Kyle Fox’s rookie season as a Bassmaster Elite Series angler got off to a bumpy start at the St. Johns River in his home state of Florida. He logged a 76th-place finish on the tidal fishery, but in the three tournaments since, he hasn’t finished lower than 23rd. His hot streak has pushed him into the Top 20 in the Toyota Tundra B.A.S.S. Angler of the Year (AOY) standings and into 2nd place among rookies, trailing only Brandon Card.
It’s safe to say his confidence is soaring heading into the second half of the season.
“I think I’m doing good,” Fox told BassFan today. “I came from 76th in points to 17th right now. That’s hard to beat. To make that comeback, I feel pretty good. In the past two tournaments, I’ve done nothing but move up every day so I feel good about it. It’s just a matter of keeping it going. It’s fishing. Anything can happen out there.”
He earned his invite to the Elite Series after finishing 4th in the Northern Open points last year. One of the main adjustments he’s had to make is to make the most of the 2 1/2 practice days allowed to Elite Series pros. When fishing the Opens, he’d put in 4 or 5 days of work before the event. The change has led to him making more on-the-water decisions. It’s a strategy that is paying off.
“The biggest thing I’ve had to change – and I’ve done it in the past – is to be able to pick up and go when you’re fishing and abandon a game plan,” he said. “The past three tournaments have been real good for me, but I haven’t been on anything. I haven’t felt like I had a chance to get a Top 10 or a Top 50. I just go out and utilize what I’ve learned and continue to learn. That’s one of the things I learned last year from fishing the Opens. I wasn’t on much, but when I went fishing and tried to learn it, stuff comes together the way it should and before you know it by the end of tournament you get pretty dialed in to what you should be doing.”
As a rookie, he’s not too concerned with impressing his older, more experienced peers. That’ll come with success. He wishes them luck each morning at the dock, but is more focused on what he needs to get accomplished.
“I’m not there to get autographs,” he said. “They’re nice to me and I’m nice to them. You build friendships, but when we go to our meetings, I like to sit by myself. I like doing my own thing. I think that’s the only way you’ll get better really.”
