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Angler Profile |
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This
article made possible by: To add to the list of Midwest anglers that you
have seen profiled here on FutureBass we would like to introduce
Center Point, Iowa pro, Thad Takes. We will get to Thad’s many
accomplishments quickly but I would like to first introduce Thad
Takes, the bass club angler. I first met Thad shortly after I moved to Iowa
about 4 years ago. To meet area anglers and to begin making friends I
attended and later joined a Federation club, Cedar Rapids Bassmasters.
Thad has been a long time member and it was clear from the beginning
he was very popular with the group. Initially, I felt this was simply
due to his fishing skills, which are top notch. I later began to
realize it was more likely due to his people skills. Thad is one of
the nicest people you will ever meet and if you have a chance to talk
with him or see him at an event you will see what I mean. He has time
to stop and talk to kids, answer questions or to give the youngsters
tips on how to catch ‘em. I have also seen Thad help out the newer
club anglers with tips on spots or techniques. Do not expect him to
give away the farm, but he does help these new tournament anglers
learn the ropes so they will enjoy the sport. All right, now we will move on to a list of
Thad’s impressive accomplishments. This, by the way, is just a
sample of his many achievements. For a more detailed list or to see
more about Thad in general visit his website at http://www.thadtakes.com.
Thad truly lived the dreams many of us have had of moving from club level to the Bassmaster Classic. Then after impressive finishes both there and at the Busch Shootout he joined the Bassmaster Tour for the 2005 season. While Thad admits he did not perform as well as he would have liked, he still thinks he made the right decision in leaving his job to follow the dream. If you have been following the Bassmaster Elite Series you may have noticed that, even though Thad qualified, his name is absent from the roster. Thad says that there are a couple of reasons for this. The biggest is that with the changes that occurred this year with BASS he was not prepared with the right amount of sponsorship. He says last year it cost roughly $30,000 to fish the tour but this year it would cost him about $90,000. As you can see that is a big difference in the amount of sponsorship dollars needed. So he is spending his time at home working and pursuing new sponsorship deals. We talked briefly about the BASS Northern Tour and the Stren Series but he was uncertain if he would fish these this year or possibly take the year off and concentrate on gathering the sponsorship to join the Elite Series next year. He did say we would see him in area open tournaments and in the Bassmaster Weekend Series as this will allow him to still compete but save money and stay close to home to help him prepare for next year. I also asked Thad general questions about his fishing preferences and here are his answers. Angling Hero-He listed several but seemed most drawn to the guys that have proven to be class acts and who have stood the test of time such as Kevin VanDam and Denny Brauer. Favorite Bait/Tactic-Thad’s style seems to be much like KVD. He prefers throwing a Blue Shad War Eagle spinnerbait around shallow cover like stumps, rocks, grass or deadfall. Favorite Water-This will come as no surprise to any bass fisherman in Iowa. Thad loves the Mississippi River. It seems even Guntersville did not sway him from listing the Mississippi as his favorite. Thad is sponsored by: Triton Boats, Mercury,
Motorguide, Talon, War Eagle Custom Lures, Lowrance Electronics,
Crescent Electric, Square D Electronics, Quantum Rods and Reels, G.O.T
Outdoors, Pure Fishing, Iowa Bass Federation & Cedar Rapids
Bassmasters. |
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