®
Spring 2018
page 28
be a really good dropshotter, so they take that and go back East and do really well with that finesse style. That doesn’t really apply to me, because I kind of fish eastern-style out west. So, I don’t really have a western technique that I will take back there; but I do feel that just being out west and fishing so many diverse fisheries – from Shasta to the Delta to Havasu to Mead to Roosevelt to the Columbia River will help. These are all types of fishery scenarios that we will see on the Elites, so I will have experience that way.
WB: What do you feel the biggest challenge of joining the Elite Series will be?
HAWK: The hardest part is always being away from your family; but my family has become accustomed to that and fishing the Elite Series will actually allow me to be home more than I have in the past. I will go to fishing 10 or 11 events from fishing 40. There will be times that I will be gone two to three weeks in a row and that is a hard thing. Other than that, there is nothing really that I don’t like. I like going to new fisheries. I am not dreading any of them. I like being on the road and meeting new people. I love the whole thing.
WB: What are the go-to lures that you know you will be taking across the country with you?
HAWK: Duo Realis crankbaits – I make a lot of money on crankbaits and that realm of fishing –deep or shallow. Also, flippin’ Yamamoto plastics and Pepper Jigs. Between those things, that’s a big chunk of how I make money for sure – crankin’ and flippin’.
WB: Any word of advice for the youngsters that are looking up to your achievement and hoping to be in your shoes one day?
HAWK: Take some business courses in school. That will help you out a lot. Stay in school. Get something under your belt to fall back on. It’s not something I did; but something I would recommend. And, before you can ever go to that level, you have to work out some really good relationships with sponsors. At the Elite level, it is not feasible to survive on winnings alone. You have study that and become attractive to sponsors. Also, you’ve got to practice. You’ve got to do it all the time. Even when I was young, I would walk around a pond casting, or learn different setups. I still am working at it today. I am still learning and keep working hard to learn.
WB: Would you have different advice for a more mature angler with more responsibilities that wants to go out and make the leap to the big leagues?
HAWK: Definitely; and, my biggest thing is you’ve got to pray about it. There is no way that I could do this without my faith. There is no way you could go out and not know when
the next check was coming in or how you were going to survive, without faith. The only way I do it is to pray about it. I ask the Lord if I should go out and fish this or that and wait for the Lord to lay it on my heart. I have a saying that is… how I finish in a bass tournament is none of my business. And, I believe it really isn’t. My job is to out and preform, worry only about the next cast. I can’t say I’ve got to try super hard to win this tournament; because I am going to try super hard to win every tournament. You cannot control all the variables that will make you win or not. I could catch a 30-pound bag and not make it to weigh-in because my engine blew up. Who knows there are so many variables that I cannot control, whether I win or not. What I can control is my performance and the rest isn’t up to me.
WB: What would you like everyone to know about the adventure and journey that Roy Hawk is about to embark on with the Elites?
HAWK: Just that I am super thankful for all the people that rallied behind me and helped me get to this point. The companies that I work for are basically friends and family. I am thankful to have the support of Anderson Toyota, – they are my title sponsor – Ranger Boats, Evinrude Motors, Pepper Custom Baits, Costa Del Mar, Duo Realis and Yamamoto Baits. Yamamoto is my single, oldest sponsor. I’ve been with them over 20 years. Also, Taipan Rods – they let me build four rods into my own signature series. One of my newest sponsors is LifeSource Water. I cannot be more thankful to the support they have backed me with. It’s going to be a great year! •