I was born and raised in Northern California. My parents introduced me to fishing at an early age. My family enjoyed a very active outdoor lifestyle where we fished and camped most weekends. I observed my first bass fishing tournament on my home lake, Oroville, when I was 15. I quickly got a job at Bidwell Canyon Marina, close to the action; bass fishing hooked me! That year I met Dee Thomas, who had just won the Western Bass Tournament on Lake Oroville. Dee saw something in me and introduced me to his style of fishing. He began to teach me the art of Flipping and how to compete at a higher level. I won the second BASS event I entered on Lake Powell in 1979 with a Flip stick. Most of my angling adversaries had yet to hear of this fishing technique. That year I led the angler of the year race all season only to lose it to Roland Martin on the last day by a mere 1lb 14oz!

  I continued to travel the country and compete at the highest levels for the next 40+ years, earning several of the top most coveted honors in bass fishing. I have won the prestigious BASS Angler of the Year award twice; and competed in 30 Bassmaster Classics and 407 Bassmaster tournaments. In addition, I have won two FLW titles and competed in six FLW Championships. Since Major League Fishing’s inception, I have competed on the Bass Pro Tour and qualified for the inaugural Major League Fishing World Championship. My 2022 induction into the Texas Freshwater Fisheries Hall of Fame and my 2018 induction into the National Bass Fishing Hall of Fame are undoubtedly significant milestones in my career; I am humbled and honored by these achievements.

   I am a co-founder of Major League Fishing and am incredibly proud to have caught the first scoreable bass in the inaugural 2019 MLF Bass Pro Tour Stage One on Lake Tohopekaliga, FL. I also co-founded the MLF Fisheries Management Division; my goal is to continue to build our sport and enhance our fisheries for future generations of anglers.

       I enjoy spending time on the ranch with my family when not on the water chasing bass. I am an avid hunter and outdoorsman who likes exploring primitive survival skills and long-range precision shooting. I am a fortunate dad because my girls love to fish and hunt!