Austin Wilson | Highlight Western Pros

Angler Spotlight | Austin Wilson

Spring 2019

“It still hasn’t really set it. It is just surreal and feels like a dream,” said Wilson. “I still can’t believe it happened.”

C H it O ru M s E H T e O ig W hts N H De O lt M a E WATER F Da IS d H Jo IN hn G HERO P F r I o S f H es IN sio G n G al O A A n L gler D Tr A uc Y k J T O ra B iler Stager

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THE FISHING LIFE

At 27-years-old, Wilson has already logged 17-years of tournament fishing experience.

“My dad started taking me when I was in diapers; so, I’ve been fishing since before I remember,” he said. I started bass fishing at 10 and before that it was trout, salmon or basically anything that would bite.”

The decision to try his hand at TBF events came after watching YouTube videos of Mark Daniels, Jr. – another angler from Wilson’s home water the California Delta.

“I look up to Mark,” said Wilson. “He is at Major League Fishing now, but before that he got to the FLW the same way as me – by winning the “Living the Dream” package. He even fished the same Delta region that I did in TBF.

“He was also from California and it made me think that this was possible. I have always wanted to be a pro angler and knew this was an option to get there. He made it and now I made it too.”

GETTING TO THE DREAM

After competing in the regional

events and then winning the Semi-Final,

he was able to qualify for the National

Championship on Bull Shoals Lake in Arkansas. Prior to the event he flew to Bull Shoals and rented a boat at the local marina to do some scouting before the lake went off limits.

“They were small Ranger boats with a 90hp motor, but it allowed me to check out the lake and get the feel for where everything was,” he said. “I actually had a good pre-practice and caught quite a few fish for my first time there.”

Wilson also used Google Earth and information on the Internet to develop his plan for the event.

Bull Shoals Lake has a much different layout than the California Delta as it is much deeper and has different structure, but Wilson was able to succeed during the biggest tournament of his career.

He relied on an Alabama rig and Norman Deep Little N to catch the bulk of his fish.

“If I could fish anyway I wanted, I would throw big swimbaits,” said Wilson. “But I don’t like to get stuck on a technique, so I am open.

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