Shaw's Best Year Yet Included Second Tour Victory

When Alvin Shaw got out of the construction business in the mid-1990s and began fishing for a living, he saw some signs that told him it was the right move at the right time. That's been borne out, especially considering the success he had during the most recent FLW Tour campaign.

The 53-year-old North Carolinian had his best year ever in 2008, claiming his second Tour victory at the Detroit River and earning more than a quarter of a million dollars on the water. He cashed a check in every event except one and ended up 10th in the Angler of the Year (AOY) race.

He had some extra motivation this year – in 2007, he'd missed qualifying for the Forrest Wood Cup for just the second time in 12 pro seasons on the circuit.

"If I had to pinpoint one thing (for his '08 success), I'd say maybe I was a little more determined because I'd missed the '07 championship, and I'd held the record for number of FLW championships fished (he competed in one as a co-angler in 1996). I was not going to let that happen again."

A Natural Move

Shaw's transition from house-builder to pro bass fisherman went about as smoothly as possible. He cut his tournament-angling teeth in club events with his buddies, and when the FLW Tour was formed in 1996, he signed up as a co-angler with pro Gerald Beck ¬– a move that assured them spots in each of the events held that first season.

He finished 7th in the co-angler points that year, which automatically made him eligible to fish the following season as a pro. His time in the back of the boat gave him the confidence that he could be competitive from the front.

"I saw that I could fish as good as a lot of those guys."

He had his own boat – he'd built a garage for a guy in exchange for one. A couple of decades working construction had taken a physical toll on his body, and he was ready to try something else. So he sold his contracting business and became a full-time angler.

"Fishing became a second career, and I can look back now and say I've had some success with it," he said. "It just felt like the right thing at the time, and (his strong showing as a Tour co-angler) made it seem almost like an omen. I wasn't really worried or anything and I was ready for a change.

"I wasn't like a lot of guys who if they got rid of their job, that might be it – they couldn't go back. I knew I could fall back on construction if I had to."

He hasn't had to. It didn't take him long to pick up an FLW team deal with Kellogg's, and he's been able to maintain a solid stable of sponsors.

"I have to give them a lot of the credit. I was pretty green when I came out and they've stuck with me all these years."

Staying the Course

Shaw said one of the keys to his sustained success this year was getting the season off to a good start. He was 46th in the opener at Toho – certainly nothing to rave about, but not bad considering that his primary goal in Florida tournaments is to avoid a major bomb.

"I think it's good anytime I can come out of Florida with a finish better than 100th," he said. "So at that first tournament, instead of swinging for the fences, I wanted to do something that would be consistent.

"I didn't have a good practice – I didn't really find anything until the last couple hours. But that made me start thinking more about finding a little something I could capitalize on at each tournament, and that kind of set the tone for the whole year."

He followed up with a 49th at Lewis Smith and a 64th at Norman, and then had two stellar days at Beaver that resulted in a 9th. His lone big stumble was in the next event at Fort Loudoun-Tellico (109th), but then came the victory at the Detroit River.

In his first Tour triumph at Wheeler in 2005, he rallied from several pounds back on the final day. This time he took the lead into day 4 and held it.

"I had to stay focused because (eventual runner-up Vic Vatalaro) was on the fish to win and I knew he was catching numbers. I was able to key in on a technique for fishing a tube that's different than what the local deal is – I was ripping it, basically – and I got some of the bigger fish to bite.

"It's hard to win one of these things because everything has to go just right to beat 199 other guys. It comes down to being totally focused and I felt like in that tournament, it was happening. There really wasn't any pressure – it was just easy, relaxed, in-the-zone fishing."

Notable

> Shaw would've won the AOY if he'd finished in the Top 30 at Fort Loudoun-Tellico.

> He had a modest goal going into the Detroit River: Finish in the Top 100 and make the Cup.