Edwin Evers has been called the best angler to never win a Toyota Bassmaster Angler of the Year title. Now he’s on point, leading the AOY points race and with a win already under his belt for the 2013 Bassmaster Elite Series season.
He took control at the Alabama River Charge and took home the trophy. And now, he says, his strategy for the next tournament is to catch more than all the rest of the anglers at La Crosse, in hopes of holding on to that AOY lead.
Below is a transcript of the chat, lightly edited for spelling and clarity. You can also check out Twitter chat transcripts from other pros here.
Keep up with Twitter chats, tournament news and bass fishing advice by following B.A.S.S. on Twitter at @BASS_Nation.
Thanks for joining us for the Twitter chat today, @edwinevers2 and congratulations on your recent victory!
Glad to be here and can’t wait for all the questions from the fans!
How do you fish early spring lily pads?
My experience is with the stalks; I would slow roll the spinnerbaits around & target the tighter clumps of stalks
Awesome, thanks!
Ryan Lowdermilk@RyanLowdermilk
What is your ultimate confidence bait year around?
I’ve got a lot of confidence flipping the @Zoombaitcompany ZHawg in black/blue sapphire.
What is more important to you…AOY or Classic title? Why?
I think AOY is a lot harder to obtain because we fish on different bodies of water during the whole year.
What is the deciding factor in whether or not to boat flip a big fish?
It depends on what kind of boat it’s on, the action of the fish and whether I’ve got him hooked good enough.
Edwin..How do you approach a tourney a muddy rain swollen river in Miss.?
That depends on the time of year. If they’re still spawning, I’ll want to get out of the current and find clean water
If it’s any other time of the year, I’ll still look for clean water but with current.
Larry the Largemouth@LarrytheLargie
I love moving water.
What settings do u use on your hds while vertical fishing drop shot?
It’s important that it’s in shallow water mode, not freshwater. Otherwise, I run it on auto, adjusting upper & lower limits.
I love your shaky head! All I use. Do you do any “power” shaky head fishing? Or do you only use it for finesse?
Power is what it was meant for.
What is your favorite way to catch post spawn bass and how you do find post spawners?
I like catching them in the shad spawn, right when bass stop spawning. I like a topwater, spinnerbait or swimming a jig.
Thanks! When you fish elite tournaments do you get information from local anglers or figure the fish out yourself?
I always try to figure them out myself. There are times I’ve had friends help me, but I do better if I do it myself.
Thanks for answering my other question. If you had one lure/style for all the money…what would it be?
I would think a jig would be the most versatile bait. Specifically a 1/2-ounce black-and-blue jig.
In a lake not known for big bass, how do you find big bites? How do you know you aren’t fishing over fish prefishing?
Fish outside the box; we always target the same thing, so move out deeper or shallower, think outside your everyday box.
What is your go-to for fishing deep in the summer?
A deep diving crankbait, like the Deep 6 and Deep 300 by @MegaBassUSA
What properties do you judge on to see if a brand of fluorocarbon line is a good choice?
Castability is important to me, and the strength of it.
What are you going to do with your recent prize money?
I’m going to try to keep it in the bank as long as possible!
I’m having a little trouble matching my lines reels and rods? what would be your 3 go to rod set up #tightlines
If I had to choose three: 7-foot heavy-action CarbonLite rod for flipping, cast big spinnerbaits & football jigs. Then a 7-foot medium heavy cranking stick and a 7-foot medium-action CarbonLite for topwaters or lighter baits.
Congratulations on leading AOY! Does it change the way you fish to be leading in midseason?
No, it doesn’t. You have to win every event or be really close. I just might not check in so close to check-in time.
Seems like some guys fish a “spot” during a tournament, why don’t they “dry” up what keeps the fish coming back?
When you have a location like that, there’s a reason the spot’s so good, whether it’s current or a ledge. Just like deer hunting, there are certain spots that are always good, so that keeps them from drying up.
I’m gonna have to plant me a fish food plot! Thank you and best of luck the rest of the season.
On behalf of my friend @vtbasser favorite color and cats/dogs?
Favorite color is blue, and definitely dogs!
At what age did you start competing as an angler?
I fished my first tournament in the 7th grade out of a one man kick boat where I propelled it with my feet.
Gr8 to see you at the top AOY. Finish Strong
Thank you very much.
What family & youth organizations do you support?
We try to support all we can throughout the year! American Cancer Society, American Leukemia Society, Harbor Church
How confident were you in Montgomery that you had the win? Did you consider going up to the dam?
I practiced up there & I didn’t feel like the water would stay high enough. Before I went on stage, I wasn’t real confident, I didn’t think I had enough.
What’s your favorite bait you use from a non-sponsor company?
It would have to be any number of swimbaits.
Ryan Lowdermilk@RyanLowdermilk
With regards to the earlier question regarding rods; if you only had 3 rods what line setup would you go with?
I’d have one with 50-pound braid, one with 12-pound fluorocarbon and one with 17-pound fluorocarbon.
Ryan Lowdermilk@RyanLowdermilk
You sir, ARE THE MAN! many thx!
Thanks!
What’s your go to bait when the bite gets tough?
I have a lot of confidence when I have a crankbait in my hand. I really like the new @MegaBassUSA Knuckle 60.
The Mrs. shared that “Stanley” was released in your pond? Was he marked? Any distinguishing features? Caught him?
Yes, I’d recognize him. He has a little black spot on his tail. I have never caught him!
In about how many feet of water do bass spawn mostly?
They’re going to spawn right at the break of visibility.
So if you can see 2 feet, they’ll spawn between 1 1/2 and 2 1/2 feet.
Jennings Gilmore@jenningsgilmore
Love Major League Fishing. Congrats on the win. When is the next MLF and what do you think of that format?
It’s different & I like that all fish are released immediately when caught. Not sure when I’ll fish the next MLF.
Great Job on the AL River E2
Thank you very much! I sure was excited to win it!
Another quick one..How do you know you aren’t fishing over fish and how do you relocate them so fast from day to day?
We’re always fishing over fish. There are way more fish in the water than we realize.
I try not to get stuck in a rut. I’ll try a different retrieve or depth until I figure out where they are.
Do most pros use some breaking on baitcasters or leave it off as far as you know?
Most pros are going to have some breaking. You have to to be able to throw it into the wind.
When fishing 80 degree water temperature..fish shallow or deep? (south texas heat) lol
As summer progresses, the thermocline gets shallower, so in Aug. I’ll catch fish really shallow…that’s where the most oxygen is. The end of May or April, the fish are as deep as they’ll be all year long.
How would you fish the AL river in June, now that it’s back to normal?
I would try to get a good spotted bass bite in the AM with a topwater, then try to flip up a largemouth in the backwater.
How do you stay fit when you’re on the road for tournaments?
Well, I’m on the water daylight ’til dark, and I’m burning a lot of calories out there. I try to eat healthy, too.
What type of structure do you most rely on?
I want to be versatile; I try not to get locked on any type of structure. I want to catch them wherever they’re at.
Congrats on the Alabama river win its great to see an awesome role model win! Any advice on clear water NIGHT fishing would be appreciated.
Thank you very, very much. I’ve never done much of that. I caught the snot out of them once on a 1/2oz black single Colorado spinnerbait.
How do you keep your fishing skills sharp w/ long gaps between Elite Series event like now?
I fish a bunch when I’m at home. If I’m not filming, I’m fishing different lakes and trying to figure them out.
Helen Northcutt@HelenNorthcutt
What’s your strategy for the Mississippi River in Wisconsin?!
Catch more than everybody else! The water level looks similar to when we were there last year, so my strategy is to pay close attention to levels and clarity. I plan to cover more water this year.
Jennings Gilmore@jenningsgilmore
Do you have a different mindset or strategy when ALL legal fish count as opposed to just 5?
We’ve not had a body of water yet where that would happen. It’s too early in that format to know.
Do you guys have to get a fishing license for all states you fish or do the organizations have a “blanket” license.
I wished there was a blanket license, but we have to get one for everywhere we fish!
How do you locate big fish on a big deep clear lake like lewis smith lake in north Alabama during the summer?
With my electronics, spend time on the boat & keep the lure in the water until you see fish on the depth-finder.
How many Elite tournaments would you like to see on the schedule in the future? Maybe some in the fall?
I would love to see two Elites per month year-round!
What’s your approach regarding sponsorships? Do you just fish and hope they come to you, or do you go after them?
I’m blessed with the position I’m in right now. Earlier in my career, I knocked on every business’ door. Take care of your fishing, then once you’ve had success pursue the sponsorship role.
Who is your best friend on the tour?
I’d say all of them! Including my roomie @ChristieFishing, brother-in-law @TerryButcher, Matt Reed & @Brian_Snowden
When targeting 8-11 pound fish with 20 ft. Crankbaits what type of line should I use?
No matter what, you have to get the bait to the fish, so I’d still use the same line I’d use for 3-5 pounders.
Do you wish they had college fishing when you were in college? Or were your already fishing pro?
I first started fishing the Opens in college, but I would have loved to have it college. It’s an awesome deal!
How do you narrow down where to fish when bait is seemingly everywhere on the lake?
I would cover as much water as you can & focus on points, ambush points, fish over rocks, pea gravel, etc.
Awesome. Thanks!
Thanks everyone for joining us for today’s #basschat ! We appreciate you taking questions @edwinevers2 and good luck the rest of the year!
That was pretty painless! I’d be glad to do it again anytime! Thanks everyone.