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It's a nomadic way to make a living, but for bass fishing pro Jeremy Starks it's a dream come true. The native of Cedar Grove, West Virginia prepares to embark on his third full season of fishing professionally on the ESPN/BASS Elite series. A year ago, Starks achieved a level that few who try the cast for cash way of life ever achieved when he won the "Southern Challenge" on Lake Wheeler in Alabama. It was the highlight of a breakout year for the young angler who says after a brief recharge of the batteries he's chomping at the bit to get back on the water.  | | Jeremy Starks | "Immediately after the season I went to Michigan and spent a few weeks bird hunting to wind down," said Starks during a sendoff at Walker Machinery in Kanawha County earlier this week. "But immediately I was right back into fishing. I did some fishing in Michigan, went to Texas and Florida a couple of times and to Kentucky Lake." Starks says experience has taught him the longer you distance yourself from the rod and reel, the rustier you become. "I've really struggled the last few years at the beginning of the year and finally come into a groove about the middle of the year. I think a lot of that has to do with taking time off and this year I've really tried not to do that," Starks said. Starks will have his work cut out for him in 2009. He's planning to fish 13 bass events that will take him to all corners of the country. It begins the weekend of March 12-15 on LakeAmistad near Del Rio, Texas. "Amistad is unique in that you're looking for giants. You're not just fishing for three to four pounders, you're fishing for eight to ten pounders and that's really a different ballgame," Starks said. Starks' 2008 performance was good enough to qualify him to fish the ten events of the Bass Elite Series in 2009. Eight of those events are already scheduled, but in a new twist BASS and ESPN are keeping the final two locations and their dates under wraps. The plan for this made-for-TV fishing drama is to spring those locations on anglers and see how they handle the mental pressure of attacking the waters with precious little time to prepare. Starks is also registered to fish three BASS Northern Open events. While most of us use fishing as a way to escape work, the competitive fishing circuit is a different animal. "You know as well as I do there's nothing more fun than fishing," Starks explained, "But when you do it at the level we do it, it's a little different than going out there an just unwinding. We go out there and think about the techniques and seasonal patterns. Getting up at 4:00 in the morning and into bed at 11:00 at night is sometimes a lot of work." There are other pressures. Pro fishermen travel thousands of miles between fishing tournament sites, deal with vital sponsorship obligations and coordinate equipment, booking lodging and arrange travel plans, and on top of it all try to learn the secrets to catching fish in a range of different waters. When viewed through that prism, fishing for a living doesn't gleam with the same luster it might for those who haven't tried it. Starks will again count the West Virginia Coal Association and Walker Machinery among his primary sponsors. The send off at Walker Machinery was an opportunity for Starks to practice the message the industry has invested in his fishing expeditions. "We need good jobs in West Virginia, we need coal, and we need clean water," said Starks. "It's possible to have all three." His new Basscat boat is wrapped in a sleek and colorful scheme that includes a backdrop of  | | Hardware from the 2008 BASS Southern Challenge on Lake Wheeler, Alabama | Sutton Lake, the Kanawha River, and the state capitol dome. Beside the familiar "Friends of Coal" logo, the rig reads "Clean Coal Power, science and technology engineering coal for the 21st Century." It's an important message in a time when coal is taking a beating in Washington and amid the mainstream media. The industry hopes the value of coal as a strong, domestic energy source will be conveyed across the country to a vast audience of fishing fans. Coal Association President Bill Raney hopes those watching on ESPN or following Jeremy's progress in each tournament on the internet will be reminded coal is what enabled their television or computer to come on. The tournament trail will take Starks back to Alabama's Lake Wheeler, where he captured first place in the Southern Challenge fishing cast for cast with the legendary Kevin Van Dam. Ironically, that's not the destination that Starks is most anticipating. "Most people think it would probably be Wheeler, but probably Kentucky Lake or Smith Mountain (Virginia) are two of my favorite places to fish," Starks explained. "Both those events really set up to my fishing style. I'm an off-shore guy. I like to spend a lot of time looking at my depth finder and learning some off-shore stuff and looking for fish that other guys will go right past. I've done well at both of those in the past." JEREMY STARKS 2009 FISHING TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE | Date | Trail | Event | Water | Location | | 3/12 - 3/15 | Elite Series | Battle of the Border | Lake Amistad | Del Rio, TX | | 3/26 -3/29 | Elite Series | Diamond Drive | Lake Dardanelle | Russelville, AR | | 4/2 - 4/5 | Elite Series | Dixie Duel | Wheeler Lake | Decatur, AL | | 4/16 - 4/18 | Northern Open | Northern Open 1 | Chesapeake Bay | Cecil County, MD | | 4/23 - 4/26 | Elite Series | Blueridge Brawl | Smith Mtn. Lake | Moneta, VA | | 5/7 -5/10 | Elite Series | Southern Challenge | Lake Guntersville | Guntersville, AL | | 6/3 - 6/6 | Elite Series | Tennessee Triumph | Kentucky Lake | Paris, TN | | 6/11 -6/14 | Elite Series | River Rumble | Mississippi River | Ft. Madison, IA | | 8/13 - 8/16 | Elite Series | Champion's Choice | Oneida Lake | Syracuse, NY | | 8/20 - 8/22 | Northern Open | Northern Open 2 | Lake Champlain | Plattsburgh, NY | | 9/24 - 9/26 | Northern Open | Northern Open 3 | Lake Erie | Sandusky, OH | * The final two Elite Series events, locations, and dates TBA |
