Jones' Schedule Hectic, But The Rewards Have Been Great

Alton Jones has carried the title of reigning Bassmaster Classic champion around with him for 8 months now. He said there haven't been very many bad days during that span.

He's been to the White House for a visit with President Bush. He's made appearances on just about all of the morning ESPN TV and Radio programs. He's piloted a Porsche at 150 mph

in a performance driving school. His picture has been placed on a wall at Baylor University along with other distinguished former students of that institution, such as Hall-of-Fame linebacker and new San Francisco 49ers head coach Mike Singletary and Houston Astros owner Drayton McLane.

The Waco, Texas resident also found time to do a little fishing on the 2008 Bassmaster Elite Series, and that went well, too. He logged five Top-12 finishes, made nine of 11 Top-50 cuts and ended up 5th in the Angler of the Year (AOY) race.

BassFan caught up with him earlier this week and asked him a few questions about the aftermath of his life-changing victory at South Carolina's Lake Hartwell last February.

You've experienced quite a few things over the past several months that are out of the realm of the average bass professional. Have there been any surprises along the way?

I think the thing that's surprised me the most is just how far bass fishing has come. I've been surprised at how many people in different walks of life have recognized me as the Classic champion. I'm used to being recognized at tournaments, but I've been recognized in places where I wouldn't have expected it.

Did you ever feel that all the off-water commitments to accommodate sponsors, media, etc., were a drawback as far as your ability to compete on the Elite Series this year?

I don't know that I'd call that kind of thing a drawback. There've been times when I've been busier that I wish I'd been, but that's a lot better than not being busy at all. Today (Monday) I'm speaking to the softball team at Baylor, and on Thursday I'm giving a speech in Conroe. Most of the stuff has been around here, but I've done some things all over the U.S.

And the opportunities haven't been only in fishing, but also sharing my faith in Christ, and I've really enjoyed having the opportunity to do that. I feel that God allowed me to be in this position for His purposes, and it's His platform.

Tournament weeks were actually a big mental relief. They were excuses to turn my cell phone off and not check my emails, and everybody was real understanding with that.

Were you at all surprised by the success you had on this year's Elite Series?

I think in a way it did surprise me – there have been historical instances of guys coming off a Classic win who were distracted to the point that they couldn't fish effectively. For me, I don't know if it was just the fact that different dynamics affect different people in different ways or that I just had a lot of momentum coming off the Classic. That helps your confidence in your own ability and in your game and you don't pay attention to the mind games that go on at the dock.

Now with that said, my season wasn't quite as good as I would've liked. As a competitor, I'm always shooting for the top spot.

With a Classic win under your belt, is winning an AOY now your primary career goal?

Winning the Angler of the Year is such a hard thing to do and I don't think anybody can realistically predict they're going to do it the next year. But I think it's really important to set mini-goals. I always fish to win, but I might set a mini-goal for a tournament that I want to finish in the Top whatever. If you accomplish enough of those smaller goals, they can add up to a big one.

The 2009 Classic at Louisiana's Red River will be different than the 11 others you competed in because you'll go in as the defending champion. Are you looking forward to fulfilling that role?

I'm sure a lot of things will be different, like there's always more media attention on last year's champion. But I hope I've learned to deal with some of that and use it in a positive way and not let it distract me in a negative way.

If anything, winning the Classic once has made me want to win it again more than ever. The other day I was sitting at home thinking about when (2007 champion) Boyd Duckett handed me that trophy, and I realized that I'd never thought about what that must've felt like for him. Odds are I'll probably be handing it to someone else, and I wonder what that feeling will be like.

If you had the option of winning your second straight Classic or your first AOY in 2009, which would you pick?

Before I won the Classic, that and the AOY were probably on equal footing. But given the choice next year, from a selfish and financial standpoint, I'd choose the Classic (it pays $500,000 to win, compared to $250,000 for the AOY). From the standpoint of prestige, respect and pride, it would be the AOY.

If I have to pick one, I'll take the Classic. This probably sounds terrible, but show me the money. If anybody ever has the chance to close out a Classic victory, I highly recommend it.