By Todd Ceisner
BassFan Editor


Larry Nixon will have to find a new traveling partner for the FLW Tour this season because old pal Tommy Martin has opted to bypass the Tour circuit in favor of a schedule that’s heavy on triple-A events and keeps him closer to his Texas home.

Martin joked Monday that when he returned to Tour competition in 2013, he did so largely because Nixon, a longtime friend, complained that he needed a roommate after brother-in-law George Cochran retired following the 2012 season.

“Larry will just have to room by himself, I guess,” Martin said with a chuckle.

Martin is one of several notable veteran anglers who were not listed on the 2016 FLW Tour angler roster that was released shortly before Christmas. Dion and Guido Hibdon and Stacey King also weren’t listed.

Martin, the winner of the 1974 Bassmaster Classic, says he passed on registering for the 2016 FLW Tour so he could honor a pledge he made to Bass Pro Shops and Tracker Marine, his main sponsors, that he compete in the Bassmaster Opens circuit. Bass Pro Shops is the presenting sponsor of B.A.S.S.’ triple-A circuit.

“They’ve been my primary sponsors basically since Bass Pro Shops opened,” he said. “Last year, I couldn’t fish the B.A.S.S. Opens since I’d already signed up for the Tour, but I promised them I would fish them this year. Many of our sponsors don’t dictate where or when we should fish, but they’re supporting B.A.S.S. in the Opens and it helps to have us there.”

Martin said he is registered for the Bassmaster Central Opens as well as the Southwest Division of the FLW Series. That’ll give him six tournaments, equal to what he’d fish had he returned to the Tour. He said he’ll also fish some team events with his son.

Health a Non-Issue

The 75-year-old Martin says his health did not play a role in his decision and neither did the payout restructuring FLW had to implement for the 2016 season.

“I’ve been real lucky,” he said. “I have no ailments. My blood pressure is good. My cholesterol is good. I’m in good shape for my age. I realize I’m not as competitive as I was when I was 45. I’m not as consistent anyways. Some years, you have more bad days than good. You see that in every sport – the older you get you’re not quite as competitive – but I still enjoy it. I’d miss everybody if I weren’t out there.

“I’m aware of the purse reduction. Everybody has had to make adjustments because of the economy but that wasn’t a consideration. I had to do something for Bass Pro. I made them a promise, so I’m going to keep it.”

Asked if he thinks he’s fished his last top-tier tournament, Martin didn’t sound like a man ready to hang up his gear after nearly 40 years in the sport.

“I’m 75 years old. I don’t know,” he said. “I’m fishing on a string right now. It all depends on my health and I’m real healthy right now. I probably hunted 57 out of 60 days this fall. I’m real healthy, but at my age, you never know when I’ll have a problem.”

He alluded to the sometimes-grueling travel schedule that can accompany being a Tour competitor, especially if he were fishing Opens or FLW Series events in addition. Martin qualified for the 2012 Elite Series via the Central Opens in 2011, but he declined the bid due to the travel demands it would’ve placed on him.

This year, he won’t have to venture outside the Texas-Louisiana-Arkansas-Oklahoma region to compete.

“I don’t like driving 15 or 20 or 30 hours to get somewhere,” he added. “If I can get there in one day, that’s what I’m looking for and still be able to compete and work and have fun.”

Goals Still the Same

Martin failed to cash a check in six Tour events in 2015, posting just one finish better than 101st. In 12 days of competition, he caught limits on five of them with two coming at Lake Chickamauga, where he finished 82nd.

He expressed a desire to qualify for another Bassmaster Classic – he’s competed in 19, the last coming in 2002 – but isn’t interested in pursuing an invite to the Elite Series. The Atchafalaya Basin Central Open in February will be his 319th career B.A.S.S. tournament.

“I want to do as well as I can,” he said. “I would like to win one because I want to fish one more Classic. That’s really my goal. I just want to compete and see my friends and promote my products and fish as well as I can. I know my limitations. I know I probably can’t fish as well as I used to – I’m just not as consistent.”

But his competitive fire is still there.

“Last year, I just couldn’t catch big fish,” he said. “I don’t know why, but the best I could do most days was 10 to 12 pounds and on a lot of those lakes that’s not good enough. If I get to the point where I’m not catching a limit every day, I’ll probably hang it up. I don’t want to embarrass myself.”

Notable

> Martin says he’s excited to be working with Morgan McCain, the founder of All Star Graphite Rods, on McCain’s new rod company – McCain Hi-Performance Graphite Rods. Martin says it’s been fun to help chart the course for the new company alongside McCain, an industry vet. “We’re trying to work to resurrect the brand,” Martin said.