Unlike some of his peers in the Top 10 of the BassFan.com World Rankings, Larry Nixon isn't fishing the Bassmaster Opens this fall. But he is fishing, though not for bass.
"I've been out in the Gulf of Mexico fishing," he said. "We went 150 miles out and spent 2 nights there. We fished 3 days and caught a bunch of grouper and snapper.
"I worked my tail end off. When you're out in saltwater fishing 150-250 feet deep, if you drop it down there and get a bite, you have a long reel back to just put your bait back on. I loved it. It's hot and those fish will whoop your tail. It's not like hooking a bass. It's like manhandling a nuclear jeep or something."
Nixon noted that his fishing buddy for the trip, George Cochran, "had a miserable time. He didn't have good sea legs and couldn't get around in that boat without crashing into things (laughs)."
From there Nixon headed to Arkansas' White River to catch trout. "It's a lot of little fish on light line," he said. "That's fun. I enjoy catching bass, but I like getting away from bass too."
Between fishing trips he said he's been busy with "more 'honey-dos' than the law allows -- I've been doing all the mowing and weed-eating (his wife has) been doing for the last 3 months" --and getting ready for hunting season.
Tournaments Are Second-Nature
As far as why he isn't fishing the Opens he said: "After 26 years I just feel like I'll do better (in 2003) if I have my fall off. When you fish all the FLWs and all of B.A.S.S. I think it's kind of cool not to have to fish the rest of the year."
Nixon is fishing the FLW Championship next week, and noted that he hasn't fished any fall tournaments for the last few years except one here and there. Not fishing will allow him to take care of sponsor obligations, he added.
As far as whether he thinks he could get rusty by not fishing this fall, he said: "I don't think so. I've been doing it so long, every time I get on the water I think it's second nature."
