®
Summer 2024
P
rofessional Angler Ish Monroe from Oakdale, Calif.
is a former Bassmaster Elite Series fisherman
with 32 top finishes in B.A.S.S., including five wins and 10 Bassmaster Classic qualifications.
With over $2.4 million in national career winnings that
include MLF and B.A.S.S. alone, Monroe maintains his
competitive participation in the west coast tournament
scene with organizations such as WON Bass, ABA,
the Toyota Series Western Division, the now
defunct Wild West Bass Trail and APEX Pro
Tour as well as the newest circuit BAM
Tournament Trail. Here he weighed in
on his thoughts for BAM as it launched
in its freshman season.
Monroe in his own words:
LOCAL TOURNAMENT FISHING
Even after I started fishing professionally fishing with B.A.S.S. and what was FLW, it was important to me to support the regional tournament organizations. All of the local tournaments are where most guys get their start and if they’re not in existence, there are very little options for an angler to get involved
in the sport. Some areas have high school or college fishing, but the West doesn’t have as much of that as other
locations and if potential pros are not introduced or
involved through school and there are no local events,
they won’t have the opportunity to get their feet wet.
But it’s also been important to me to support
the local events for area business and opportunities
for anglers that are never going to go back East or
even want to go back East. Hometown business
is important and also a reason why I support
Fisherman’s Warehouse. It is where I grew
up and where I got tackle even as a kid.
Traveling as a professional angler
is not for everyone, but that doesn’t
mean we shouldn’t have a way
to enjoy the sport of competitive
fishing on our own coast, in our
own state or even in our own
backyard. If we don’t support the
organizations that provide a way for
us to do that, then what will we have.
THE FALL OF WILD WEST
It is an unfortunate situation that Wild West turned out the way it did. I fished the Wild West Pro/Ams, teams, and their APEX Pro Tour just as many other guys did and it has left a bad feeling for all of us. I get that.
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