By Luigi De Rose
A week after Cliff Pace was crowned the
BASSMASTER CLASSIC champion, IBASSIN.com had an opportunity to
chat with him. In an attempt to learn more about the mild mannered pro from
Mississippi, this portion of the interview focuses on Cliff Pace the person and
angler and the effects of winning the Classic.
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| Cliff Pace Wins. (Photos: BASS) |
At 32 years of age, Pace has three BASS
wins to his credit. Both of his prior victories occurred at Central BASS Opens.
The Classic win on Grand Lake was his first Tour victory on the Elite circuit.
He has 4 second place finishes, two during the 2012 season, and has
earned just over $1.2 million with BASS. Many people
close to Cliff feel that the Classic was a breakout tournament and expect many
great achievements from him in the near future.
IBASSIN
First of all, congratulations on the
Classic win. Many past winners have stated that, “the Classic will change
your life.” It’s been a week, how much has changed?
Cliff Pace
Thanks! Winning has not really changed
much of anything. It’s added to my life. My schedule is very busy.
Winning has given opportunities. Opportunities for my friends, family and
sponsors to enjoy the Classic win. It has given me a great chance to appreciate
all of them (sponsors, friends and family) and let them celebrate the win and
given them a chance to shine.
IBASSIN
How
has the response been of you winning?
Cliff
Pace
I
have had hundreds of emails, calls and people congratulating me. So many people
have mentioned how proud they were of me for being me. I am not the kind of guy
to go crazy and throw my shoes into the crowd during the Classic. I am not that
kind of person.
IBASSIN
At the Classic, during the press
conference you said that deep, rocky lakes were foreign to you when you first
started out. Being from Mississippi, where 5 feet is deep, is this win, outside
the fact that it is the Classic, more special?
Cliff Pace
When I first started out,
cold, deep water was new to me. Early in my career, those lakes were a struggle
so I focused on trying to improve on these types of lakes. Anytime an angler is
facing a struggle, it’s best to take
the time and just fish. Time on the water is the key to working on a
weakness. This win is very special but not more special because it was on
Grand.
IBASSIN
How old were you when you realized that
professional bass fishing was the profession for you?
Cliff Pace
It’s always been a passion. All the
pros (at that time) were my childhood heroes and I watched BASSMASTERS TV shows
all the time. It was my favorite. Being out there and fishing is all I
want to do.
IBASSIN
Who has been your mentor(s) in fishing?
Cliff Pace
I have had lots of mentors. Many
anglers have shared their knowledge with me. There are so many I cannot name
just one. All their knowledge is part of who I am as a person and angler. I try
to share with others. It’s something that has shaped me as a person.
For the last few years, Gary Klein and
Mark Davis have helped me on tour. They both have a lot of experience and we
all share when it comes to fishing. I’ve benefited more from their knowledge
than they have from mine but we all share. One thing that all anglers can
benefit from is to learn from people. It is always best to learn from 3 or 4
anglers than fishing with just one person. You can learn a lot from others and
that will help your fishing.
IBASSIN
Explain to the fans what happens behind
the scenes when the Classic anglers are waiting to weigh in. Explain your
emotions as you waited for your turn to enter the arena.
Cliff Pace
Back
stage is a busy place. It’s also very exciting. All the anglers are talking to
each other or with the media. Plus we are watching the leader board.
For
me, I am a huge fan of the Classic and I want to see how my friends are doing.
I want to see how high they finish and what they got. I am not checking people
off my list. It’s not like that. I am just watching and seeing how the Classic
was unfolding.
We
(the Classic competitors) don’t really talk about what we have caught because
you really don’t know what we have. On the last day of the Classic I thought I
had 10 pounds. I was worried that I might not have enough. You just never
really know.
I
knew I left the door open and that made the wait grueling. A few guys had a
good shot at winning so the wait was just terrible. Yeah, it’s really grueling.
While interviewing Cliff, it became
evident that he loves to fish. We all do but the shear enjoyment of just
fishing has never left him. It is not about acting wild for the TV cameras or
selling the next lure. Cliff really enjoys fishing and the challenge of
figuring out how to catch them. He is an avid bow hunter and enjoys all
elements of the outdoors. You get a sense that the Classic will not change
his true character. Cliff Pace is very grounded and appreciative of his
sponsors, family, fellow competitors and the honor that comes with
winning the Classic.
Part 2 will be coming shortly.
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