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20Qs with John Crews

Elite Series pro John Crews has qualified for the Bassmaster Classic eight times, won almost $1 million in prize money and started his own tackle company. Now he faces our 20 Questions.

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John Crews is a talent. He's qualified for the Bassmaster Classic eight times, won almost $1 million in prize money and started his own tackle company. Now he faces our 20 questions.
John Crews is a talent. He’s qualified for the Bassmaster Classic eight times, won almost $1 million in prize money and started his own tackle company. Now he faces our 20 questions.
<strong>1. Where are you from, originally?</strong> A little town called Jetersville in Virginia.
1. Where are you from, originally? A little town called Jetersville in Virginia.
<p><strong>2. How did you get started in bass fishing?</strong> We had a small pond in our backyard that had both bream and bass in it, and I didn't want anything to do with those bream. All I wanted were the bass.</p>
2. How did you get started in bass fishing? We had a small pond in our backyard that had both bream and bass in it, and I didn’t want anything to do with those bream. All I wanted were the bass.
<strong>3. Who were some of your earliest fishing heroes?</strong> When I was young, the guy who took me fishing most was a friend of the family named Willy Logan. He's since passed, but he got me hooked on bass fishing early on.
3. Who were some of your earliest fishing heroes? When I was young, the guy who took me fishing most was a friend of the family named Willy Logan. He’s since passed, but he got me hooked on bass fishing early on.
<p><strong>4. When did you realize you had made it in the bass fishing industry?</strong> A friend once told me since fishing had been my only means of income for several years that I was a professional fisherman.</p>
4. When did you realize you had made it in the bass fishing industry? A friend once told me since fishing had been my only means of income for several years that I was a professional fisherman.
<strong>5. What's the biggest bass you've ever caught?</strong> Eleven pounds. I caught it on the Harris Chain of Lakes in Florida. The sad thing is that it wasn't even the big fish of the day.
5. What’s the biggest bass you’ve ever caught? Eleven pounds. I caught it on the Harris Chain of Lakes in Florida. The sad thing is that it wasn’t even the big fish of the day.
<p><strong>6. What do you love most about bass fishing?</strong> It's always changing. You always have to work at it to be successful. I don't care what body of water you're on, where you are in the country or how long you've been fishing, you still have to work at it and adjust.</p>
6. What do you love most about bass fishing? It’s always changing. You always have to work at it to be successful. I don’t care what body of water you’re on, where you are in the country or how long you’ve been fishing, you still have to work at it and adjust.
<strong>7. What is your greatest strength as a bass angler?</strong> As far as angling skill is concerned, it's probably my versatility. I'm comfortable doing whatever they might be biting. Another strength is just staying in good shape. I work out and eat right. That helps me stay focused and keeps me from getting fatigued on the water.
7. What is your greatest strength as a bass angler? As far as angling skill is concerned, it’s probably my versatility. I’m comfortable doing whatever they might be biting. Another strength is just staying in good shape. I work out and eat right. That helps me stay focused and keeps me from getting fatigued on the water.
<p><strong>8. What is your greatest weakness as a bass angler?</strong> Swimbaits! If that bite's on, then I'm probably not going to be one of the guys doing it. The swimbait bite can be tricky. It can be good one day and stink up the joint the next.</p>
8. What is your greatest weakness as a bass angler? Swimbaits! If that bite’s on, then I’m probably not going to be one of the guys doing it. The swimbait bite can be tricky. It can be good one day and stink up the joint the next.
<strong>9. Where is your favorite place to fish for bass and why?</strong> Any place that isn't freezing cold. My hands don't do well in cold weather. I really like every type of body of water — tough, good, deep and clear, shallow and muddy, tidal rivers. It's a philosophy I adopted several years ago, and I truly believe in it. It helps me not get too pumped or too upset when I see the lakes on the schedule.
9. Where is your favorite place to fish for bass and why? Any place that isn’t freezing cold. My hands don’t do well in cold weather. I really like every type of body of water — tough, good, deep and clear, shallow and muddy, tidal rivers. It’s a philosophy I adopted several years ago, and I truly believe in it. It helps me not get too pumped or too upset when I see the lakes on the schedule.
<strong>10. What question do you get asked most by fans and how do you answer it?</strong>
10. What question do you get asked most by fans and how do you answer it? “How’d you get all those sponsors?” I always say that it took about four years of fishing out of my own pocket before I ever got one that wrote me a check. Then folks realize that it may not be as easy as it seems and definitely doesn’t happen overnight.
<p><strong>11. What's the biggest mistake you see from casual anglers?</strong> Not focusing on the fishing as much as they should be. Casual tournament anglers get wrapped up in sponsors or what rod they're using or what other guys are doing and don't focus on the fishing. If you do that, then the rest will take care of itself.</p>
11. What’s the biggest mistake you see from casual anglers? Not focusing on the fishing as much as they should be. Casual tournament anglers get wrapped up in sponsors or what rod they’re using or what other guys are doing and don’t focus on the fishing. If you do that, then the rest will take care of itself.
<strong>12. Do you have any fishing superstitions?</strong> I don't really believe in superstitions or luck, but I am a creature of habit. I have a daily routine for every tournament, and I like to have the same roommates and stay in the same kinds of places. This takes some of the variables out of tournaments and really simplifies your fishing. Routines help me not to forget the important things.
12. Do you have any fishing superstitions? I don’t really believe in superstitions or luck, but I am a creature of habit. I have a daily routine for every tournament, and I like to have the same roommates and stay in the same kinds of places. This takes some of the variables out of tournaments and really simplifies your fishing. Routines help me not to forget the important things.
<strong>13. How big a part does luck play in fishing?</strong> I'd say between five and 10 percent. The same guys get lucky every event and the same guys get unlucky at every event. The longer I fish the more I see that luck is not a huge factor. There are a million reasons for this. Some guys are good anglers, others can find fish well, and others do better homework than most.
13. How big a part does luck play in fishing? I’d say between five and 10 percent. The same guys get lucky every event and the same guys get unlucky at every event. The longer I fish the more I see that luck is not a huge factor. There are a million reasons for this. Some guys are good anglers, others can find fish well, and others do better homework than most.
<p><strong>14. What has been your greatest accomplishment in the fishing industry?</strong> My biggest achievement as an angler would have to be qualifying for eight Bassmaster Classics in a 10-year stretch and my Elite Series win on the California Delta in 2010. In the industry, being voted president of the PAA (Professional Anglers Association) is something that meant a lot to me. That says that my peers believe in me, I've got a good head on my shoulders, and that I'm looking out for the best interest of the guys.</p>
14. What has been your greatest accomplishment in the fishing industry? My biggest achievement as an angler would have to be qualifying for eight Bassmaster Classics in a 10-year stretch and my Elite Series win on the California Delta in 2010. In the industry, being voted president of the PAA (Professional Anglers Association) is something that meant a lot to me. That says that my peers believe in me, I’ve got a good head on my shoulders, and that I’m looking out for the best interest of the guys.
<strong>15. What goals have you yet to accomplish in your bass fishing career?</strong> I'm certainly happy to have won an Elite event, but I'm hungry to win another. I would also really like to win the Toyota Bassmaster Angler of the Year award. That would mean the most. I've finished high in the points standings, so I feel like I'm on the verge of being able to contend for AOY. The Bassmaster Classic would be nice, too, but it only comes around once a year, and it's hard to put yourself in position to win that.
15. What goals have you yet to accomplish in your bass fishing career? I’m certainly happy to have won an Elite event, but I’m hungry to win another. I would also really like to win the Toyota Bassmaster Angler of the Year award. That would mean the most. I’ve finished high in the points standings, so I feel like I’m on the verge of being able to contend for AOY. The Bassmaster Classic would be nice, too, but it only comes around once a year, and it’s hard to put yourself in position to win that.
<p><strong>16. What keeps you motivated to reach those goals?</strong> The fact that I haven't attained them yet. That makes me want them that much more. Sometimes there are things that keep you from being 100 percent focused on your fishing that are out of your control, but I'm making an effort to put more focus on my fishing. The Elite Series does that to you as the level of competition is ratcheted up. You have to get better each year to stay competitive. I feel that I'm getting better and think that the results will come.</p>
16. What keeps you motivated to reach those goals? The fact that I haven’t attained them yet. That makes me want them that much more. Sometimes there are things that keep you from being 100 percent focused on your fishing that are out of your control, but I’m making an effort to put more focus on my fishing. The Elite Series does that to you as the level of competition is ratcheted up. You have to get better each year to stay competitive. I feel that I’m getting better and think that the results will come.
<strong>17. What has been the greatest regret of your fishing career?</strong> I don't look too much in the rear-view mirror, but I learn from my experiences. I don't fret on any one decision, but there are those things in tournaments that you'd like to go back and change, but I don't consider those regrets. I try to learn from my mistakes and to improve. I try not to make the same mistakes again.
17. What has been the greatest regret of your fishing career? I don’t look too much in the rear-view mirror, but I learn from my experiences. I don’t fret on any one decision, but there are those things in tournaments that you’d like to go back and change, but I don’t consider those regrets. I try to learn from my mistakes and to improve. I try not to make the same mistakes again.
<strong>18. When you're not bass fishing, how do you like to spend your time?</strong> When I'm not at tournaments, I love spending time with my wife, daughters and stepson. They keep me busy. My company, Missile Baits, also consumes a lot of time, but it's enjoyable because it allows me to stay connected with the industry.
18. When you’re not bass fishing, how do you like to spend your time? When I’m not at tournaments, I love spending time with my wife, daughters and stepson. They keep me busy. My company, Missile Baits, also consumes a lot of time, but it’s enjoyable because it allows me to stay connected with the industry.
<strong>19. What profession (other than your own) would you like to have tried?</strong> If I wasn't a bass fisherman, I'd be an entrepreneur of some sort. I'd own one or two small businesses that dealt with investments and all kinds of stuff. I enjoy new challenges and have a lot of varied interests.
19. What profession (other than your own) would you like to have tried? If I wasn’t a bass fisherman, I’d be an entrepreneur of some sort. I’d own one or two small businesses that dealt with investments and all kinds of stuff. I enjoy new challenges and have a lot of varied interests.
<p><strong>20. When it's all over, how do you want people to remember you?</strong> As a fisherman who put his family first, who helped a lot of anglers catch a ton of fish and who could catch a few himself.</p>
20. When it’s all over, how do you want people to remember you? As a fisherman who put his family first, who helped a lot of anglers catch a ton of fish and who could catch a few himself.

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