Entry 193-4
Learning the Bass-fishing Ropes with Jonny Schultz
Part 4: The Man
Editor’s Note: The large crowd around the Hog Trough (a giant aquarium full of bass and crappie used for demonstrations at the Bassmaster Classic) was quiet as a 12-year-old young man stood on the podium not only demonstrated his casting ability, but also showed and explained how to fish many of the Strike King lures. From time to time, a bass would take his bait and he’d bring the fish to the surface where it would jump off the barbless hook. Very few bass pros command as much attention or as much interest as 12-year-old Jonny Schultz of West Bend, Wisconsin, and very few of them can express how to fish lures and catch bass as eloquently as Schultz. Like the others in the crowd, I was amazed at Jonny’s product knowledge, his fishing skill and ability and how his stage presence silenced a crowd of rowdy bass fishermen. As I shot photos, a man came up to me and asked, “What do you think?” I said, “I think he’s as much a pro as any of the contestants in the Bassmaster Classic.” Then I saw a big smile come over the man’s face as he announced, “That’s my son, Jonny.” This week, we’ll look at how Jonny Schultz learned to be a bass pro, and how a 12-year-old gets sponsors and learns how to teach fishing like anglers much older and with much-more experience than him do.
After Jonny finished his seminar, he came down off the stage where he’d been performing in front of hundreds of people, and Strike King talked with him.
Question: Jonny, why did you become so interested in bass fishing?
Jonny Schultz: Well, when I was young, I was really into the environmental aspect of nature.
Question: Wait a minute, Jonny, you’re only 12. How old is young?
Jonny Schultz: Probably when I was 5-years old. I really wanted to learn a lot about the environment. I wanted to learn about all the wild things around me. So, I went to a Department of Conservation seminar where the instructors were teaching fishing. 
They taught me how to tie knots and use different types of fishing equipment. They also taught me how to cast. That Department of Conservation seminar is how I really got started bass fishing. I began to practice, learn and compete. When I won the Bassmaster CastingKids Tournament in 2003, I kept competing until this year, when I placed 7th in the 2007 Junior Bassmaster World Championship.
Question: Why do you like promoting fishing tackle, doing demonstrations and helping to sell fishing-tackle products?
Jonny Schultz: I think it’s really fun, and I’ve found that I’m very good at it. There’s nothing better than helping people learn how to fish and how to catch fish. I really enjoy just hanging out with people and talking about fishing with them.
Question: How did you learn how to be a fishing pro?
Jonny Schultz: Well, neither one of my parents fished, but I did. So, I convinced them to take me to the Bassmaster Classic where I started talking to some of the fishermen. I saw what all the other pros were doing with their manufacturers, and I watched them give seminars. I began to adapt my technique to their techniques.
Next: More about the Man
Contents:
- Part 1: Who Is Jonny Schultz?
- Part 2: The 12-Year-Old Bass Pro
- Part 3: Johnny’s Life as a Fisherman
- Part 4: The Man
- Part 5: More about the Man
