When talking about his life in the past decade or so, Buddy Gross uses the word “we” a lot.
Two weeks after his come-from-behind win in the DEWALT Bassmaster Elite on Lake Eufuala, Gross called it a family accomplishment, as in “we won.”
“I say ‘We,’ and people always ask, ‘Who’s we?’” said Gross, mentioning his family of wife, LeAnn, their daughter, Bella, and stepson, Myles. “We’re a team. They’re here to support me.
“Once we got married, we’ve been pretty much inseparable. Everything in my life got to a better place, and I started to begin fishing again.”
And oh, how he’s fished. Gross, who won four events on FLW circuits, claimed a blue trophy in his second Elite tournament and 10th overall entry with B.A.S.S. A bait adjustment helped Gross figure out the big brush pile fish and rally from 10th place on the final day. His big bag of 27 pounds, 11 ounces made up a 7-9 deficit on the leader, and he won by a pound with 84-4.
“I had just seen a lot of good quality fish. I knew I was going to catch them, but I had no idea I had enough to catch first,” he said. “I like to fish for big ’uns is all I can tell you.”
But life, as well as fishing, wasn’t always so good for Gross, who struggled in tournaments so much he left that world behind in his 30s. Marrying LeAnn began Gross’ turnaround. They worked together at her parents’ body shop; she in the front office and Buddy in the garage.
“It’s a big shop — do about 150 cars a month,” he said. “I went to work as an estimator and within two years I became a general manager and was running the whole show. Things started getting better, and it gave me an opportunity to go fishing again.”
LeAnn didn’t know the first thing about tournament bass fishing, he said, or what jumping back in meant, but she was all for him pursuing his passion. Starting again from scratch, Gross bought a used boat and fished local events on area lakes Chickamauga, Nickajack and Guntersville with partner James Milling, who grew up across the street from him.
“We were winning everything, any kind of derby we could get in,” he said, making him consider stepping up in competition.
After basically being kicked out of the Nickajack circuit after a format change, Gross said he went to master Lake Chickamauga, where fishing was so poor Milling passed.
“It was just starting to get good,” Gross said. “I learned Chick, and I joined up to fish the Costas in 2015. I qualified for the tour in 2016 and wound up quitting my job.”
The Grosses had some major decisions that year. They almost bought the body shop as LeAnn’s parents retired to Florida, but “they needed a bigger player than me.” Making it in tournament fishing was something LeAnn realized was his dream, so she gave her blessing even though he dove in with only $5,000 and a few sponsors.
“My wife is 100% behind me,” he said. “She said, ‘You qualified to fish the tour, try it.’”
It looked like a bad decision at first. Things weren’t going well with bombs in his first two events before he cut his first check. His fourth event was a turning point — he got a good hold of the end of the rope and pulled himself up.
“We were about done at Pickwick. If we hadn’t won there, I probably wouldn’t be here talking to you today,” Gross said, choking up thinking back on his landmark win. “I had a 14-, almost 15-pound lead going into the last day, and I struggled to catch three fish. It was scary.”
That first $100,000 paycheck solidified him in the industry and filled him with confidence. Gross won a mid-level event in 2017 on Lake Seminole before a big 2019, when he won another FLW pro event on Lake Toho and qualified for his only FLW Cup. He cashed in all but one event, totaling more than a third of his $462,000 in FLW earnings.
That same year, he fished the Basspro.com Bassmaster Eastern Opens and did well enough to earn an invitation to the Elite Series.
“Once I qualified for BA.S.S, we pretty much knew what we were going to do,” he said. “Nothing against FLW and all the friends I made over there — they were good to me — but B.A.S.S. fit me.”
Gross has a great start on his No. 1 goal of qualifying for the 2021 Bassmaster Classic on Lake Ray Roberts. An unexpected benefit is his standing second place in the Bassmaster Angler of the Year points, only four back of last year’s winner Scott Canterbury.
“Now that we got a win, that’s a huge plus, but I’m focused on trying to make the Classic,” Gross said. “I’m a gamer. I want to stay as competitive as possible. I’m going to be busting harder now than before. Once you win one, it gives you more drive. It didn’t calm me down. It just makes me want more.
“I’m digging in. I got my toenails, my fingernails, even my hairs on my arms, are dug in.”
The Grosses had just returned from a three-day scouting mission on Lake Champlain, the third and final event of a New York swing that is scheduled to get under way at Cayuga Lake, July 14-17, before the St. Lawrence River.
“Cayuga is going to be fine with me. St. Lawrence, I’m nervous about it because I’ve never seen it,” he said, although he’s heard about it from Cory and Chris Johnston, who stay with the Grosses on their trips south. “I will be able to figure something out. I just want to maintain when I go north.
“Champlain, I’ve never shined up there, but I’ve always been in middle of the pack. I just got to figure out how to up my game, and that’s why I went up there.”
Canterbury had similar worries of the northern swing in 2019 but actually gained the AOY lead after the St. Lawrence then increased it at Cayuga. As the “oldest rookie in history” at 47, Gross wants to follow suit. And the Eufaula win puts him in prime position.
“My goal was to try to win Rookie of the Year, but now, there’s more light at the end of the tunnel, so … It’s early,” he said. “I just want to stay competitive. If we can get back south, Chick is my home lake, and Santee Cooper, I’ve had some really good finishes over there. I just have to get some top 20s in the northern swing.”
It’s not the season he wanted, after Chickamauga was postponed twice, first due to flooding and then because of the coronavirus pandemic, but he’s enjoying the benefits of a victory and all the attention.
“Oh my gosh, you talk about busy. I had no idea,” he said of all the well-wishers. “I had 385 text messages when we left Eufaula. My wife answered text messages for four hours on the way home, let alone Instagram and Facebook.”
Things are good, and Buddy Gross can attest that behind every successful man is a great woman.
“Everything is just working out how it’s supposed to,” he said.