Matt Arey and Scott Canterbury have won more than $2 million in their veteran pro angling careers — including an impressive collection of tour-level tournaments. The two comical class acts are now roommates on the Bassmaster Elite Series, and they took a moment to share what fans can expect to take place on Alabama’s largest and arguably most famous reservoir when the event kicks off Friday morning.
Q: It’s been six weeks since the last Elite Series tournament. What’s the coolest thing you did during that time?
Canterbury: Caught a bunch of saltwater fish, including a 21-pound Snapper, on a trip to Orange Beach, AL.
Arey: Watched my daughter Reese graduate from kindergarten.
Q: How many 25-pound limits or bigger will be weighed-in on Day 1.
Canterbury: Two
Arey: One
Q: What’s your favorite thing about Lake Guntersville?
Canterbury: It’s close to home, and you can catch bass here from 3 to 25 feet deep on a variety of patterns.
Arey: The duck hunting. I discovered how many ducks call this place home during a winter bass tournament years ago, and my buddies and I have made several annual trips here to hunt gadwalls, canvasbacks and other species.
Q: Name four lures fans can expect Elite Series pros to throw a lot this week.
Canterbury: Deep crankbait, 11” NetBait C-Mac worm, 6” swimbait, Drop Shot.
Arey: Football jig, deep crankbait, 6” flutter spoon, hair jig.
Q: What will surprise fans most about this tournament?
Canterbury: How several pros will be fishing the same spots.
Arey: Agree. A lot of guys will be fishing for the same exact schools of fish.
Q: You were asked to choose one lure that’s applicable to Guntersville for the photo. Why did you choose a jig?
Canterbury: Because I can fish a 5/8 ounce Matt Herren jig from Dirty Jigs with a Net Bait trailer as a pitchin’ lure, or drag it on the bottom out deep just about anywhere on this lake.
Arey: I chose a ¾ Titan Tungsten football jig to drag around the deeper schools of bass. It’s a prototype with a skirt that’s hand-tied in Cleveland County, NC where “Knobby” the Sasquatch lives.