The depth of the brotherhood between Stetson Blaylock and Micah Frazier goes beyond this trivia fact. At the tender age of 21, Blaylock became the youngest pro ever to win an FLW Tour event, which he did in 2009. Meanwhile, Frazier joined the FLW Tour at age 20, after a strong showing in the BFL events.
Blaylock, 32, and Frazier, 31, have blazed a hot trail since beginning their careers during their 20s. If that is any indication of what the future holds, then it looks bright for both anglers.
Blaylock, of Benton, Ark., won an FLW Tour Co-Angler of the Year title the same year he won the BFL. He has amassed more than $1 million in career winnings, spent eight years on the FLW Tour, then qualified for the Bassmaster Elite Series in 2017. This season, he won the event on Winyah Bay after finishing second on Lake Hartwell the previous week. That was part reason why Blaylock finished second in the 2019 Toyota Bassmaster Angler of the Year race.
Frazier won a BFL at the age of 16 on West Point Lake, near his home in Newnan, Ga. He fished the FLW Tour and then made a pivotal career-changing move. He took a shot at the Bassmaster Northern Opens in 2014, never intending to qualify for the Elite Series. In the first try, he did anyway and qualified for the Bassmaster Classic in his rookie season. Frazier won the Elite Series event on the St. Lawrence River in 2019 and has qualified for the 50th Bassmaster Classic coming up during March 2020.
Here is more about these young superstars of the Bassmaster Elite Series.
How did you meet?
Stetson: We met on the FLW Tour years ago, and we just kind of started a friendly relationship. He qualified for the Elite Series a few years before I did, and we stayed in touch. We’ve gotten a lot closer since I moved over three years ago.
Micah: We fished FLW Tour together for a number of years.
What made you decide to be running mates?
Stetson: We are kind of different while being one in the same. By that I mean that Micah is more laid back than me. We also fish the same and stick to ourselves a lot. We are in the same stage of life. I’ve got two little kids and he’s got a newborn, so it’s good. We just have a lot in common.
Micah: I value having someone who I can trust. It doesn’t matter what he tells me. I can take it to the bank that it’s truth.
How do you work together?
Stetson: The most important thing, and I read this in the other articles, is the transparency and honesty out here on the water. We both share that. No matter what it is, a hook, bait, pattern or technique, we share it. It doesn’t matter if it’s our best kept secret, each of us knows what is going on. We are not in the dark. It just works better that way.
Micah: We share everything and respect each other. If one of us finds something that is big enough to share, then we do. We also don’t go fish each other’s water without first talking about it. It helps being able to trust someone out here on the trail.
What drives him to compete?
Stetson: Micah will tell you that he never gets fired up about it, but deep down inside he really is that way. He’s just a different guy when it comes time to perform. It’s his desire to win.
Micah: He just loves it. Is very competitive and likes making the top 10s.
What’s he like without the game face?
Stetson: We got to go with his family down to Florida for a week’s vacation. I learned there is a lot more to him than what we get to see out here on the tournament trail. A lot of times out here it’s just business. We come to the tournament, practice three days, compete four days and then go home. When you get to spend a week with someone away from the tournament scene, then you really get to see how they are, how they live. He’s just a great guy.
Micah: He’s a good family guy, really likes spending time with his wife and kids.
What do you admire about him?
Stetson: His values. We share a lot of the same values. To have a lot in common and be able to trust someone like him is admirable. I would trust him with my life, my kids, anything that I have.
Micah: His family values. I’ve gotten to know him at that level. He’s just a good dude to know.
