Entry 221-2

Looking Back Over the 2007 Bass-Fishing Tournament Season with Mike Wurm

Mike WurmEditor’s Note: In 2007, Mike Wurm of Hot Springs, Arkansas, qualified for his 10th Bassmasters Classic, a major milestone for him in his professional bass-fishing career. His big dream when he first started competitive fishing was to qualify for 10 Bassmaster Classics, which he believed would establish him as a true bass-fishing pro. In 2008, Wurm will realize his dream. One of the most-difficult feats to accomplish in sports is being able to compete at the highest level possible for an extended number of years. The names in sports you’re most familiar with aren’t the men who’ve won big tournaments, but the men who’ve endured over the years, like Babe Ruth, Johnny Unitas, Jim Kelly, John Elway, Tiger Woods, Jack Nicholas, Richard Petty and Dale Earnhardt. Mike Wurm has proven that he’s an endurance fisherman. Only the best in bass fishing compete in the Bassmasters Classic. To have 10 appearances in a lifetime is a major accomplishment for anyone. This week, we’ll talk to Wurm and learn what he’s doing and what his hopes are for the future.

Part 2: Finding Lures that Win Classics

Mike WurmQuestion: Mike, how old are you?

Wurm: I’m 55-years old.

Question: You’ve fished in 9 Classics. What does being able to fish the 2008 Classic, your tenth, mean to you?

Wurm: Winning a place in the 2008 Classic represents attaining a goal I set many years ago when I first began tournament fishing. Fishing 10 Classics will give me credibility in my career and a lot of self-satisfaction. I’ve been fishing the B.A.S.S. circuit for 16 years. This year was especially gratifying because in the last tournament of the year, I was able to pull myself up by my bootstraps and win a place in the 2008 Classic. I never gave up, even when I had bad tournaments, or when I was far behind in the last tournament. This year’s season has helped me learn that you must continue to fish hard and believe in your lures, your tactics and yourself, even when you’re not winning. At that last tournament, I was able to turn a mediocre tournament year into a good one and make it into the Classic. The 2008 Classic will be a really-special event for me.

Question: What did you learn on the tournament circuit this year?

Wurm: I’ve learned that bass fishing has changed, and I’ll have to change, too, if I’m going to continue to compete. Anglers have more and better baits, lures, lines, rods and reels than we’ve ever had in the past. Also, the sport of bass-fishing today has more and better fishermen than we’ve ever had in tournament fishing. The new anglers know so much about bass fishing that it’s hard to believe they can learn as much as they have at their ages. These young guys coming onto the tournament fishing scene are anxious, enthusiastic and extremely-good fishermen. I’ve learned that I’ll have to change my strategies and my practice and step up my game to make the Bassmasters Classic every year.

I’ll have to learn how to use new baits and tactics that have become more important, like the new swim baits. I’ll have to learn more about sight fishing. I’ll have to start looking for bigger bass now than in the past. The tour is fishing at more lakes now that require big-bass tactics to win. No longer can you go out and catch five fish that weigh 10 or 11 pounds and make the Classic. Now, you consistently have to catch 18 to 25 pounds with a five-fish limit to be able to make the Classic. We’ll be fishing big-bass water, so I’ll have to concentrate more on bigger baits to catch larger bass.

Strike King Bitsy BugQuestion: What lures have been important to you this year? What was your No.1 lure you used all season that helped you make the Classic?

Wurm: Without a doubt, it’s the Strike King 4-inch finesse worm on a shaky-head jig. This bait was consistent for me, and I could always catch bass on it. I also used this bait on a Carolina rig. The Bitsy Bug Mini Jig saved me more than a few times this year. The spinner bait and the Series 4S crankbait were also important. I don’t think you can make it to the Classic fishing just one lure. But by using a combination of Strike King products since Strike King provides the right tools for different situations, I always can go to my tackle box and find a lure that worked.

 




 

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