Hooked on bass fishing

Tyler Loudon had no reason to start fishing. His parents didn’t fish. None of his family did. But he grew up with a pond behind his house, and that’s all it took. One afternoon when the calves were under fans, he asked his dad if he could get a rod and fish in the pond. From there, his love of bass fishing took off.

After graduating from Creston High School in May, Loudon has committed to Oklahoma State University where he will be in the agriculture program and compete on their bass fishing team.

It was his grandpa who bought him his first boat - a 17 ft tracker from 1976 that he bought for $1,000. It wasn’t until then he realized how much of a passion he could have for it. Though he started out self-taught, he said Tyler Wolf at Big Boyz Toyz has served as his biggest mentor.

“I did my first tournament on Tyler’s boat at Lake Truman in Missouri in 2016,” Loudon said. “If you’re able to learn from someone at such a high level it is better than just trying to figure it out yourself.”

After the tournament, he started representing the high school at some of the tournaments through the Iowa Youth Fishing League. He did a year of fishing all over Iowa. He came in second several times and even won his first tournament at Lake Rathbun. “I remember catching my first 5 pounder,” Loudon said. “I could relive that over and over and still get excited about it.”

When he first started competing, Loudon said he was too “dialed-in.” He was too worried about the technical aspects of fishing, and wasn’t relaxed. “Fishing is a mentality,” he said. “If you have fun while fishing, the better you will do and the more fish you will catch.” He said he learned a lot of this from Wolf. “He just goes out there to catch big fish. I love that mindset.”

His second year of fishing featured him and his co-angler going to as many tournaments as they could. “We did double headers for a month straight,” he said. They would fish one tournament on a Saturday and then haul the boat somewhere else for Sunday to fish a different tournament. “Every weekend I wasn’t showing a cow, I was on the lake bass fishing.” Loudon estimates they did 30 to 40 tournaments that year.

Loudon, a two time Bassmasters All-State angler, has realized that fishing isn’t about learning one technique - it’s about adjusting and relearning every time you go out on the water. “You have to spend a lot of time doing what you’re not used to,” he said.

To be considered for the All-State Fishing Team, a student must have been nominated by a parent, coach or teacher. They also must maintain a certain grade-point average to be considered. Bass Anglers Sportsman Society (BASS) received nearly 400 nominations from across the nation. From these, judges select 53 student anglers to make the All-State Fishing Team.

In the tournaments Loudon competes in, the objective is to have your largest five fish of the day weigh more than everyone else’s largest five. While he has done single tournaments, he prefers to work with a co-angler. “You have to find co-anglers that mix well and have chemistry,” he said. “Two friends may not work well together.”

Loudon identifies as a fast-paced angler. If he’s not catching big bass, he’s ready to move on. His co-angler has a slower pace and patience. “We mix really well,” he said. “He tells me to wait and see.” This is one of the aspects of SWCC’s new competitive bass fishing team he is excited to see pan out.

This year, Loudon said he and his teammate have backed off on the number of tournaments they have entered. “We’re going for quantity over quality this year,” he said. The first tournament they fished this year, their fish weighed in at close to 20 lbs - 12 lbs higher than second place.

While Loudon is one of the best high schoolers in the state, he is prepared to lose to anglers than have been fishing for longer than he’s been alive. He takes these opportunities to learn. “Listening to them talk, what they’re doing and their experiences goes an extremely long way,” he said.

Loudon said one of the biggest challenges is finding fish that haven’t been touched, or figuring out new ways to entice those fish. “There were 80 some tournaments on the three lakes in Creston last year,” he said. “The south is even worse.”

He got his learning opportunity this year in Florida when after much preparation, he failed to catch a single bass. “We blanked,” Loudon said. “You have to get beat sometime even if you think you’re the best. You can’t replicate that kind of experience.” He said they continue to make the most of the opportunities they have, and adjust from there.

He said it goes to show how much work is required to be successful in this sport. “You have to know what you’re looking for,” Loudon said. “I found spots before I touched the lake, and I still didn’t catch a fish.” He said in Florida he was all “game on” to qualify for nationals and forgot the fun. “You have to find that perfect mix of professionalism and fun. I take that to heart.”

Technology plays a role in the sport with products like fish finders and sonar that allow you to see exactly where the fish are and how they react to your cast. “It’s an even bigger learning curve with technology,” Loudon said. “No matter what resources you have available, if you don’t know how to fish bass, it’s irrelevant.”

There were a lot of collegiate programs that reached out to Loudon with offers. From free gas to free boats, they rolled out the red carpet. But he didn’t go for the flashiest program - he went for the one that could offer him both aspects of his life - bass fishing and agriculture. “I have the privilege of saying I’m one of the best in the state, and I taught myself.”

Even though he will be states away, Loudon said he will definitely be keeping an eye on SWCC’s team in the college standings. “I hope they make it to the national tournament,” he said. “You just have to do well enough in one tournament.”