What Truck, Boat and Outboard does Donnie run?

Skeeter/Yamaha/Ford

My Sponsors

What Donnie does for a living:

Retail-Assistant Store Manager for Lowe’s. 

What you should know about Donnie:

I am very basic guy that is down too earth as they come.   I love my family and i love fishing.   Those 2 things are what make me who I am.  

How Donnie started fishing

Started bass fishing as a teenager with my dad.  Fished my first bass tournament when i was in high school.  Have been addicted ever since.  

Aspirations or goals with fishing

We all have dreams to become a Bassmaster elite fisherman which is what mine is.   However I also live in the real world where I have a family at home I have too support.  So my goal right now in life is too fish as many local tournaments as I can and give 110% in them.  The ABA AFT trail is perfect for me.  It allows me to fish a tournament trail that doesnt take me away from my family.  If the opportunity to advance into tournaments too qualify to become an elite series angler ever comes up I will pursue them.  Right now my family is first and its my responsibility to take care of them first.  

Favorite way to fish

My strength is fishing shallow cover by way of flipping/pitching.  I also enjoy fishing shallow water with the “chunking and winding” method to cover as much water as possible when the fish are in transition period during the pre and post spawn.

Most exciting fishing experience

The best day of fishing I ever had was a day i never caught a fish.  It was the day where a routine fishing trip with what was my girlfriend at the time agreed to be my wife. 

How Donnie preps for a tournament

After scouting for a tournament and getting basic knowledge of the venue I will be fishing,  I like too go sit in boat by myself and gather my thoughts.  Reflect back on how my day went.  If i have the fish dialed in i keep my presentation that im using as simple as possible and not overthink things.  If I am still struggling to find a pattern then i choose baits that will cause a reaction bite an i will look to cover as much water as possible.  I also keep this very simple because the more i tend too overthink things the more complicated I make it for myself.

Three favorite search baits

Swimbait, lipless crank bait, jig

Best tournament finish and what you did that day when you were fishing.

Most challenging part of tournament fishing

When conditions have changed from practice and being able to be open minded during the tournament by knowing at what point to make adjustments. 

When tournaments don't go my way

Forget about it and move on.  If I have done everything in my mind that I thought was right, fished clean, made good decisions and it doesnt work out then it just wasnt my turn.  If I have a bad tournament and felt like I didnt prepare enough and made bad decisions, then its my fault and I simply just gotta decompress, gather my thoughts and learn from it.  

Advice to give to an aspiring tournament angler:

Fish how you like too and do what you are confident in.   Don’t be the guy who wants to fish like the other guy because he “said” he caught em a certain way.   The best bait in the tackle box is your own instincts.  Trust them and always fish with confidence.

Some shared general bass fishing techniques for people just getting into the sport

The best technique in this sport is confidence.  If you are positive and have confidence you will have success.