Drew Haerer has a passion for the outdoors--fishing, specifically kayak fishing, in particular. I first met Drew at the 2011 Riverbassin' Tournament Trail Finale in Roanoke, VA. I was there representing the Texas Division and we were both competing for the title of Riverbasser of the Year. We talked for a short time there, and have continued our conversations on bass fishing, river fishing, kayak fishing, conservation, and numerous other passions since.
Recently I had the opportunity to fish with Drew for two days, on two different rivers here in the Texas Hill Country. He came down in pursuit of the Guadalupe Bass, a small fish that he needed in his "Quest for the Bass Slam." After spending time with him, I can honestly say that he is a great guy and a very knowledgeable angler. His blog, Man Powered Fishing, is something I read regularly.
I was able to track down Drew for an interview, prodding his brain to learn why and how he does what he does. Here are the results of the interview:
Pat Kellner: When did you start fishing? How and why did you start? Was there one person that introduced you and really got you hooked on the sport?
Drew Haerer: I started fishing when I was a kid--probably 6 or 7 years old. I grew up in a very small, rural town with a population of about 175 people. I quickly learned that I would rather be outside than inside, so the creek next to my house was where I spent most of my free time. My friends were also big into fishing and as I got older, my dad started to fish more and more. Now he is addicted too.
PK: You seem to enjoy all sorts of fishing, but I know you like to fish rivers. When did you start river fishing and why?
DH: I remember my first ever river trip. I was about 12 years old and had fished plenty of local creeks before, but this was a big deal. My dad had started fishing the Susquehanna River with a good friend of the family and after a few trips they invited me. At that point in time, the Susquehanna was an unreal fishery. I caught a pile of smallies on a 3" purple grub and was hooked forever.
PK: What other types of water do you fish? Do you enjoy fishing other waters as much as river?
DH: Rivers are definitely my favorites, although i do enjoy a good creek crawl. however, if I get the chance to go, I don't discriminate--lakes, ponds, puddles...I just love to be on the water.
PK: I know you are aiming to catch your Bass Slam, and you are doing it all from rivers. What got you going with this, and when and why did you decide to chase the slam?
DH: I actually stumbled upon the phrase "Bass Slam" in a forum last winter, and then Googled it to find out more. It sounded awesome, and it seemed like only a couple people had ever done it exclusively from a kayak. I thought it would be an amazing adventure, so I decided to make it happen. Thankfully, it did, and it has totally lived up to the expectations.
DH: That is really tough. I will have to chicken out and go with a top three, in no particular order. The Santa Fe River in Florida was amazing. I fell in love with that little gem. The Flint River in Georgia just has so much history...and of course the shoal bass. And, the Texas Hill Country Rivers were just all around awesome--the fishing, scenery, and wildlife was all top notch.
PK: Do you have any good stories to tell, from these trips, that stand out in your mind?
DH: I've got a couple gator stories. Some folks will probably laugh at me for this, but I was nervous about fishing around gators. I had never done it before and of course day one in Florida and not Fifty yards down the bank I see a big tail slide into the water about twenty feet away. It is barely light out at this point. I look down and my hands are shaking. My frog had some extra action to it for sure. Then about an hour later I am starting to feel more comfortable when I look over and see a twelve plus footer disappear under the water. Thankfully, we had no major encounters on day one other than a baby gator that wanted to eat my frog later in the day. Of course, on day two we were headed to a different river. The water was much cooler and it didn't seem like a gator type of place, but I had seen pictures online of gators in that river. About an hour into the float, Bill Kohls (who did the Slam with me) dropped his GoPro into a pool that was about 7 feet deep. We were both nervous for him to go down and get it, but he did the fastest entry, camera rescue, and re-entry I have ever seen. It turns out, the gators in that river are much further down river than where we were.
PK: Has there been one specific fish that was your favorite to catch during this quest? Which one, and why?
DH: It was definitely the Suwannee bass. They are smart fish, they pull super hard, and they live in some beautiful places.
PK: Do you ever fish from "power boats," or is everything you do man-powered?
DH: I do, actually. Again, I just love being on the water. If I get to share some time outdoors with friends and family, I will take it any way I can get it. My dad has a bass boat, so when I visit him in Pennsylvania we might take it out for a day, if we aren't wading somewhere. Also, Bill has a power boat, and we take it out from time to time. Actually, when I first met Bill, he didn't kayak fish at all. he started going with me and eventually fishing tournaments with (we won the Riverbassin Team crown last year.) In exchange, I fished a few bass boat tourneys with him. We did pretty well there too.
PK: In your opinion, what is the best all around solo craft that you have fished from?
DH: Ya know, that is tough because there are so many great boats out there and I haven't paddled them all. But, I have to go with the one I currently sit my butt in, and that is the Malibu Kayaks Stealth 12. It is stable, maneuverable, tracks well, has great storage, and is fairly fast. I have done some crazy stuff in that boat this year, and it has met the challenge time after time. I just with they were easier to find in shops nationwide, but hopefully that changes in the near future.
PK: So, you fish tournaments. Do you enjoy them?
DH: I do enjoy fishing tournaments, but in moderation. A couple years ago, I fished a bunch of tournaments and was completely burnt out by the end of it. So now, I cut back, and it works much better for me. I only fished four or five this year (all charity events), and that number felt about right. Typically, I would much rather spend a free Saturday and an entry fee traveling somewhere a little further from home for an adventure on new water with friends and family.
PK: Ok, now it's time to spill the beans, and I think I know your answer to this question already. Fish Tattoo is a Kayak Fishing blog, that is dedicated to bass fishing and river fishing as well, so...lets get into River Bass Fishing tips. If you could only fish one technique or lure for river bass for the rest of your life, what would it be and why? Would you say that you could always catch at least a few fish this way?
DH: Haha, there is one technique that I always keep up my sleeve, so to speak. I love to throw cranks, buzzbaits, and spinnerbaits, but when the bite just isn't hot, I immediately pick up my finesse rod. There is almost always a 5" stick worm rigged weightless on the end. The thing is, I don't love throwing that bait, but it always produces a few fish--especially when the bite gets extra though.
PK: Any good tips for targeting monster bass in the river?
DH: A lot of folks would probably say throw big baits. There is certainly some truth to that, but chucking a big swimbait all day also means getting a third of the strikes you would on other baits over the course of the day. I like to have to have the best of both worlds. So, I think the key is being able to recognize the most likely spots where a big fish would be. That is when you pick up the bigger bait. Of course, this is easier on some rivers than others.
PK: I love to river fish, but I often still fish lakes. I pretty much live on Lake Amistad. In your opinion, how is fishing a river different from a lake? Do the fish behave differently in a small river than in a larger body of water?
DH: I fish rivers and lakes with totally different approaches, but I focus on the same keys--temperature, water temperature, clarity, wind patterns, cover, current, forage, etc. Unless you hit a cold snap, you can almost always find fish shallow in lakes. So, I typically start shallow and move deeper as needed. In rivers, it is easier to fish a variety of cover and structure in a short amount of time, and then hone in on what is working. But, in both situations, I try to relate my fishing to odds and statistics. I want to try to maximize my efforts at all times, and put myself in situations that have the greatest likelihood of catching fish. So, based on the conditions I am presented with, I come up with a plan that I think best utilizes my time on the water and adjust as needed over the course of the day. Actually, since I started approaching fishing from a pseudo-mathematical standpoint a few years ago, I have become a much better fisherman and find that I waste much less time in areas that aren't as productive or with techniques that aren't working.
PK: Other than bass, what other species of fish do you enjoy catching?
DH: If it pulls, I like catching it. I think stripers put up incredible fights. I think big trout bowed up on the end of a fly rod is a thing of beauty. And, I really enjoy dropping baits for big crappie and catfish in the winter. I need to do more saltwater fishing as well. That is on my list of goals in 2013.
Continue to Part 2
Other Interviews of Interest:
Interview with Andy Cameron
Interview with Tray Collins
Interview with Drew Gregory
Interview with Jim Dolan
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