Entry 243-3
Looking at the Classic through College Eyes with Rusty Jones
Editor’s Note: At the 2008 Bassmaster Classic, members of the University of Alabama’s bass-fishing team paid to attend the Classic and work for and with their sponsors. They were in the Strike King booth all three days of the Classic, showing new products and talking fishing with all who would listen. These young men are setting a new standard as college fishing pros, and they’re becoming tournament pros the right way through working with sponsors and honing their fishing skills, at a very young age. This week, you’ll meet Rusty Jones of Helena, Alabama, who has his education and fishing act together and uses his college courses to help further his fishing career.
Part 3: Fishing the Strike King Lures
Question: Rusty, what Strike King lures are you fishing now?
Jones: I prefer to fish the Strike King Rage Toad and the Series 3 and Series 5 crankbaits. I also really like the Zero. Lately, I’ve been fishing the Rage Toad quite a bit around vegetation because it kicks up so much water and gets a lot of attention from the bass. I’m fishing the Rage Toad on 17-pound-test line. I’ll even throw that Rage Toad in open water sometimes to pull bass up from deep water to the surface.
Question: Rusty, what does the University of Alabama bass-fishing team do to help Strike King?
Jones: We go to their events, do in-store promotions for them and promote their products.
Question: Next year will be your senior year, Rusty. What do you plan to do to better your chances for a fishing career during your senior year of college?
Jones: The university encourages us to do an internship our senior year. I’m hoping to get an internship with either Strike King or a company like Strike King in the fishing industry, and hopefully, work my way into a job with one of these fishing-tackle companies.
Question: Do you really believe there are opportunities for young people in the fishing-tackle industry?
Jones: There definitely is plenty of opportunity. The college fishing circuit has doubled within one year and is continuing to grow. As collegiate fishing increases, the fishing-tackle industry will keep multiplying. The young people who get in on the ground floor will have a much-better chance to get involved in the fishing industry than the people who wait until after they graduate and then try to make a name for themselves in fishing. 
The younger a person starts in competitive fishing, the better their odds are for making the national fishing circuit and becoming a part of the fishing-tackle industry as they get older.
Question: Why would you advise other young people to try and start working with fishing-tackle companies now? What’s the advantage to being a young guy?
Jones: Having the opportunity to meet and work with people in the fishing-tackle industry when you’re young allows you to grow up in the industry. It enables you to begin to network, prove what you can do, show how hard you’re willing to work and demonstrate your knowledge of not only fishing, but also the products these companies make. As a young person starting out, you can showcase your goals and abilities and prove your value to a company before you even graduate from college.
Next: Zero the Hero
Contents:
- Part 1: First, Earn a Degree
- Part 2: After College Plans
- Part 3: Fishing the Strike King Lures
- Part 4: Zero the Hero
- Part 5: A Well Thought-Out Plan
