By John Johnson
BassFan Senior Editor
Jason Christie wasn't looking to make any type of statement by competing in the National Professional Fishing League this year. He's got nothing against forward-facing sonar, which was banned by the NPFL for 2025 – such a stance would be a bit hypocritical considering he used the technology to win the 2022 Bassmaster Classic at Lake Hartwell.
"I just wanted to fish more," the 51-year-old Oklahoman said. "Last year was a very mediocre season for me (he finished 61st in the Bassmaster Elite Series points and will sit out this year's Classic) and I had to put myself in a timeout and try to figure out how I could do better.
"The older you get, the more life gets in the way and I hadn't been doing as much fishing of any kind as I used to. The decision I made was that I needed to fish more tournaments, and I wanted them to be $100,000 (top prize) tournaments."
The busier mode he's put himself in has certainly paid dividends through the early part of the year. He posted a Top-10 finish at Lake Okeechobee and a check-worthy 36th-place showing at the St. Johns River to start the Elite Series campaign and won't have to try to dig himself out of a deep points hole, as was the case last year.
Then last week, he triumphed in his maiden NPFL outing, catching 30-pound-plus bags on two of the three days to top that circuit's beefed-up field at Santee Cooper Lakes.
The scenario he encountered in South Carolina was firmly planted in his wheelhouse.
"I never have any problem getting out of bed to go fishing," he said, "but when it's prespawn, the water temperature's in the 50s and there's big fish involved, I'm jumping out of bed. To me, it's the best time to be on the water.
"Now did I think I had a great chance to win? Absolutely not."
The main reason for his tempered expectations was limited practice time – a consequence of his final-day appearance at Okeechobee the previous Sunday. He was able to devote about 12 hours over two days, and he quickly scrapped the preconceived idea he'd shown up with.
"I spent the first few hours on Moultrie, which is the lower lake, and my plan was to stay in the grass there and try to find the schools," he said. "When I got out there I caught some, but looking at the water temps (pushing toward the 60s), I was afraid that a lot of them would start going to the banks.
"I decided to spend the rest of practice on the upper lake (Marion), knowing I could always come back down and probably still catch some of those fish if I had to. The upper lake had colder water in a lot of areas and I liked the color, and I got a few bites and those fish seemed to be bigger. I could stay (closer to the launch ramp) and spend all day fishing instead of running, and I was just a lot more confident with that."
He was also convinced that he could throw a spinnerbait almost exclusively, and there are few other anglers in any league that equal his proficiency with that old-school offering.
"My favorite way to catch them is however I can catch them at the time, but I do love catching them on a spinnerbait," he said. "It all comes back to confidence – given the right conditions, I'm 100-percent confident in throwing it and with off-colored water in the 50s and some wind, I know I can compete with it."
He established a new three-day NPFL weight record with 82-12, outdistancing runner-up Corey Casey by nearly 10 pounds. He boxed 30-pound-plus stringers on the first and last days, with his 32-5 haul in the final round resulting in a jump from 6th place to 1st.
He did all of his damage with spinnerbaits, primarily 1/2-ounce BOOYAH Coverts (chartreuse/white/blue or chartreuse/white) with a single Colorado blade. He threw them around cypress trees in water that was 2 to 5 feet deep.
"When I saw the water conditions and the (forecast) that it was gonna blow a lot, I really never thought of throwing anything else" he said. "I could cover a lot of water and it just felt right. I didn't make more than 10 casts with anything else."
His Classic experience this year will be limited to working the Expo, but he'll have a full head of steam when the Elite Series resumes April 10 at the Pasquotank River.
"To come out of Florida with two good finishes and then get a win on the way home, it helps a bunch," he said.
