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 When local fisher Jim Russell heads to the lake, he’s generally not going out just for a relaxing day on the water.
Sure, cruising around in a high-powered boat during a warm summer day has its advantages, but as one of the top professional bass fisherman in Northeast Georgia, for him there’s more to a day at the lake than just hours spent basking in the Georgia sunshine — there’s work to be done.
Russell typically divides his time between his job as a Jefferson-based realtor and bass fishing. In fact, he has aspirations of one day making it to the very top level of professional bass fishing. But that means spending hours honing his skills and studying the science of fishing, a pursuit that eats up a lot of his time, which is just fine with him.
“If you ask me, the best time to go fishing is whenever you can,” the 50-year-old said while coasting through the sparkling blue-green waters of Lake Lanier in his bass boat early last Thursday morning.
Most days, Russell usually spends his time doing one those two things — selling houses or fishing — sometimes even managing (thanks to his cell phone) to accomplish both at the same time. As a realtor for the Jefferson-based Towne Square Re/Max office, Russell is well known in the Northeast Georgia area as a realtor that can not only find you a good deal on a house, but also a heck of a fishing hole. He’s really quite adept at doing either.
Judging by one recent result, Russell’s goal of reaching the pinnacle of one of the fastest-growing sports in America could soon become a reality. Earlier this spring, he recorded the first major tournament win of his career when he took first in the Wal-Mart bass fishing League’s Bulldog Division at an event held at Lake Oconee. Including sponsorship incentives, the triumph earned the Statham resident some $7,500. His five-bass total of 16 pounds, 14 ounces not only secured him a nice trophy and a paycheck, but it also helped with exposure as he hopes to pick up a major sponsorship in the near future. That would allow him to compete as a full-time professional where the winnings, but also the entry fees, are more substantial.
Russell’s been bass fishing for three decades, but recent years have seen him take what was once just a hobby and turn it into a serious art form. The sport he loves has been reaching new heights recently as well, and the longtime frequenter of nearby Lake Lanier in Gainesville said that he’s hoping to cash in on the sport’s growth.
He sees bass fishing already taking off in much the same way NASCAR racing has in recent years. And soon the fisher believes the sport could even reach the level of professional golf in terms of endorsement deals and tournament prize money. Hardly a weekend goes by, he points out, where some T.V. program on the sport is not seen, and the sport’s big tournaments regularly top the $1 million mark in prize money.
Russell currently has plenty of time in his life for hooking big bass, but that hasn’t always been the case. Back in the early 1970s was when he first became involved in competitive fishing. He won his first tournament in 1977 at Lake Waveland, IN.
“And I’ve been hooked ever since,” he said.
For years he was too busy with work to fish as much as he wanted to. After moving to Georgia, he owned and operated a grading and hauling business for many years. During that time, he wasn’t fishing nearly as much as he is now. Always though, there was the dream of picking up the sport on a serious level, with the hope of making a living by reeling in big catches one day.
“That’s my goal. To get paid to fish,” he said. “My goal in life is to fish the FLW Tour as a professional.”
About eight years ago Russell started to get into the sport more seriously and soon enough he was part of the Wal-Mart Forrest L. Wood (FLW) Tour. Named for the founder of the Ranger bass boat company, the tour is one professional circuit in the United States that has been experiencing rising popularity in recent years. Much of that growth has been due to the cooperation of big business. Many corporations now sign on to sponsor fishers in much the same way NASCAR drivers get sponsored on the racing circuit. For the fishermen, the deals are essential to their chances of competing in the professional ranks. Full-time pros have sponsorship deals that not only pay for travel, equipment and other expenses, but also for tournament entry fees, which often cost thousands of dollars. For the companies involved (especially those that sell fishing-related products) the sponsorships can be a very effective form of advertising.
Russell currently has several important sponsorship deals, but not all of his expenses are paid for. He’s hoping that as he continues to succeed, more sponsors will sign on to help him and eventually he’ll be able to compete on a full-time professional basis.
Russell estimates that he now fishes about four to five days a week, with hardly a weekend going by where he doesn’t take part in a tournament of some kind, somewhere in the country. Entry fees and travel expenses tend to quickly add up though, which is why he’s hoping to continue to make headlines with top-10 finishes in order to woo those big-name sponsors. He’s confident that he’s got the talent to compete against the top bass fishermen in the world, he said, all he’s lacking is the complete financial backing that will help make that possible on a consistent basis.
To do that though, he’ll have to continue reeling in big bass, which is something he had no trouble doing last Thursday while giving a tour of some of his favorite spots on Lake Lanier.
“This is my back yard,” said Russell. “I know every inch of this lake.”
In all, the fisher caught about 12 spotted bass during a solid day on the water. Reeling in two on the same cast to start things off was a sign of just the type of talent the longtime fisher possesses. His top catch on the day was a roughly 6-pounder that, along with a previous 5-pounder, would have made very solid tournament catches, he said.
“If you reel in five of those, you’ll win most tournaments,” he said with a wry smile.
The Bulldog Division’s final event of the regular season will be a two-day Super Tournament held Sept. 8-9 on Lake Eufaula in Eufaula, Ala. Following the end of regular-season competition, the top 40 boaters and 40 co-fishers based on year-end points standings in the division will advance to the no-entry-fee Lake Seminole Regional Championship where they will compete against top qualifiers from three other BFL divisions.
Russell plans to be competing when those tournaments roll around later this year.
At the Regional Championship boaters will fish for a new Ranger boat and Chevy truck and co-fishers will fish for a new Ranger boat. The top six boaters and top six co-fishers at the Regional Championship will also advance to the 2008 All-American presented by Chevy.
With such well-known national companies, it’s no wonder the prize money has gotten more substantial as the year’s have gone by. With a total purse now of $1 million, a potential $140,000 cash prize going to the winning boater and as much as $70,000 going to the winning co-fisher, the All-American is one of the most prestigious and lucrative events in bass fishing and Russell hopes he’ll get a chance to take part in it in the future. If he does, and manages to do well, that could be the Statham resident’s ticket to the big time, as the winning boater and winning co-fisher at the All-American also advance to the no-entry-fee $2 million 2008 Forrest Wood Cup. That event, featuring a top award of $1 million, is the sport’s biggest championship.
“Now that’s not a bad day’s work,” he joked.
Original article: http://www.mainstreetnews.com/2007/June/J0613S.html
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