8 questions with Harvey Horne

Harvey Horne is a 42-year-old Bassmaster Elite Series rookie with an impressive track record, even though he’s only fished 12 B.A.S.S. events in his career. He fished the Bassmaster Central Opens in 2017, and finished 17th on the opener at Table Rock Lake, 48th on the Sabine River and eighth on Grand Lake. The performance was good enough to earn an invitation to compete on the Bassmaster Elite Series. Even so, Horne’s major sponsorship fell through at the last minute, and he missed the opportunity. That sharpened his determination, and though he finished out of the money in three of the four Centrals last year, he won the event on the Arkansas River in Muskogee, Okla. He qualified for the Elites again, and this time he plans to make the most of his chances. Bassmaster.com reporter Andrew Canulette caught up with the Bella Vista, Ark., resident recently to discuss Horne’s career and get his thoughts on finally fishing the Bassmaster Elite Series.
Harvey Horne is a 42-year-old Bassmaster Elite Series rookie with an impressive track record, even though he’s only fished 12 B.A.S.S. events in his career. He fished the Bassmaster Central Opens in 2017, and finished 17th on the opener at Table Rock Lake, 48th on the Sabine River and eighth on Grand Lake. The performance was good enough to earn an invitation to compete on the Bassmaster Elite Series. Even so, Horne’s major sponsorship fell through at the last minute, and he missed the opportunity. That sharpened his determination, and though he finished out of the money in three of the four Centrals last year, he won the event on the Arkansas River in Muskogee, Okla. He qualified for the Elites again, and this time he plans to make the most of his chances. Bassmaster.com reporter Andrew Canulette caught up with the Bella Vista, Ark., resident recently to discuss Horne’s career and get his thoughts on finally fishing the Bassmaster Elite Series.
<b>At least one story I’ve read mentioned your admiration for Bryan Kerchal. He was 23 when he won the 1994 Bassmaster Classic and became the first angler to win the sport’s biggest prize as a qualifier through the B.A.S.S. Nation. What ties you to Bryan?</b></p> 
<p>For me, watching him win the Classic was just such an incredible moment. The year before, I watched him finish last. To turn things around like that, it really set in motion the idea of what I wanted to do with my life, and that was win the Bassmaster Classic trophy. It’s taken me a lot longer than others to get to a point where I have a chance, but I just wasn’t financially stable enough. And then the few times I made it to the B.A.S.S. Nation Regionals, I didn’t fare so well. I was in a learning process and I didn’t find the right fish. It just wasn’t my time.
At least one story I’ve read mentioned your admiration for Bryan Kerchal. He was 23 when he won the 1994 Bassmaster Classic and became the first angler to win the sport’s biggest prize as a qualifier through the B.A.S.S. Nation. What ties you to Bryan?
For me, watching him win the Classic was just such an incredible moment. The year before, I watched him finish last. To turn things around like that, it really set in motion the idea of what I wanted to do with my life, and that was win the Bassmaster Classic trophy. It’s taken me a lot longer than others to get to a point where I have a chance, but I just wasn’t financially stable enough. And then the few times I made it to the B.A.S.S. Nation Regionals, I didn’t fare so well. I was in a learning process and I didn’t find the right fish. It just wasn’t my time.
<b>You almost won the points race in the 2017 Central Opens and qualified for the 2018 Elite Series, but your main sponsorship fell through and you went back to the Opens in 2018. How hard was that on you?</b></p>
<p>When I saw the schedule for the Central Opens (in 2017), I thought this would be another good shot for me to get access to the Classic … I was really excited about Grand Lake because I’ve fished there for many years. Sure enough, last day, if I catch a limit I win that tournament. Going into the 2018 season when I didn’t get the funding I needed to go fish the Elite Series, I made the decision I was going to do everything I could to win an Open in 2018. I got to Ross Barnett, and I finished 77th. It was a bad tournament for me. And after that, I was ticked off at the world and I didn’t want to talk with anybody … When I got to the Arkansas River for the second Open, I had a chip on my shoulder. I didn’t know how good the fish I found were until after the first day, but I was in the right area. I knew if the pressure stayed off the fish, I had a shot. It worked out and I won the tournament. That was a turning point for me, because it helped me believe again that I could compete.
You almost won the points race in the 2017 Central Opens and qualified for the 2018 Elite Series, but your main sponsorship fell through and you went back to the Opens in 2018. How hard was that on you?
When I saw the schedule for the Central Opens (in 2017), I thought this would be another good shot for me to get access to the Classic … I was really excited about Grand Lake because I’ve fished there for many years. Sure enough, last day, if I catch a limit I win that tournament. Going into the 2018 season when I didn’t get the funding I needed to go fish the Elite Series, I made the decision I was going to do everything I could to win an Open in 2018. I got to Ross Barnett, and I finished 77th. It was a bad tournament for me. And after that, I was ticked off at the world and I didn’t want to talk with anybody … When I got to the Arkansas River for the second Open, I had a chip on my shoulder. I didn’t know how good the fish I found were until after the first day, but I was in the right area. I knew if the pressure stayed off the fish, I had a shot. It worked out and I won the tournament. That was a turning point for me, because it helped me believe again that I could compete.
<b>That’s a lot of adversity to overcome, but you came back on a mission. Do you think you thrive off adversity? </b></p>
<p>I find I’m better off if I don’t see many people in the area. If I know what’s there and what I’m capable of doing, I feel like I have a shot, especially if I only have to have one bait in my hand. That’s my style of fishing, and it just happened to work out that way on the Arkansas River last year. I couldn’t imagine any better scenario for me coming into (the first Elite Series event in Florida). The fish are backed off, they’re not spawning. But there’s a pile of big fish somewhere and I have to go find them, and guys better watch out if I do. I may not win, but I feel like my chances of finishing in the Top 10 are high.
That’s a lot of adversity to overcome, but you came back on a mission. Do you think you thrive off adversity?
I find I’m better off if I don’t see many people in the area. If I know what’s there and what I’m capable of doing, I feel like I have a shot, especially if I only have to have one bait in my hand. That’s my style of fishing, and it just happened to work out that way on the Arkansas River last year. I couldn’t imagine any better scenario for me coming into (the first Elite Series event in Florida). The fish are backed off, they’re not spawning. But there’s a pile of big fish somewhere and I have to go find them, and guys better watch out if I do. I may not win, but I feel like my chances of finishing in the Top 10 are high.
<b>You’re going to run an aluminum boat in the Elites this year. What’s the story behind your rig?</b></p> 
<p>One of my good friends, he had an Xpress X19, and he ran it a long time. I had never set foot in an X21 until I bought my boat ... I bought that boat because I knew the capabilities of the X19. The first real big test for me with the X21 was at a regional at Lake of the Ozarks. It’s well known for big waves, and the first day of the tournament, the wind was blowing like a sustained 37 mph. We had some really rough water we had to cross to get back to the boat ramp that day. I told my co-angler to hang on because I really couldn’t afford to slow down. After running through those waves at about 50 miles per hour, it proved to me that I had chosen the right boat. Xpress is a long-lived, family-owned company, and I couldn’t have asked for a better combination of components. For me to do what I like to do, and that’s get up where other guys can’t go, it’s perfect … I fished a 17-foot aluminum boat when I started in smaller tournaments 12 years ago, and I learned then I could get a boat like that into those tight, small places. The bigger aluminum boat lets me run big water while still having shallow-water capability.
You’re going to run an aluminum boat in the Elites this year. What’s the story behind your rig?
One of my good friends, he had an Xpress X19, and he ran it a long time. I had never set foot in an X21 until I bought my boat … I bought that boat because I knew the capabilities of the X19. The first real big test for me with the X21 was at a regional at Lake of the Ozarks. It’s well known for big waves, and the first day of the tournament, the wind was blowing like a sustained 37 mph. We had some really rough water we had to cross to get back to the boat ramp that day. I told my co-angler to hang on because I really couldn’t afford to slow down. After running through those waves at about 50 miles per hour, it proved to me that I had chosen the right boat. Xpress is a long-lived, family-owned company, and I couldn’t have asked for a better combination of components. For me to do what I like to do, and that’s get up where other guys can’t go, it’s perfect … I fished a 17-foot aluminum boat when I started in smaller tournaments 12 years ago, and I learned then I could get a boat like that into those tight, small places. The bigger aluminum boat lets me run big water while still having shallow-water capability.
<b>Do you like to flip in all that shallow water?</b></p>
<p>I do. I’ve fished Beaver Lake and Table Rock and Bull Shoals, all those clear water lakes. When I can fish shallow, I like to flip. But if I can throw big baits to deep fish, I’m going to get after it. That’s something that’s in my wheelhouse even though a lot of people don’t realize that. Where I’ve had to fish the past 12 years, with the B.A.S.S. Nation tournaments and Anglers in Action, you have to be able to do some of everything.
Do you like to flip in all that shallow water?
I do. I’ve fished Beaver Lake and Table Rock and Bull Shoals, all those clear water lakes. When I can fish shallow, I like to flip. But if I can throw big baits to deep fish, I’m going to get after it. That’s something that’s in my wheelhouse even though a lot of people don’t realize that. Where I’ve had to fish the past 12 years, with the B.A.S.S. Nation tournaments and Anglers in Action, you have to be able to do some of everything.
<b>You’ll see a lot of new water this year on the Elite Series. What’s your game plan?</b></p>
<p>One of my strengths is map study … I got that advice years ago. If you read the maps, you’re not completely blind when you go onto any body of water. Google Earth is one of the most-used tools on my phone. I look at maps on there for hours. My wife told me the other day she wished I wouldn’t pre-fish, and just wait for the day of the tournament. Her reasoning is that I’ve had good results in tournaments where I just go fishing and have to figure them out that day. But at a place like the St. Johns River, I’ve got to be able to know where I can and cannot go, with the manatees and all. I’ll have to go through the paces on that one.
You’ll see a lot of new water this year on the Elite Series. What’s your game plan?
One of my strengths is map study … I got that advice years ago. If you read the maps, you’re not completely blind when you go onto any body of water. Google Earth is one of the most-used tools on my phone. I look at maps on there for hours. My wife told me the other day she wished I wouldn’t pre-fish, and just wait for the day of the tournament. Her reasoning is that I’ve had good results in tournaments where I just go fishing and have to figure them out that day. But at a place like the St. Johns River, I’ve got to be able to know where I can and cannot go, with the manatees and all. I’ll have to go through the paces on that one.
<b>You’ve done a lot of fishing, but you’ve never spent as much time on the road as you will this year. How do you plan to pass the time when you’re not on the water?</b></p>
<p>When I’m at home, I’ll spend time in the same bait shop I’ve worked in the past eight years. I still enjoy all that interaction. When I’m on the road, I’m going to be on the maps, and I’m going to be studying the next venue. It will benefit me down the road. The time I have finding those little, out-of-the-way places, is time well spent for me.
You’ve done a lot of fishing, but you’ve never spent as much time on the road as you will this year. How do you plan to pass the time when you’re not on the water?
When I’m at home, I’ll spend time in the same bait shop I’ve worked in the past eight years. I still enjoy all that interaction. When I’m on the road, I’m going to be on the maps, and I’m going to be studying the next venue. It will benefit me down the road. The time I have finding those little, out-of-the-way places, is time well spent for me.
<b>You are particular about getting away from the crowd. Are you really particular about anything else when you’re fishing?</b></p>
<p>I don’t like to be on the water the day before a tournament. To me, any time I hook a fish that day, I feel like it’s a fish that cost me money. So being in the Elite Series, I’ll have to learn how to utilize that time without picking up a rod. It may be making a run to see how long it takes to get from Point A to Point B. That’s something I’ve never done in the past. But that said, in that Arkansas River tournament I won last year, if I don’t go out on the last day of pre-fishing, I probably wouldn’t have found the fish that helped me win. So I guess it goes both ways.
You are particular about getting away from the crowd. Are you really particular about anything else when you’re fishing?
I don’t like to be on the water the day before a tournament. To me, any time I hook a fish that day, I feel like it’s a fish that cost me money. So being in the Elite Series, I’ll have to learn how to utilize that time without picking up a rod. It may be making a run to see how long it takes to get from Point A to Point B. That’s something I’ve never done in the past. But that said, in that Arkansas River tournament I won last year, if I don’t go out on the last day of pre-fishing, I probably wouldn’t have found the fish that helped me win. So I guess it goes both ways.