Andy Newcomb competed in one Bassmaster Open in 2023 on his home water — Missouri’s Lake of the Ozarks. It was his first Open, and he did well by snatching fourth place. While fishing the Bassmaster Opens Elite Qualifiers this year, he finished 19th at Okeechobee, third at Ouachita, 80th at Santee Cooper and currently holds sixth place in the overall Elite Qualifier standings.
If Newcomb maintains a level of consistency in the remaining EQs, he is sure to be a major-leaguer in the Elite Series.
Newcomb did not have the benefit of competing on high school and college bass fishing teams. The 35-year-old gradually climbed the ladder to the EQs by juggling work and his bass addiction. His primary fishing influence was his grandfather Richard Newcomb Sr.
“I called him papa,” Newcomb said. “We’d wade the Niangua River and catch smallmouth and bluegill on tiny spinners. In the fall, we’d take an annual trip to Stockton Lake and cast for white bass from his 16-foot bass boat. We did that until he passed in 2010.”
In high school Newcomb quenched his competitive thirst by playing baseball and basketball. Serious sports injuries to his right knee and left ankle prompted him to go in another direction.
“I needed to find something else to be competitive at where I might not hurt myself so much,” Newcomb said.
Bass fishing filled that need. After graduating from high school in 2006, he bought a 1988 Ranger powered by a 175 horsepower outboard “that ran sometimes.” He saved money for the boat by doing a variety of jobs, from stacking hay bales to working at Walmart.
“That boat opened up Lake of the Ozarks to me,” Newcomb said. “I chased whatever would bite. I really enjoyed catching white bass then and still do.”
The hundreds of bass tournaments that take place on Lake of the Ozarks every year urged Newcomb and his older brother Richard to “jump into” Wednesday night pot derbies. It proved a rude awakening.
“I believe Lake of the Ozarks bass fishermen are some of the best anywhere,” Newcomb said. “They’ll take your money and not feel bad about it. I didn’t have much money. I knew I had to get better quickly or find something else to do. I decided to get better quickly.”
He accelerated his learning curve by fishing Lake of the Ozarks at every opportunity and experimenting with new techniques. He launched his boat at different ramps up and down the 92-mile-long reservoir. This allowed him to learn every inch of the lake intimately and fish everything from shallow, stained water upriver to clear water on the lower end of the lake.
He upped his bass tournament anti in 2016 and 2017 by competing in a few BFL tournaments. The next year he began fishing all the BFLs in the Ozark Division. He notched several top 10 finishes and captured the angler of the year title in 2019.
He took another step up in 2020 by taking on the Toyota Series, which kicked off on Lake of the Ozarks. He finished second there, won the next event Grand Lake O’ the Cherokees and nabbed seventh place at the final tournament on Lake Dardanelle. Newcomb’s consistency earned him the angler of the year award.
“My wife Ria came to the final weigh-in at Grand Lake,” he said. “On the way home she said, ‘Why don’t you just do this for a living?’ She’s the reason I decided to go for it in 2021.”
Newcomb longed to fish the Bassmaster Central Opens, but he was working full time. Two of the events on the schedule took place in Alabama on lakes he had never seen before. His job would have allowed only one day of practice.
“I didn’t feel I could go to new fisheries and be competitive with so little practice,” Newcomb said. “I decided to fish MLF’s Pro Circuit Invitationals.”
Over the next two years he notched some top 10 finishes and qualified for one of the championships, but his heart wasn’t in it. More than anything, he wanted to be an Elite Series angler. As an EQ contender this year, he is right where he hoped to be all along.
Newcomb’s title sponsor is Fitz Fishing, a bait and tackle shop near Lake of the Ozarks. His other sponsors include Phoenix Boats, Mercury Marine, Bait Cave Customs soft baits, Apex Tackle jigs, Anglers Port Marine, Power-Pole, Daiwa, AFTCO, Vicious Fishing, S&S Custom Building, Beat Down Outdoors electronic mounts, Rough Custom Apparel and Agent Justin Swast of Midwest Land Group.
