Five Questions with Northern Open Points Champ

9/30/2011 9:04:08 AM

Bassmaster Open Northern Division Points Champ Michael Simonton answers some questions about becoming a pro bass fishing angler

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Photo courtesy of Rob Russow / B.A.S.S. Communications

1. You have qualified for the Elites before and have again done it as the Northern Opens points champion. Are you making the step to the Elites this time around and how have you prepared?

I am definitely making plans to fish the Elites in 2012. I've been talking to sponsors and am quite optimistic that I will be able to make the commitment. Right now, nothing is set in stone. One thing I want to make sure is that I have the business end all squared away before I commit. I don't want to be a guy who's running around the country with a truck with three wheels on it. I want it to be right. I wanted to fish them last year, but I couldn't get enough sponsor support and declined. Although I was upset, it did give me another year on the Opens and on new bodies of water, which in the long run I will benefit. Last year I was just out there to see what I had at a level below the Elites. I was excited to compete outside of Ohio, and I've found out that I can catch fish on bodies of water that are loaded with bass. Ohio is a very difficult place to fish. Where I live there are loads of largemouth to catch and you can fish for them fast.

When I used to fish Redman's and BFL's on Ohio's inland lakes I'd stink the joint up. I'm not sure If I just fished too fast or what but I think a lot of the tournament anglers that fish the smaller inland lakes in Ohio fish slow. I gained a lot of experience in the Open's but I was very conservative. When I fished the Opens, I only looked up what weights won events for the time of the year I would be fishing there. I would also check out what the lake looked like with google earth, basically I just showed up around three days early, fished and didn't talk to anybody besides for the events I roomed with somebody. I take a lot of pride when fishing a tournament knowing that I did everything myself. I plan on doing the same preparations for the Elites but maybe with a little bit more studying the lake with Google Earth and always pre-fishing lakes in advance just to become familiar with them.

2. The last Northern Open had several Elite Anglers fishing. Did that have any impact on your future plans?

I have to admit that I am always curious to see how I finish at an event compared to the Elite guys that fish the Opens, but after talking to a couple Elite guys and an industry insider. they told me to hold "NO" stock in that comparison. But I do look at that because those Elite guys don't just show up to the Opens to have their money taken from them. If I do fish the Elites, from day one it will be apparent that all of these guys are awesome fisherman, and I will most likely take a beat down in a few events. I think it's important to set realistic goals. Oh and one more thing and I'm not sure if this is true, but I want to stay out of Tommy Biffle's way because I'm sure he'd win a stare down with me.

3. What fishing style best describes you? What waters do you enjoy the most?

I live in northern Ohio. I'm only about 25 minutes to most of the ramps from Sandusky to Port Clinton. I've fished a lot of smallmouth tournaments, but I get my tail kicked out there. I typically catch 15 to 18 pounds. Smallmouth fishing is actually something that I am trying to improve -- a total work in progress deal. Before Hummingbird came out with side imaging, I didn't know what I was looking at on the bottom. It's getting easier for me now. Maybe in a couple of years, I'll be able to compete on Erie.

When I was 17 or 18, my parents helped me buy a Hydro-Sport from a local dealership. Lake Erie can cost a lot of money to fish because of the gas you can go through, so I spent hours and hours fishing for largemouth in the rivers and harbors on the south shore. This is how I spent the majority of my time fishing for many years. I wanted to go out on the lake a lot more than I could, but I certainly wasn't going to complain though because I knew how fortunate I was to have a boat to fish.

That really sank in one day when my uncle was talking to me, and said a lot of grown men who would love to have that boat.

I feel more comfortable fishing shoreline cover, so shallow water power fishing is my greatest strength as a fisherman. Moving down the bank at a fast pace and making multiple accurate casts to objects while the boat is still in position is what I've gotten fairly good at. I really enjoy fishing shallow wood with spinnerbaits and vegetation where I can throw a frog and use a heavy weight. I often get bored fishing deep structure because there isn't as much to stare at.

4. You are a teacher now in Ohio. Are there things you will take with you from the classroom that will help you with your fishing?

I currently work as a special education teacher, and with that, I've learned patience is a necessity. So I hope with tough days on the water, when things are looking bad, I can keep my head right and stay patient and wait for the bites to come that I know are there. But the real thing that will benefit me from my current job and transitioning to a professional fisherman is the paperwork. In special education, there is a lot of important paperwork to keep track of. It's very important for all of this paperwork to be done correctly because school districts funding can depend on it.

So when working with current sponsors and looking for knew ones, I want them to know what I have been doing and how I have been promoting their products. If I do get the chance to fish the Elites, I could be gone in a year or two if I don't treat it the way that it needs to be treated. If you look back over the last twenty years or so, the guys that are super successful are the guys that have all endemic sponsors. So I realize how important it is to work hard for the sponsors that make this industry work.

5. What can bass fishing fans look for from you in 2012?

My hope is that I have the ability to cash three or four checks in a season to keep the cash flow going to be able to have some momentum in this sport. I also want to be known as easy going and nice. There are a lot of young anglers looking at the Elite Series pro's as heroes just as I did. So I definitely want to be approachable. Regardless of how well I do, I'm going to give it my best because this might be the only chance I get.