ESPN Classic

Question: Does the home-field jinx mean anything to you?

Answer: "I haven't been paying attention to all of that stuff actually, but I'm hoping the favorite (Terry Scroggins) is going to have a lot of company. I hope that works in my favor."

Q: How much of an advantage do you really have?

A: "These fish are awfully spooky. Not only the pressure of the professional fisherman, but there is a local tournament here almost every weekend. And then you add the spectators everywhere on top of that, so the fish are going to be very finicky.

"I've grown up in that environment in central Florida and north Florida, and I think I know how to sneak up on them with a stealth approach. At this time of year you go out of state and the fish don't have any pressure on them because its cold and nobody is fishing. People go hunting or don't go on the water for four or five months, but fish here are pressured all year long.

"This state is an outdoor state; we've got golfing year-round and fishing year-round, so they never get a break."

Q: You are showing up on a lot of fantasy teams and, in the midst of prediction talk to win the CITGO Bassmaster Classic, how does that make you feel?

A: "I'm excited about it. Last year when I was in the Classic, sometimes I would sit back and read my name in the standings and newspaper articles and say to myself, is that really me? I've been fishing my entire life and I absolutely love it, and it's just an honor to be mentioned with a lot of these big names out here. When the fans recognize it, it really makes you feel good."

Q: You mentioned the Classic last year in Pittsburgh, where you finished 15th. How beneficial is it for you to already have one under the belt?

A: "Last year I was a bit overwhelmed by all the requirements we had outside of fishing with the media and all the meetings. I was a little unprepared then, but I paced myself a little more this time. Last year I was not only worried about trying to fish the Classic, I was also trying to promote myself to sponsors at the Expo. This year I'm not having to do that. I've been resting a lot, as well."

Q: You're going to have a ton of locals out here cheering for you and supporting you on and off the water; is that going to be helpful or will it be a distraction?

A: "I'm going to block it out. Totally block it out. That is the one gift I think everybody here has — focus. You really have to block everything in your surroundings out and focus on exactly what you're doing at that exact second to really have a chance to win."

Q: If you had to assign a numerical value on your chances of winning the Classic, what are your odds?

A: "I would say somewhere around 5 to 1, maybe even a little better than that like 4 to 1. I like my chances, I really do. I've found fish in several different patterns, four so far. If one pattern falls off, maybe I can catch them on another. Two of my patterns I've got are really small fish. If I change my pattern, it will be due to either how the other anglers are performing or the wind."

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