Spring 2020
®
As a competitive perspective, the MLF changes in format have been; but changes with fishing in general is the pressure. You see more and more anglers on the water than you used to. Also, anglers are getting better quicker. Fisherman that we consider weekend anglers are far better than they used to be with social media and the internet it has just cut the learning curve down so much.
WB: What age did you start fishing?
CLAUSEN: ” I was born in Montana and there are
pictures of me holding up trout from before I even remember doing it. There are pictures of me holding largemouth when I was kindergarten; so, I would say as long as I’ve known, I’ve fishing. I was fishing in the bass club at 10 or 11. After a couple of years I was competing against the adults because there weren’t enough kids. I fished my first bass tournament with my dad at 15-years-old.
WB: You immediately came out as a pro and
accomplished the goals that others strive for their whole career. Because of that, is there anything else to work for or do you feel you did what there was to do straight out.
CLAUSEN: The last job that I had was as a sophomore
in college in 2001. I walked away from college and at 18 months, I was thinking this gig is pretty easy. But then I didn’t win anything of that size again and gained an appreciation of how truly hard it was. Even a regular season event is a hard win.
There are always goals, even per event … to make the final day, or in a season to win an Angler of the Year (AOY) title. I regard an AOY title as harder than winning one event, so that is always a goal. The U.S. Open is something I always said I wanted to win.
WB: With MLF is there a whole new set of
accomplishments or is it still the same to you – a win in a regular series event, a win in a championship, or a win as an AOY?
Yes, is it really the same for me. Regardless, if it was a one fish limit or the largest lengths or whatever, you still want to do better than your peers and that’s how I judge myself by competing against the best anglers in the world. Regardless of format or lake or gear … whatever it is - the goal is always about beating the competition.
WB: Who is your fishing idol?
CLAUSEN: Growing up it was Larry Nixon. After
being on the Chevy team with him for several years, he has become a good friend of mine. He has been more of a standup guy than I even imagined him, if that’s possible. He’s a great angler and a great person.
WB: Is there someone, present or past, that you would
like to fish with, that you haven’t?
CLAUSEN: He’s obviously, a guy that has won
more than anyone else and a guy we all look up to for his accomplishments. If you ask this type of question to lot of guys, they will list their favorite singer or actor or whatever; but for me, it’s a guy that has the same passion as me and that is Kevin VanDam.
WB: If you could always catch ‘em on what you wanted,
what would it be?
CLAUSEN: Well my favorite technique and the one
I have the most confidence in are different. I have a lot of confidence with a spinning in my hand, whether it is with a wacky worm or shaky head or dropshot or Ned rig. That’s really because I’ve made a lot of money with it. But, it’s not the most fun way to catch ‘em. I think any bass fisherman loves topwater and if I had to say one way, I love to catch fish, it’s with a frog.
WB: We all watched as your fall forced your 2018
season to come to an end. Did it change anything about your career for you?
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2011 FLW Tour Potomac River event. Photo FLW
2018 season-ending injury