Drew Gregory is the most successful tournament angler in the history of kayak bass fishing. Thanks to a recent win, Gregory now possesses more champion’s trophies than anyone in the sport, bookended by his Angler of the Year and National Championship titles. He’s truly in a league of his own.
Ironically, Gregory never aspired to be a tournament bass fisherman. Sure, he gave it some thought when pondering how to scratch a living doing what he loved. But what Drew Gregory cherished was not five-fish limits and sparkly boats. It was adventure.
Gregory spent his youth wading small streams with his father. “It was exploration,” he remembered. “Discovering what was around the next bend. The endless river miles. Lakes are boring; they’re static. Rivers are wild.”
Early on, Gregory recognized the potential for applying a kayak to his trade. The problem was, fishing kayaks were still a thing of the future, the only available models being better suited to whitewater performance.
With the innovative eye common to those ahead of their time, Gregory took the idea of a fishing-style kayak with detachable seat to Jackson Kayak, the brand now synonymous with angler-focused rigs. Through trial and error, the team built the first signature-series kayak focused on fishing, designed and endorsed by Gregory. Today, he does the same for Crescent Kayaks.
With an increasing interest in kayak fishing came the natural progression of organized competition, something Gregory initially viewed as a necessary evil in the plan to market and sell boats. He’d fish, but on his own terms.
“I was never going to change as an angler for some tournament,” Gregory said. Dancing with the date that brought him, Gregory instead focused his tournament efforts on familiar methods. Out of the question was any focus on deep water or finesse techniques.
“I don’t want to fish that way. That’s not why I got into this.”
By keying on his shallow-water strengths, Gregory found he’d immediately eliminated vast areas of tournament waters before he ever made a cast. Such a move also fit his admitted ADHD personality, where details must remain simple and quick. Power-fishing is the Drew Gregory game, utilizing ChatterBaits, spinnerbaits and jigs.
As time went on, Gregory realized tremendous success, something that continues to build. By capitalizing on overlooked fish and a gameplan of efficiency, he was able to take titles across the country on a vast array of fisheries.
Surely Gregory’s time in the spotlight would end, however. Kayak anglers today utilize trolling motors, forward-facing sonar, Spot-Lock and more. Old-school is dead, just like on the bass boat leagues, right?
It sure doesn’t appear so. Last week, Gregory sealed the deal on his fifth B.A.S.S. Kayak Series event, this time on Arizona’s Lake Havasu. On a fishery dominated by offshore finesse tactics and loaded with finicky smallmouth, Gregory bucked the trend, again targeting backwater flow for the win.
But it wasn’t your typical river fishing, or even a method Gregory was accustomed to. And herein lies his secret.
“It was very difficult fishing,” Gregory mentioned. “The water was ultra-clear, but also very cold, which is a tough combination. Other anglers could get in there (often Gregory targets locations where bass boats can’t access). But the bass boat guys are lake anglers, they’re not river anglers. It’s totally different.”
Gregory focuses on fishing methods that allow him to remain unknown to resident bass. His stealthy tactics are essential to catching fish that the vast majority of bass anglers don’t even know exist. At Havasu, the strategy was the same, but transparent waters threw a wrench in the plans, making spooky bass even spookier.
The key, for Gregory, was sun.
“In a lake, fish can move to deep water areas when water temperatures drop,” he said. These basins act as a thermal refuge, forcing most bass offshore. But, in shallow water, resident bass don’t have that luxury.
“In shallow water, it’s all about the sun. Fish will move up into the sun – not away from it – to warm up. The water is warmer. That’s where the bass are”.
Utilizing such knowledge gained through his river-rat upbringing, Gregory pursued bass in Havasu’s skinniest waters using power tactics. He again beat the deep-water contingent, ‘Scopers and all, who had reported heroic catches throughout practice. Keeping it simple, and condensing the playing field, again put Gregory in the winner’s circle. His consistency is uncanny.
Can Drew Gregory hold on? Can he continue to be a dominant figure in a sport destined to become something many anglers never signed up for?
For now, it appears so. While others travel further down the road of “advancement”, Gregory moves in the opposite direction, relying on efficiency and experience to carry him to victory. So far, he’s come out on top.
(Joe Balog is the often-outspoken owner of Millennium Promotions, Inc., an agency operating in the fishing and hunting industries. A former Bassmaster Open and EverStart Championship winner, he's best known for his big-water innovations and hardcore fishing style. He's a popular seminar speaker, product designer and author, and is considered one of the most influential smallmouth fishermen of modern times.)
