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JOURNAL
Bassmaster Classic:
It was Thursday night and it was all I could do to try to force my food down. I sat at the window, watching it rain extremely hard, and thinking about how I’d been fishing in the back end of some creeks during practice, and I knew it would be a muddy mess when I got there the next day. I’d put all my eggs in one basket, the handle broke and so did my eggs.
However, I did my best, and that meant using a shallow diving crank bait, fishing in four to six feet of water, sticking to lay down and stumps.
Usually I wear the brown lens and I feel like they enhance underwater objects better than any other color we have, and when you’re trying to visually fish pieces of structure, a good pair of glasses is very important, not to mention being able to identify objects in dingy water and clear water.
Sunshine Showdown:
I spent most of my time flipping in shallow reeds and ended up getting a few big ones — the biggest was 6.12 pounds.
On day 2 I caught a bag that was 16.9 pounds, the biggest stringer of fish that I’d caught on that lake in the last four events I’ve participated on there! I normally don’t catch anything on that lake, so as you can imagine, I was extremely excited!
By being able to ID clear water, and there were a mixture of grasses in the area I was fishing, and being able to look through the water, and see up to a few feet in dingy water to identify a mixture of different grasses — it made a huge difference.
BIO
It’s been said that one should never be content with being average, as average is as close to the bottom as it is to the top. Stephen Browning couldn’t agree more, and is one pro angler that’s never been afraid to go his own way. “I do my best in fishing dingier water, and in shallow water,” reports the Arkansas native. (This 5 time Bassmaster Classic qualifier formerly worked for the EPA as a wastewater treatment plant inspector, so go figure.)
Being a shallow water angler, he relies on Wiley X’s superior lens technology to give him an edge over the competition. “Wiley X’s lenses provide fantastic depth perception in the water, plus, they’re so lightweight and comfortable, you don’t have the fatigue on your ears and nose that comes with other brands,” he says.
He was introduced to the joys of fishing when he was four years old, with his father and grandfather. “Fishing has always been a part of my family’s strong, outdoor heritage,” he says. “My dad and grandpa were crappie fishers, but they didn’t pull hard enough for me! So I eventually moved into bass fishing and have been there ever since.”
He now lives in Hot Springs, AR, a mere 80 miles away from where he was born, but it’s pretty clear that as far as his career goes, he’s not in “Ar-Kansas” anymore.
He started in the Bassmaster circuit in 1995 (quitting the wastewater rat race in 1997 and working fulltime as a pro angler ever since) As for a preferred lake, he can’t pick just one. “I love them all! I really don’t have a favorite, they’re all so much fun. I enjoy a challenge, and there’s a challenge to be found at every place I go.”
Stephen has clearly risen to the challenge of the competitive circuit, with a career that includes 20 B.A.S.S top ten finishes, currently ranked 66th in the world. He was the winner of the 1998 Alabama B.A.S.S. top 150, along with numerous wins in redfish and saltwater tournaments.
Fans may have even spotted him as the winner of the recent ESPN Wild Rules games, and he’s also an avid whitetail bowhunting enthusiast.
When it comes to protecting his eyes, he knows that safety is the name of the game. “Eye protection is key — not only for me, but anyone who fishes — it’s as important as your rod and reels,” says Stephen. “It’s a must, as you don’t want to set the hook on a fish and then have a bait come back and hit you or your partner. I preach that, at all seminars — you just have to have it.”
Stephen’s preaching to the choir, but watch for him to testify on Wiley X’s behalf in yet another amazing season!
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