Ever since I was young, I’ve known what I’ve wanted to do with my life. Growing up, my father was a professional bass fisherman and a full-time fishing guide. I spent countless days in the back of his bass boat, watching my dad do what he loved. Fishing was my passion, my obsession, and my dad has always been my hero. He would tell me his secrets; teach me the techniques that took him years to learn. To say the least, I learned how to catch fish, but more importantly, it was in the back of my dad’s boat that I learned who I was, and that this was the life that I wanted to pursue.
As I grew older, I began to fish tournaments with my dad. I won my first tournament in 1998 at the age of 13. When I was 15, I bought my first truck with my tournament winnings, and became sponsored by All Star Graphite Rods and Shimano Reels. At 18, I earned my guide’s license, and by the time I was 20, I had seven tournament wins, fourteen top-3 finishes, two “Angler of the Year” titles, an IGFA World Line-Class Record, and a record for the largest trout weighed in tournament history.
I have been fishing since I was two years old, fly fishing since I was ten years old, and have been raised in a family where the idea of fishing is much more than just a hobby; to my family, it is a lifestyle. My father has made a living with it, doing what he loves, and his very passion has been passed down to me. The fish themselves aren't what solely fuel me though. It’s witnessing God's creation from a viewpoint that is only available through the outdoors. It’s the time I share with friends, and the memories I make with Dad. There’s a universal truth that eventually defines all fisherman: it’s not about searching for a fish, as great as they are, but rather one’s search after their own heart. “Life is not a problem to be solved; it is an adventure to be lived (John Eldredge, Wild at Heart).” This is my adventure.
Fly Fishing Passport
Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Florida, Oklahoma, New Mexico, Montana, Washington, Alaska, Hawaii, and Mexico
Favorite Fly Destination
Lighthouse Lakes -no motor zone-
Favorite Fish
Redfish (Sciaenops ocellatus)
Favorite Fly
Super Spoon
Accomplishments
2000 Article in Troutmasters Tournament Series Magazine
2001 All-Time Texas Tournament Record for Largest Speckled Trout
2001 IGFA Line-Class World Record (10lb) - 9.41lb Speckled Trout
2001 Article in Troutmasters Tournament Series Magazine
2004 USCG Captain’s License
2005 Article in Tiki Island News
2005 Article in Texas Fish & Game Magazine
2008 Texas Catch & Release Fly Fishing Record for Rainbow Trout
2008 Texas Catch & Release Fly Fishing Record for Rainbow Trout
2008 Texas Catch & Release Fly Fishing Record for Sheepshead
2009 Current Texas Fishing Guide’s License - All Waters
Guide Accomplishments
2003 Proud Owner of Salty Fly Outfitters
2009 Texas Catch & Release Fly Fishing Record for Sheepshead - Ben Boudreaux
CCA
1998 Junior Angler 1st Place
1998 Junior Angler 3rd Place
Gulf Coast Troutmasters Association
2000 Matagorda Open Jr. Angler 1st Place
2000 Mercury Outboards/Blue Marble Open Jr. Angler 2nd Place
2000 Baffin Bay Open Jr. Angler 2nd Place
2000 Matagorda Open Jr. Angler 3rd Place
2000 Sabine Open Jr. Angler 2nd Place
2000 Mercury Outboards/Cut Rate Fishing Tackle Jr. Angler of the Year
2001 American Rodsmiths Matagorda Open Jr. Angler 1st Place
2001 American Rodsmiths Matagorda Open All Tournament Big Trout
2001 Shimano Baffin/Port Mansfield Open Jr. Angler 2nd Place
2001 Cut Rate Fishing Tackle Port O’Connor Open Jr. Angler 3rd Place
2001 Blue Marble Sabine Lake/Calcasieu Lake Open Jr. Angler 1st Place
2001 Summit Steel Classic Jr. Angler 1st Place
2001 Norman Frede Chevrolet Jr. Angler of the Year
2001 Norman Frede Chevrolet Big Trout of the Series
Bill Bandy Benefit Tournament
2001 Amateur 1st Place
Silver King Adventures' Annual Speckled Trout Team Tournament
2005 Pro 1st Place