Like a lot of western anglers who for years have fished for smaller purses than their counterparts in other regions of the country, Bass Cat and Mercury pro Matt Newman of California can't wait to compete in the new FLW Series Western Division in 2007.
"I definitely think it's the best opportunity we've ever gotten," he said. "We can fish for some real money – the same kind of money as on the (FLW) Tour – and we don't have to travel back east to do it. I just wish BASS was out here too."
As a full-time competitor in the Western Strens the past 2 years, he's had success at three of the four venues on the 2007 Series schedule (Havasu in Arizona and the Delta and Clear Lake in California). He's never been to Washington's Columbia River.
"I'm a little nervous about that one, but I'm very excited about the other three."
He was in 2nd place after day 1 at this year's Havasu Stren and eventually finished 14th. He would've ended up in single digits had he not broken off two 4-pounders on the final day.
"I would've done better if I'd been more prepared," he said. "I was fishing heavy structure with light line, and I lost a lot of fish. Since then, I've made some adjustments to my technique.
"That was the first time I'd found those fish and they stayed there through most of the spring and summer. Hopefully they'll be there again in February."
He'd never been to the Delta prior to this year, but said his experience as a surfer helped offset his unfamiliarity with the tidal labyrinth. He finished 51st in a field of 197 anglers.
"Because I surf, I'm very familiar with tides – they're like second nature to me. I've learned to understand them, and once I got a Delta tide book it all made perfect sense to me.
"All I had to do was learn the times for the different areas. It gave me a little bit of an advantage for a first-timer."
His boat model of choice is the Bass Cat Puma.
"The best thing about it is it cuts through waves so comfortably in rough water," he said. "I'm not saying this just because I'm a Bass Cat guy, but it's the best ride of any boat I've ever been in, bar none."
