Fall 2023
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you know exactly where it is in the water column. But, you might as well throw it in the trash at the Delta, because it doesn’t really do anything there. I have good and bad tournaments at the Delta. I think the Delta really shows who is the best at extreme fishing.
WB: Speaking of the Delta, do you consider yourself a good tidal fisherman?
GROVER: I think my best and my worst finishes have been at the Delta. I’ve got three or four top-10’s and I’ve absolutely bombed. I got 3rd at the WesternBass Shootout and a week later I got 25th at the MLF. I can catch ‘em, but I have no idea how to follow tides. When I do well, I usually just get in an area and stick it out.
WB: Okay so we all know overall, there are fewer western anglers competing on a national level, but western guys are often talked about as more well- rounded anglers. When you look at your top-10’s – Delta, Havasu, Clear Lake, they are all very different, so would you agree?
GROVER: We experience it all out here. Some lakes are gin clear and some are dirty. We have tidal, reservoirs, high mountain type fisheries like Shasta, Clear Lake – we just get it all. That’s why some of the best guys cut it out here – Brent Ehrler, Cody Meyer, Bryant Smith, now. He’s like in the top two or three in B.A.S.S. for Rookie of the Year. The western guys are good!
WB: But still no aspirations to go tour?
GROVER: I go back and forth on it. It looks like a lot of work to go back there and do that. I have young kids and I like being home and not worrying about having to make a paycheck at a tournament. I could see going in five or 10 years.
WB: In your opinion what does the western bass fishing industry need – what is missing?
GROVER: I would like to see something like the National Guard tournaments come back with a high- entry fee and where the last check is $10,000. Maybe a Bassmaster Western Opens would draw guys too, even from the northeast like Washington and Idaho. I love MLF and I loved FLW. I don’t know why they don’t get 150 boats. I think amateur leagues take guys away from that. It’s not like they’re not good fishermen. Maybe they just don’t want to fish against the local hammers.
WB: When you think of fishing, what’s more important fortune or fame?
GROVER: I like the fame. I like the trophies. I think that is more important than the money. I would like to have some more Pro/Am wins. I’m pretty good at finishing in the top-10. It’s a lot harder to win.
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Photo: Jody Only