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Glenn: Hi. This is Glenn May with BassResource.com and I'm here with Cliff Pace. Cliff, it's
great to have you here.
Cliff Pace: Yeah. Thanks for having me.
Glenn: Hey, Cliff, how far in advance do you start planning for a big tournament such as
the Classic?
Cliff: Typically I start planning for the Classic the moment that I know I qualify for
it. Then I start planning for my Elite series tournament as soon as the schedule comes out
for the year coming up. It's really a never ending process.
Glenn: What types of things do you look for?
Cliff: It depends on the body of water that you are having the tournament on and what
it offers. And also all the possible change of weather and things like that. Every body
of water you go to has different variables. You just got to kind of analyze those variables
the best you can and give your self some options to take care of them if they arrive.
Glenn: When you first get on a body of water what is the first thing you do?
Cliff: Typically for me I want to go look and see what it has to offer. If it's a body
of water that I am unfamiliar with I might put my boat in the water and ride for an entire
day. Just look and see what's there and try to get a feel for what kind of environment
that we have here. And then if it's a body of water that I am familiar with, the first
thing I am going to do is look for, obviously for fish. Try to get some kind of idea of,
what ever time of the year it is, how the fish are set up or what they are relating
to and try to start expanding on that.
Glenn: Okay. Let me change the subject just a little bit. When you first became a pro
at the elite level what was a big surprise to you that maybe you were not expecting?
Cliff: Just how much effort it really takes to do this. I have more respect for these
anglers now than I ever have in my life time. I know what they go through and what it takes
to actually come out here and give it your all and give it your best and the amount of
time and effort that goes in to it. And that probably was the biggest surprise.
Everybody looks at professional fishing and goes, man those guys got it made. And we really
do. I am not complaining a bit. I thank the Lord every day for the opportunities I have
had in my life. And hope to have many more. But at the same time once you do kind of get
your feet wet in it it's a full time deal.
Glenn: What piece of advice would you give somebody who really wants to achieve this
level of fishing?
Cliff: It's just like any other sport. You just got to go out there and go for it. It's
achievable. I'm living proof of that. You can do it. But at the same time you realize
that what you are striving for comes with a lot of work.
Glenn: In all these years striving to become a better angler have you walked away with
any lessons that you have been able to apply to your life out side of fishing?
Cliff: Oh, yeah. A thousand time over. Any experiences you go through in life you take
things away from that may apply in different experiences. In my opinion being in the outdoors
probably has more experiences that would lay over in to other things in life than probably
any other thing you could do. Not only that. The amount of friendships and things like
that that I've developed over the years doing this is absolutely unbelievable. I don't think
there is a sport out there that offers that.
Glenn: Here's what I want to know. Who is your favorite fishing hero?
Cliff: My favorite fishing heroes are the original veterans of this sport because they
got out there and I don't pick one I am speaking for them all. They got out there and they
paved the way for this sport to be what it is today and to give somebody like me and
everybody that is striving for it the opportunity and the place and the playground to come out
here and live our dream.
Glenn: Living the dream. That is what everybody wants to do. I swear. I want to do something
right now that's called my shameless plug moment. You can talk about anything you want
be it your sponsors, or if you want to say something to your fans out there, or your
family. Whatever you would like to say.
Cliff: Instead of plugging my sponsor this time. Everybody kind of knows who my sponsors
are. I want to say thanks to my wife. She has been behind me since day one in this deal
and she's getting here tomorrow. She has been so frustrated that she hasn't been able to
come any sooner than that. We are so close to home and she's gotten tied up with some
things. I want to say thanks to her for putting up with all the things that I have to make
her put up with for me to be able to do this.