Hello, my name is Elton Luce, Jr. and I have been bass fishing for over forty years. My father started fishing with me when I was very young, and to this day I still reminisce about the good times we had while I was growing up and fishing together.
While being a 40- hour a week working man and pursuing a career in engineering, I never gave up the things in life that meant the most to me. Those special things were my wife, Kathy, and our three sons, Trey, Ryan, and Kris. Helping to make cakes and racecars for Cub Scouts, to camping and coaching a span of seventeen years of Little League Baseball, have been some of the most memorable years of my life.
Competing in club tournaments in the late 1970’s and early 1980’s gave me the drive to start my professional career. Fishing team tournaments with several close friends, my Dad, and fishing with my sons was next in the order of succession. I then proceeded to the Semi-Pro circuits of Angler’s Choice and Bassing America. I had great success in both of these circuits, which gave me further desire to fish in the “major leagues.” In the mid 1990’s, my ambition was to compete in the Bassmaster Tournament Circuit. After three seasons of fishing the Bassmaster Opens, I qualified for the Bassmaster Top 150 Circuit.
However, during the first four years of fishing the Bassmaster Tour, I continued to work full time for CBI/Matrix Engineering, Ltd. This made fishing very difficult and stressful, as I was working seven days a week while also traveling, scouting, and competing in tournaments. After much deliberation, in January of 2002, I retired from the engineering business and began fishing full time. I did well the first few years, making a lifelong dream of mine come true by qualifying for my first Bassmaster Classic.
Unfortunately, the last three years have been a little tougher. Even though I have struggled more through recent tournaments, I have had a good time fishing and meeting new people at every event. I have made some lifelong friends from all over the country. Fishing at this level has given me a sense of accomplishment while competing against the best fishermen in the world. These men and women are not only good fishermen, they are also good people, and I’m proud to have my name associated with them.
Having had a son serve in Iraq, I have become very concerned about our military men and women who sacrifice every day for our country’s freedom. As a result, I have teamed with the Armed Forces Foundation in Washington D.C. This foundation aids soldiers and their families in everyday and critical situations, which may arise from their duty to our country. The AFF conducts many outings for our wounded soldiers recovering in various military hospitals, including hunting and fishing trips. I have personally participated in one of these fishing trips on Lake Amistad in Del Rio, Texas. Seeing the joy on the faces of the soldiers as they competed against each other and caught fish, (some for the very first time!), was a blessing I will never forget. For information about the AFF, please visit www.ArmedForcesFoundation.org.
My advice to young people who would like to compete at this level is to “keep it simple” for a while and complete your education before moving forward. After this is completed, I urge everyone who has the dream of competing to “go for it.” You will not regret your decision!!! Good luck and “Keep ‘em Hooked!
Elton Luce, Jr.