Championship and now, i’ve won the living the dream package - it really is a dream come true.
WB: Aside from the victory, the cash, the trophy and the honor, tell us everything else that the $100,000 Living the Dream package includes. Daniels: Well, it is so much. i get a spot in this year’s BFl all-american and the Forrest Wood Cup and to fish next year’s entire FlW tour. i get a fully wrapped ranger boat and truck to compete in for all of the events and my travel expenses. it is absolutely unbelievable in more ways than one. regardless of how i do out there on tour, it is something that i will never forget.
WB: What did it take to get to the TBF National Championship event? Daniels: it is a two-year process. First, i fished four of the California Federation regional events. There are eight regions through California, depending on your location. Then about 20 from each region fish the State Championship and the top-12 from that make up the State team with the top-six as boaters and the bottom six as non-boaters. Those 12 go the Western divisional
summer 2013
which includes like 10 different states. That is a tournament inside of a tournament, because of course, you want to win that event; but you need to finish as one of the top-two in your state to advance. The first guy is a boater and the no. 2 guy is the non-boater and you both go to the National Championship, which had 94 anglers. it is something that takes about 2 1/2-years of consistent, good fishing.
WB: Once, you knew you were going to Oklahoma to fish Grand Lake, how did you start to prepare? Daniels: i started with the internet to find out what it looked like. looking at maps and prior tournament results, what size bags were good, what type of baits were winning and things like that. i watched the 2013 Bassmaster Classic over and over, which was held there and any other vintage footage that i could find.
WB: When you got there, how did your prep pan out in practice? Daniels: Not as planned. i had some mechanical issues the first day and missed a lot of time on the water. i wanted to go south, north and middle to
31