By Todd Ceisner
BassFan Editor
Only one event has passed on the schedule and already Zack Birge has been asked repeatedly about his thoughts on slipping into the so-called sophomore slump this year. Such is life for the reigning FLW Tour Rookie of the Year.
Birge doesn’t put much stock in the notion that he may struggle during his second year on the circuit – he’s already logged a Top-40 finish at Lake Okeechobee in the season opener – but he said he’d be lying if all the talk didn’t start to creep into his mind.
“Before Okeechobee, I just kept telling myself, ‘No sophomore slump, no sophomore slump,’” he said. “It’s just another year to me. If I were going to have some sort of a slump, I think it would’ve been somewhere between college and last year.”
There’s probably some truth to that considering 2015 was more like his second year competing at the professional level. In 2014, he fished four FLW Series events, including all three in what’s now called the Southwestern Division. Thanks to his 7th-place finish in points, he qualified for the FLW Series Championship, which he won at Lake Wheeler, surprising a field that included a slew of established pros.
He followed that up with a dynamic rookie year, posting four straight Top-40 finishes to start the season, including three Top-15s. The Blanchard, Okla., resident double-qualified for the Forrest Wood Cup, where he finished 8th at Lake Ouachita.
“I really wasn’t too sure what to expect going into last year,” he said. “I just wanted to hold my own, but as the year went on I was pretty satisfied with how it went.”
Confidence is Key
In talking to Birge, he projects a confident tone, a product of the success he’s achieved before turning 25. In 2012, he won the team portion of the Bassmaster College Series championship to set the wheels in motion for where he stands today. He recognizes and appreciates the role college fishing played in his development as an angler. He knows those before him weren’t afforded such opportunities.
“It was huge for me,” he said. “From doing our school qualifiers at home fishing against ourselves to being on the road traveling to tournaments and championships. They’re relatively close to a tour event. It definitely familiarizes you with how everything sets up and the wear and tear.
“In college, you’re fishing against the best of the best at that level and everyone takes it serious. It’s not a goof-off deal. They’re trying to be where I’m at today or be the next KVD. They’re trying their hardest to get there.”
His success in college gave him the confidence that he could compete at a high level,.
“I really wasn’t sure how it would play out,” he said. “I went into the Rayovac stuff and those guys are some of the best in the country. Winning that Rayovac championship opened my eyes that maybe I can compete at the highest level. Confidence is everything in this sport and I had a good bit of confidence going when I got into it. Starting with a bang helped also.”
What’s Next?
So what does Birge have planned for his sophomore season? He quelled the jinx/slump chatter with a 32nd-place showing in his first trip to Lake Okeechobee. That puts him on solid footing heading to Lake Hartwell next month.
“I just really want to do as well or close to last year,” he said. “My goal was Rookie of the Year because I only had one shot at it and I accomplished that. Next I want to win one and I also want a shot at Angler of the Year.”
Getting through Okeechobee was a good step in that direction. Being from Oklahoma, he’s used to rivers and shallow, dirty water. The vast waters of the Big O were an eye-opener for him and he managed to catch limits both days to stay in the money range.
“Surviving Okeechobee was a good thing for me,” he said. “It was my first time there and from what people were saying and from what I could see from practice, the lake is so big and there’s so much water. It’s easy to spin out in a matter of minutes. I just wanted to survive. If you can’t figure out how to win in practice you have to figure out how to survive.”
With two of the final five events set for Tennessee River lakes (Pickwick and Kentucky), he’s anxious to atone for last year’s miserable 137th-place showing at Chickamauga.
“I definitely have mixed emotions on the Tennessee River,” he said. “Overall, I like it because it’s so versatile. You can do so many different things. We’re going to Pickwick in early May so those fish might not be all out on the ledges yet. I’m hoping to have a good shallow-water tournament there. Same thing with Kentucky Lake. You can fish shallow or deep, but I’ll probably spend most of my time out deep in practice and if all else fails, I can run around and scrounge up some bites.”
Notable
> Birge will compete in the Sam Rayburn Reservoir (this week) and Grand Lake events in the Southwestern Division of the FLW Series, but he’ll miss the finale at Fort Gibson Lake in September because it conflicts with the Bassmaster Central Open at the Red River.
