(Editors Note: During Day 1 of the 2019 Academy Sports + Outdoors Bassmaster Elite Series Tournament at Lake Guntersville, we caught up with Garrett Paquette and climbed into his boat while he was working on upgrading a solid limit of largemouth bass. During our visit, we learned more about the dedicated young angler, and why he loves this sport.)
Bass fishing has a way of humbling you. The minute you think you have it all figured out, a pattern will die for no reason, or worse the fish just quit biting altogether.
“There’s always something to learn, and I’ve committed to being the kind of angler who adapts rather than getting stuck on a few select techniques to catch bass,” Garrett Paquette of Canton, Mich., said. “I make it a goal to learn something new every time I hit the water, which is one of the things I love about bass fishing. I refuse to get stuck in my ways.”
After growing up near to legendary smallmouth factory Lake St. Clair in Detroit, Paquette said fishing big derbies on big water taught him a lot about northern smallmouth — and he loves to do that. But it was the smaller reservoirs near his home that were critical in helping him prepare to fish southern waters.
“Belleview Lake is not an easy fishery,” he said. “In fact, learning how to catch bass from a tough, dirty reservoir helped me realize that an open-minded approach is required on the same type of lakes the Elite Series visits every year. I love to catch bass as much as anyone, but I had to goal to become a professional and I loved the challenge offered by Belleview and Kent lakes.”
His goals were to master multiple techniques that he could use across a large spectrum of different fisheries. The 24-year-old competed in the Opens for three years before earning a spot on the Bassmaster Elite Series roster, and his theory in training seems to be paying off.
At the time of the 2019 Academy Sports + Outdoors Bassmaster Elite Series Tournament at Lake Guntersville, Paquette was in 27th place in the Toyota Bassmaster Angler of the Year race, and fifth place in the Rookie of the Year race. With the Northern Swing headed to familiar fisheries that suit his style, Paquette will likely only climb the AOY and ROY leaderboards.
He is coming off of a very strong second-place finish at the 2019 Toyota Bassmaster Texas Fest benefiting Texas Parks & Wildlife Department. At that event, he crested the coveted “century mark” with 101 pounds and 15 ounces. A feat most anglers never accomplish.
“I watch the AOY race, but I don’t let it dominate my mind,” he said. “As important as those points are, its more about me and the fish. If I’ve done everything I can, fished as hard as I possibly can and don’t become complacent, then I’ll be happy with myself.”
Having said that, Paquette is extremely focused on winning.
“I grew up playing hockey, and my high school team was one of the best in the country,” he explained. “In that case, a good season out of 70 games we might lose 10 or less. In tournament bass fishing, if you win 10 percent of the time, you’re the best angler on the planet.
“Winning happens so infrequently in this sport that you really appreciate it when it does happen. I’m all about winning, and the dream of winning big — especially at this level — drives me to work harder. In the end I believe your work ethic will carry you a long way, but there are no guarantees.”
But it’s not everything, he said. You can do everything right, make all the right decisions and the fish just sometimes quit cooperating.
“Sports like football and hockey are performance based,” he said. “You can physically dominate your opponent into submission or surrender, but a bass doesn’t work that way. They will take any pride you’ve got and shatter it into a million pieces. Being overly prideful in this game is a misstep.”
And not just from the front of the boat, but also in regards to the relationships you build along the way.
“When I was much younger I thought I was ready for the front of the boat, when in fact I was far from it,” he continued.
“There’s no place for pride in this game. Pride will only hold you back. Don’t get lazy; don’t try to control things that are out of your control and do everything you can to adapt as quickly as possible. That’s why mastering as many different techniques on as many different bodies of water is so important to make it to the top levels of professional bass fishing.”
If he could advise his younger self, it would start with learning to temper expectations.
“First I’d make it clear that you can’t change what you can’t change. And I wish I would have spent more time fishing as a co-angler,” he said. “The amount I could have learned by just listening when I was younger would have shortened my learning curve. I’d suggest the same thing for any young angler with a dream to fish professionally.
“Keep an open mind, be friendly, and do more listening than you do talking. The people make this sport great, and they can teach you a great deal if you’re willing to learn.”
Paquette should have a great deal of pride for all that he’s accomplished, but when you talk to him it’s evident he’s got his pride in check — an example worth following.