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Yes he does! And so does his bro, who finished 3rd in the AOY points last year and had 2 dang wins! Wanted to get with him too but he's out messing around on the Stick Marsh so here we go with Chris:
1. After your AOY win last year, what are you shooting for this season?
> "First thing I shoot for going into every season, my goal is to make the Bassmaster Classic. But the other thing in the back of my mind is to have a chance at AOY. Going into the first tournament you can't win it, but you can definitely lose it in the first tournament. So just to be consistent all year."
2. Since you won an Elite in 2020, you've had 16 top 10 finishes including 4 last year and also 4 2nds. That's pretty dang stout man, but how do you feel about that record so far?
> "It's good, but I'd like to turn a couple of those 2nds into some 1sts because there's a big pay gap between 1st and 2nd."
3. You, your brother, Gussy – Canadians have been winning a disproportionate amount of stuff given how few of you are on the Elites. Why do you think that is?
> "We need to win them to afford to live in Canada because it's so expensive here! [Laughs] We have to pay the bills.
> "The fishermen in Canada, there's some very good anglers. But we've never been able to do it full-time because the fishing season is so short and the sponsorships are not available – or the platforms to fish on in Canada – to do it for a living.
> "...you're seeing the top Canadian anglers going down and doing it, and having good luck.
> "Believe it or not, the lakes where we grew up are actually very diversified. There's a lot of vegetation, there's a lot of great largemouth lakes that honestly almost look like FL. Within an hour of my house, and a lot of these other Canadian anglers, you can fish all kinds of different lakes that are similar to lakes across the US.
> "They're all natural – that's the one thing that is a little different is the reservoirs. Like fishing largemouth with no grass in a lake, or very little."
Foller-up: Are there more fishermen as good as you guys up there?
> "[Laughs] You're putting it on me. As of right now, I don't think so but I bet you in the next few years there's gonna be another up and comer that'll start giving me a lesson on my home lake. There's always going to be someone that figures out something new and starts dominating.
> "For a while it was us, then Cooper [Gallant] started dominating. We knew...it'd just be an amount of time before he made it, and sure enough he did it and he's having success. I don't think it'll be very long til another one of those guys comes along."
4. You and your brother played hockey and lacrosse – did you ever body check anyone in a bass tournament, figuratively speaking? 😁
> "No, I never have, no. Fishing's a little different ballgame than lacrosse or hockey. There's a lot more politics in fishing and you have sponsors to worry about. So you kinda have to have a different mentality.
> "There are times you want to, but we're not even allowed to swear as anglers."
5. Baitcasting techniques like flipping and skipping take a lot of skill with a rod and reel to do well in tournaments with 'em. Do any spinning techniques take a lot of skill with a rod and reel?
> "No I would not compare the two. I feel like a spinning rod is a much easier technique than skipping a jig under a dock and you've got a 2-inch hole to slide it in there.
> "...the big thing with a spinning rod nowadays is being able to be accurate with the combination of a spinning rod and a LiveScope unit. Putting that bait in front of the fish is the biggest key. So having the right angles, your casting at distance – right now that's the biggest thing with a spinning rod. And that's a combination of using your electronics and the rod."
Bonus Q: Any new baits or anything else coming out that you helped design?
> "I have a swim-jig with SPRO that's been out for a few years. It's killer in grass lakes. I also have a fluoro flipping jig for around wood and heavier grass. Other than that, right now no."
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