really started to play with my mind,” he said. “I was trying to figure out what I was going to do if I didn’t make the Elites again. I was questioning my place on the Series. I’d had success in the west but coming east was different. We all [Reese, Aaron, Rojas, Murray, etc] felt like we owned the west but then you get to the Elites and you have to find that same feeling competing against the best there is. It’s a lot different than the regional scene.

On a Roll:

Consistency is always something an angler looks for in his performance. Velvick has been consistent over the years, the problem was he consistently finished towards the bottom. Last year he was consistent enough to make his first Classic. This year he’s made five checks out of seven events, has finished in the top-12 three times and is a sure bet to make the Classic. He also stands a very good chance of making the post-season, a two-tournament event which takes the top-12 in the Angler of the Year standings, which will decide the final standing for the year.

“I’m on a roll and I’m liking it,” he said. “I’m fishing my gut more and not worrying if I have a bad practice. Before if I had a bad practice, I’d let it affect me. Then after the Classic this year I finally welcomed the bad practice and learned to rely on finding fish during the tournament days.

“I’m just fishing by the seat of my pants,” he said. “It’s hard to do at this level but once you figure it out it really boosts your confidence. The cool thing is I’m doing well on water I’ve never been to so I can’t attribute it to experience on the water. The light has just gone on and I’m loving it.”

Becoming More Versatile:

“When I first came to the Elites I was going to force-feed the fish the swimbait,” Velvick said. “That didn’t work and now I’m relying more on historical patterns and baits. Don’t get me wrong, I still fish the swimbait a lot but when they’re not on it, I’m not throwing it.

“I’m throwing more big worms and cranks these days because that’s what’s putting fish in the boat,” he said. “It’s not about having the big fish for the day, it’s about weighing five every day. The swimbait won’t do that all the time.”

Confidence and Support is the Factor:
 

“The guys out there can get into your head without even trying,” Velvick said. “You try and fish their strengths and you’ll fail. Once you get over that hump and gain confidence in your own abilities, that’s when you can excel.

The other thing that’s affected my performance this year is my fiancé Mary,” he added. “She been awesome with her support and takes care of the business so I don’t have to worry about it when I’m in a tournament. She’s so excited with my success and I’m tickled that she’s so involved with my profession. I couldn’t ask for more.


For those who find there way to Del Rio, Texas to fish Lake Amistad, Amistad Lake Resort, owned by Byron and Mary, is the premier resort. Close to the Diablo launch ramp it has 40 units and a full-service restaurant and cantina. For more information, click here: www.amistadlakeresort.com.