What Truck, Boat and Outboard does Kirk run?

Stratos 18 ft bass boat with a Yamaha max 150 2 stroke outboard. 

My Sponsors

None at all, wish I did. This sport gets very expensive. 

What Kirk does for a living:

Manufacturing glass production plant, prior police officer,  and correctional officer.

What you should know about Kirk:

I enjoy time teaching people how to fish, tried to start my own guide service on lake chickamaunga in Chattanooga, ten.

How Kirk started fishing

My dad taught me fly fishing for trout up in new York in the Catskill. He was an avid bass angler, taught us who to bass fish out of a Jon boat with no electronics 

Aspirations or goals with fishing

If I had the money and time I would fish the bass pro circuit for a full year win or lose.

Favorite way to fish

Up north its finesse fishing because when all else fails you can catch them even in the dead of winter. Down south it is frogs and big worms. I caught an 11 pound bass on a frog in Florida. 

Most exciting fishing experience

Besides the monster 11 pounder I got on a frog out of a kayak with no net it would be trout fishing in the mountains of north Georgia and Tennessee.

How Kirk preps for a tournament

I try to prefish and get several patterns, read fishing reports,  study top maps, and try to isolate areas of lake I believe would be good to fish based on time on year.

Three favorite search baits

In north Georgia, and Tennessee it would be deep cranks,  Carolina rigs, and finesse worms for marinas and docks. Alot of off shore stuff for big bass. Here in Florida it would be frogs, worms, and jerkbaits. 

Best tournament finish and what you did that day when you were fishing.

Fished lake eufala the located in dothan, Alabama. Went in as last qualified team. Lost every tourneyment all year. Came in first on a lake we never fished before. Got them on spinnerbaits and frogs.  What a come back, paid for entire year. 

Most challenging part of tournament fishing

Weather changes, they can really effect fishing. Wind is the worst in my opinion, then snow and sleet, and rain last. The weather dictates fish location and activity. 

When tournaments don't go my way

Learn from them, there will be days you will blank out

 Don't get down on yourself, its just fishing

 Enjoy the day.

Advice to give to an aspiring tournament angler:

Enjoy the opportunity to fish and just have fun. Try different techniques and lures, and don't be afraid to think outside the box of what the norm is. Most important be safe.

Some shared general bass fishing techniques for people just getting into the sport

Worm fishing wins most tourneyment, learn it.