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St. Louis, MO. – According to 46-year-old Elite Series pro Mark Tucker, 2007 has been a mediocre season for him. The reason is simple, he has cashed seven paychecks, earning $100,000, but he is currently out of position to accomplish his primary objective.
Behind the Curve
Despite better than average season earnings, a 2nd place finish at Lake Guntersville, and 5th place finish at the Bassmaster American; Tucker is in 61st place in the Toyota Tundra Bassmaster Angler of the Year standings; 146 points out of position to qualify for the Bassmaster Classic.
“I was talking to Rick Pierce (Tucker’s sponsor at Bass Cat Boats) the other day and remarked how difficult it can be to make the Classic,” Tucker said. “One fish at each tournament could be the difference between being in, and being out; that’s what makes that much the loftier a goal.”
With 10 of 11 events completed in the 2007 Elite Series season Tucker realizes that time is short to accomplish his goal. “Financially it has been a pretty good year,” Tucker told The BASS ZONE. “But make no mistake about it, we are all here to qualify for the Classic, and I’ve got a lot of work to do to get there, and only one event to do it in.”
That final event is just under one month away at Lake Tohopekaliga in Kissimmee, Fla. and Tucker realizes that he has one more chance to qualify to make the trip to South Carolina, at he is going to have to be on top of his game. “I pretty much need a top 5 at Toho to get in,” said Tucker. “But it’s not going to be easy, because Florida and I don’t always get along real well; but I will give it all I have down there.”
A Major Highlight
A bright spot for Tucker is the upcoming major at Lake Dardanelle in Arkansas. Having qualified for the Bassmaster Legends, Tucker gets a chance to compete on a body of water that has been kind to him in the past. “I’ve won a couple of tournaments there, and am really excited about going down there to compete,” Tucker said. “I know this, “I will be rubbing Peter T’s belly a little bit for good luck.” |
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In saying that, Tucker is jokingly referring to the way that his friend and travel partner Peter Thliveros has seemingly stepped up for the majors. “We all joke about rubbing his belly,” Tucker laughed. “Kenyon Hill, Bernie Schultz and I all want some of his luck in the majors to rub off on us.”
Luck aside, Tucker said that there will be more than one way to catch fish at Dardanelle. “I anticipate that there will be a ledge pattern, a topwater pattern, and some sort of a shallow grass pattern,” Tucker said. “It’s not going to be easy, but it will probably take 32 pounds to make the top 12 cut.”
Tucker also said that BASS was saving the best for last, as the Illinois Bayou portion of the lake will be the six hole portion for the final two days. “I think the best fishing on the lake will be in that section,” said Tucker. “So, it is possible that the weights could go up after the cut, and I hope I am there to take part in it; I’ve won some tournaments out of there.”
“If I had to pick five guys right now that I think have a chance at winning at Dardanelle,” Tucker said. “I would have to say Kenyon (Hill), Brian Snowden, Mike McClelland, Peter T and Kevin Van Dam. Kenyon, Brian and Mike all have experience here, Pete has been on a roll in majors, and Kevin is just really good at this sort of lake in these types of conditions.”
What’s Next
Should Tucker not make it into the Classic; he will turn his attention to the 2008 season, to planning and fundraising. “The length of our schedule can make it tough for some of us to augment our living by doing other things,” Tucker said. “I used to fish regional Pro-Ams between Tour Events to make extra money, but our schedule doesn’t allow for too many of those anymore, so we turn our attention to working with sponsors.”
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Competing for business partners; like knocking heads on the water, is not always an easy thing. As a result, Tucker finds himself funding the majority of his year himself. “I have some great sponsors, people that I am very grateful for,” he said. “However, I’m still trying to find a partner that will build a long term relationship with me and our sport like some of the other guys have.” |
The former bodybuilder said that he needs to budget around $100,000 a year to pay for his household expenses, and competing on the Elite Series. “There are some guys making a very good living out here, and they deserve it,” Tucker said. “But, there are the other guys; like me, still working to keep it together out here from year to year.”
“People like Rick (Pierce of Bass Cat Boats), and the guys at Tru-Tungsten and Picasso, Mercury, Lowrance, Gamma Line and Plano help keep me competing,” he said. “But, I still pay the majority of the expenses out of my own pocket, and have been fortunate enough to earn enough income to keep doing it.”
“I will take a look at everything after Toho and make my plans for next year,” he said. “I will say this, to look at my statistics, I have been able to accomplish quite a lot in this sport, and I take pride in what I am doing, and want to build on what I’ve been able to do.”
By the Numbers
Tucker has a total of 100 entries into BASS competition, he has finished in the money 51 times. His total earnings heading into the Bassmaster Legends is $462,741.66 (an average earnings of $4627.42 per tournament). He has competed in six Bassmaster Classics, with his highest finish being an 8th place in 1998.
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