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Fairfax Va. – For Elite Series pro Kurt Dove, the 2007 season has been an up and down affair. But, like any true professional, Dove sees the season as a series of successes, with a little bit of learning mixed in. Dove caught up with BASS ZONE before the recent Elite Series stop at Smith Mountain, and gave us a little insight to his 2007 season, and told us about two new partners on “Team Dove”
“I feel pretty good about the season thus far,” Dove said. “I’ve fished pretty well overall; in fact, I’m one or two good finishes away from being in contention to make the Classic”
[BZ Note: Dove wound up The Blue Ridge Brawl at Smith Mountain Lake in 30th place, and was able to get closer to contention in the Toyota Tundra Bassmaster Angler of the Year Race. He started the event in 88th place, but is now in 69th with 917 points – 192 points out of the final Classic qualifying position].
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Dove’s
season is marked by what he says are
two bad fishing days. “I had bad
first days at Clark’s Hill and
Guntersville that really cost me,”
the 34-year-old pro said. “Aside
from those two days, I’ve really
fished pretty well this year, I’m
just going to keep competing and see
how it ends up.” |
Dove
is one of the few anglers on the Elite
Series roster that hold down a full time
job, and while he says that having a place
to earn a living between tournaments is
nice; it can also be a catch-22 type
situation. “Vaxcom is great to me,”
he said. “They give me the flexibility
to chase my dream, but it also keeps me
from fully marketing myself.”
Dove reported that his company, a Government Contract Security Firm in Fairfax, allows him to take as many weeks off as he needs, but he doesn’t know how long it will last. “I can’t complain, they are behind me completely, but I know that it will eventually come to an end,” he continued. “They will eventually need to have someone focused on that position before too long, so it will be time for me to go full time.”
When that time comes, it might be considered a blessing. “Knowing I have a chance to earn a living at home might actually be getting in the way of my fishing career,” Dove reported. “Having this catch net distract me form working to establish new relationships with sponsors.”
With that said, Dove has recently reached agreements with two new sponsors; Powell Rods and Vicious Fishing. “I am really excited about them,” Dove exclaimed. “I had one Powell rod, and I was using it all of the time because I liked it so much, so when I was given the opportunity I jumped at it.”
Vicious Fishing gives him a comfort level with his fishing line. “I’ve always used a broad variety of lines,” he said. “With Vicious, I know what to expect throughout the whole product line; add the lures they are working to build, and I’m very excited to be here. It’s cool to be with companies who are making marks on the industry, like Powell and Vicious.”
For more on Kurt Dove and his entire sponsorship team, visit his website at www.kurtdove.com
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