2004 BASS Angler of the Year: Gerald Swindle

Exclusive Interview

   Gerald Swindle is, as most of the bass fishing world now knows, the 2004 BASS Angler of the Year. How he got to the top is not as widely known, and that was reason for an interview. Swindle graciously agreed to share some information, and here is the result.

   Day 3 of the Bassmaster Tour season finale on Santee Cooper lake: Swindle is sweating it out, watching the weigh in. He placed in the middle of the pack, and is watching his fellow pros bring in their stringers. If Greg Hackney places below 8th, Swindle is the Angler of the Year. If he places above 8th, Hackney is the Angler of the Year. "Sitting through the final weigh in and realizing what it could do to your career...," he said. "I felt like I had a shot. I knew it was down between me and him." Hackney stumbled, and Swindle won. A BASS press release said that Swindle was 'beside himself' at his victory. "That’s the best way I could put it in words," he said. Swindle "didn't know" if Hackney would drop below 8th or not. "He's such a great fisherman," he commented. "There was just a glimmer of hope and that’s what I focused on."

   Since the Smith Lake Tour event, Swindle had been in the top 6 in the Bassmaster AOY standings. Even when he moved into the top 6 for the first time after Smith, he still did not focus on winning AOY. After Table Rock, he leapt into 1st. Even then, his focus was on each event, not on AOY. "I didn’t get caught up on winning Angler of the Year. I never really looked at that side. I kept most of my energy focused on each event," he said.

   After his win, Swindle says that his life has definitely changed. "There’s not any new sponsorships right off the top but there has been a lot of good things happen. You’re move involved in the community and there’s more demand on you for things." He summed up by saying, "It will change your life."

   So, what was the real secret behind Swindle's win? "There wasn’t one technique or lure. It was more being versatile; changing up a lot," he said. However, Swindle remarked, there was one good confidence lure that he used in key situations. It is made by Lucky Craft, one of his sponsors. "There was one bait that really gave me a few clinch fish," he remarked. "It was the Lucky Craft BDS3. I caught an 8 pounder on Santee Cooper on it. It was like every time I picked it up I caught a good one. Every time I got in a crutch I picked it up and knew something good was going to happen." Without that 8 pound bass at Santee Cooper, Swindle would have plummeted in the standings, and lost the award.

   Extra: Since Swindle did so well on the BASS Tour this year, what about fishing the FLW? "I was on the waiting list," he said, "but never got called."

    And what did he think about the first Elite 50 event? "I thought it was the most awesome tournament I’ve ever fished outside of the Classic," he remarked. "I still think we’re really getting into something here that could change bass fishing."

Special thanks is due to Gerald Swindle for taking the time to be interviewed. Check out his website at http://www.geraldswindle.com.

By Brandon Shook