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TIM HORTON: BASS FISHING'S
NEWEST STAR
B.A.S.S.
Angler of the Year riding high Into Classic
CHICAGO, Ill. - June
13, 2000 - Forty-six
of the world's best anglers will invade the Windy City for the
30th BASS Masters Classic® July 20-22 including some of professional
fishing's biggest names - Rick Clunn, Kevin VanDam, Davy Hite,
Gary Klein, Larry Nixon, George Cochran, just to name a few.
Also included in that Classic
lineup is the 27-year-old BASSMASTER Top 150 rookie who managed
to outfish every one of them during the 1999-2000 season and
shocked the fishing world by winning the coveted B.A.S.S. Angler-of-the-Year
title. Chances are you would not have recognized the name Tim
Horton a year ago. And chances are, he has become a household
name by dominating his more seasoned fellow pros.
The significance of Horton's
accomplishment breaks down this way: The first freshman to win
the prestigious title. The first pro in B.A.S.S. history to wrap
up Angler-of-the-Year honors with one tournament remaining. Qualifying
for a record four top-10 finals in the seven Top 150 events.
A mere ounce short of qualifying for a fifth Top 150 finals in
the last tournament of the year. A seasonal scorecard that reads
like fiction - first, fourth, fifth, sixth, 11th, 24th and 38th
- on the toughest, most competitive tournament trail in the country.
In the process, he pocketed a cool $169,300. And in his wake,
he left such well-known and more seasoned pros as VanDam, Nixon
and Reese more than 50 points behind
"Do I know what I
did?" Horton repeats the question, laughing. "I think
the magnitude now that I'm getting a lot of calls from the press
is getting a little clearer. I'm starting to see from everybody
else's perspective how big a deal it is. It is starting to sink
in.
"As far as being a
rookie and winning Angler of the Year in just six tournaments,
yeah, it even amazes me that it happened that way. You know,
things fell into place for me this year with every tournament.
I think when good things happen and you start getting confident,
things just flow a lot better. And that's how every tournament
went for me this year.
"I really felt like
I was on a roll or in a zone. When you get in that zone, you
get a sense of confidence that either opens your mind up more
or makes things just click easier. You have confidence in what
you're doing and you stay with it until it works. There's something
that happens that's unexplainable because I know it can go the
other way if you don't have confidence. Your mind just isn't
clear, and you're running around and not sticking with things.
You're switching up too fast to where everything just becomes
a panic, chaotic tournament for you. When you get in that zone,
though, everything flows more smoothly and you don't feel rushed."
Horton's two strengths
as a fisherman - born from his days of guiding on the Tennessee
River impoundments - are at both ends of the strategic spectrum.
His ability to interpret electronics and precisely probe deeper
offshore structure provided him with sixth- and first-place finishes
in the first three Top 150 events. And his nerves-of-steel ability
to match wits with visible bass paid off to the tune of 22nd
-, fourth- and fifth- place showings in the spring when the fish
were spawning.
Despite his success, the
blonde, baby-faced reigning Angler of the Year does not have
any apparent ego problems.
"I want people in
the fishing world to know that I'm just a humble guy who isn't
going to change," he said. "And I want them to know
how much I appreciate the older pros because when I was 12 or
13 years old, they made it so exciting for me. That's what gave
me the drive and ambition to want to go out and do this for a
living. I want these guys to know how much respect I have for
them, and how they still beat us all the time out here, too."
"It was a pretty neat
competition with (Michael) Iaconelli, Skeet (Reese), Larry Nixon
and Kevin (VanDam) for Angler of the Year. They really pushed
me all season long."
Away from the competition,
Horton and wife Melanie experienced the birth of their first
child (Lauren Bailee), born unexpectedly as the proud papa shared
in the delivery via telephone from the Lake Seminole Top 150.
And the sudden financial security has enabled Melanie to quit
her job and travel more with her husband.
"Three or four years
ago, I couldn't have accomplished this because of the pressure
involved in winning Angler of the Year," Horton said. "I
think maybe during that time I went through a maturing process.
I guess even having a baby helped me this year because it took
my mind off of the pressure."
Horton is excited about
heading for Chicago and his chances of further shocking the bass
world by winning the most important title in the sport.
"I can't wait for
the Classic," he said. "I think having the Classic
in Chicago is going to be great."
During the week of July
17-22, the Windy City will be the site of the biggest celebration
of the sport of fishing. On Wednesday, Jackson Lake Park will
be the site of the Kids Klassic® contest (10 a.m. to 2 p.m.)
and a Meet the Pros Autograph session (8 a.m. to 11 p.m.).
McCormick Center will host
the highly popular Classic Outdoor Show, which attracts more
than 100,000 visitors annually. This year's show is being held
in conjunction with American Sportfishing Association's annual
ICAST trade show - meaning that Classic visitors will enjoy a
rare opportunity to get a glimpse at all of the new fishing and
boating products that will go on the market in 2001.
For the second consecutive
year, local and visiting fishing fans will also be treated to
an extra day of show attendance on Sunday after the Classic competition
has concluded. The show opens on Thursday and runs through Sunday.
Soldier Field will host
the three daily weigh-ins, which will include the award-winning
laser-light show that will crown the new Classic champion on
Saturday. Also, the annual BASSMASTER CASTINGKIDS® national
finals, sponsored by Chevy Trucks and Zebco, will be held in
Soldier Field on Friday.
In addition, country music
star Trisha Yearwood will perform a free concert immediately
after the 2000 Classic champion is crowned.
Sponsors of the 2000 BASS
Masters Classic include: Ranger® Boats, RangerTrail®
Trailers, Mercury® Outboard, Chevy Trucks, ACDelco® Batteries,
Worldwaters.com, Humminbird® Electronics, Zercom® Marine,
Pennzoil® Marine, Flowmaster® Exhaust Systems, First
USA Visa Card, MotorGuide® Trolling Motors, Gore-Tex®
Outerwear, GMAC Insurance, the state of Illinois and the city
of Chicago.
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