Hometown | Dayton, Tennessee |
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Age | 34 |
Former Occupation | Operates Dayton Boat Dock (current) |
Height | 6' 0'' |
Weight | 225 lbs. |
Years Pro | 13 |
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Top 10 Finishes (Wins)* | 36 (3) As of 8/14/2022 |
Career Earnings* | $1.5 million As of 8/14/2022 |
Current World Rank | 6 |
Best Finish in 2025 | 24 - Lake Conroe, 1/30/2025 |
Best Finish in 2024 | 1 - St. Lawrence River, 8/6/2024 |
Last 3 Finishes |
24 - Lake Conroe, 1/30/2025 1 - St. Lawrence River, 8/6/2024 5 - James River, 6/25/2024 |
Bassmaster Classics Fished (Won) | 0 (0) As of 8/14/2022 |
REDCREST Championships Fished (Won) | 7 (0) As of 8/14/2022 |
Titles/Honors | MLF Pro Circuit Angler of the Year (2021, 2022) |
Angling Hero | Andy Morgan. "He's from my hometown and we run around together. He's a household fishing industry name. What you see is what you get – a true country boy." |
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Home Lake | Chickamauga |
Favorite Lake | Champlain. "It's typically offshore grass fishing. It fishes a lot like Guntersville and Chickamauga, just not quite the average size of fish. I honestly believe that there is not a lake in the country that has more bass in it. I wish we could pick it up and move it from New York to the southeast somewhere." |
Least Favorite Lake | Okeechobee. "It's just too big and there is way too much grass. Even though it is so big, it still winds up fishing small. Practice is always miserable because you have to cover so much water to find some fish. Even though I have had some good finishes there, I still don't like it."
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Favorite Technique | Swimbait on the ledges |
Primary Fishing Strength | Offshore ledges |
Secondary Fishing Strength | Submerged grass |
Biggest Weakness | Getting flustered and running around all day |
Boat | Phoenix |
Motor | Yamaha |
Fishing Sponsors | Big Bite Baits, Denali Rods, Sunline, Daiwa reels, AFTCO (apparel), SPRO, Gamakatsu, Dirty Jigs, Lure Lock, TRC rod covers |
Tow Vehicle (Sponsor) | Chevy Silverado 2500HD |
Favorite Food | Steak |
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Favorite Music | Country every day, but rock and roll for tournaments |
Non-Angling Hero | My dad. "Without him I would not be where I am now. He was the one that got me started into fishing tournaments above the local level. He is without a doubt my biggest supporter." |
When Not Fishing | Work at Dayton Boat Dock, some hunting |
Why He Fishes | "It's my passion. Since I was 3, I'd rather fish than do anything. It's the only sport where you compete against something that's not your competitors." |
Website | www.michaelnealfishing.com |
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(Only recent tournaments are included. Not necessarily a career listing.) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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*BASS events (all events because BASS does not report Tour and Open earnings separately) and FLW Tour.
Biographical data last updated: 8/14/2022
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