When Texan Dakota Ebare matriculated to Tarlton State University in Stephenville, Texas, his goal was to be a rodeo bullfighter. This hazardous profession involves distracting a raging bull from trampling the cowboy that had just been tossed about on its back like a rag doll.
After Ebare had secured a degree in Animal Science and Ranch Management, he put rodeoing on hold to take a shot at becoming a professional bass tournament angler. He went the FLW route and clawed his way up the ladder to the MLF tour. He now has his sights on the Bassmaster Elite Series.
With the first three Bassmaster Opens Elite Qualifiers of 2024 under his belt, Ebare holds second place in the overall EQ standings.
“There’s a saying in rodeo circles that you ride bulls better when you’re hungry,” Ebare said. “I mean literally hungry. It makes you hold on tighter. That’s true of a lot of things in life.”
Ebare has had to hold on tight many times to become a full-time professional angler.
While growing up in Denham Springs, La., fishing was something he did for fun with his mother, Mary. Because his father worked long hours hauling cattle across the country, she was the one who instilled his passion for the outdoors.
“If I wasn’t playing baseball in the summer, I was in a bass boat somewhere,” Ebare said. “In the fall, I’d be out hunting squirrels, rabbits or deer.”
His fishing experiences with his mother ranged from casting into ponds and rivers from the bank to fishing small lakes from the family’s 17-foot Challenger bass boat powered by a 70 horsepower Force outboard. The craft did not have any electronics.
Although Ebare didn’t know anyone who competed in bass tournaments, he became enamored with the sport by watching Kevin VanDam and other pros on television. The seed of bass fishing for a living had been planted.
At age 17 he towed the Challenger to Louisiana’s False River to fish his first tournament, a Friday night bass derby. He did well enough to earn a check and continued to do well that summer fishing tournaments around Baton Rouge.
“The next year the boat’s motor blew up, and I had no money to fix it,” Ebare said. “I realized I didn’t have the means to fish tournaments.”
He set fishing aside and focused on a career in rodeoing. When he attended Tarlton State, he befriended students who were on the college’s bass fishing team. He joined the team in his junior year, which rekindled his dream of fishing professionally.
“It’s funny how life works out and gives you opportunities you didn’t see coming,” Ebare said.
Ebare did well in his initial college tournaments despite fishing new water and having no experience with electronics. He went on a quest to learn everything he could from other anglers and by watching educational bass fishing videos.
His team competed in Bassmaster and FLW college events. Although he never won a tournament during his three years on the team, he came close enough on several occasions to encourage him to pursue the sport beyond college.
Besides classes and bass tournaments, Ebare worked full time at a ranch doing everything from taking care of cattle to hauling hay. He also worked with rodeo companies to set up arenas and haul livestock to and from the events.
“I didn’t sleep much in college,” Ebare said. “One time I worked on a tractor for 24 hours straight. I had to get a field done so I could make enough money to fish a tournament that weekend.”
His jobs enabled him to finance a 2003 Ranger in 2016 for “not a lot of money.” The boat was not equipped with graphs, but it allowed him to compete and travel with the team.
After graduating from college, he began fishing the Costa tournament trail, which started him on the path to the MLF series. This journey was anything but smooth sailing.
“There were times when I had to make a check so I’d have enough gas money to drive home after the tournament,” Ebare said. “One time on Grand I knew the bass were on beds in clear water down the lake, but I didn’t have enough money for boat gas to run to them.”
He has attracted sponsors mainly through his fishing accomplishments and work ethic and without a social media presence.
“Companies want to invest in anglers that have good character, a good work ethic and that represent their brands well,” Ebare said. “That can get overlooked when your emphasis is on getting responses with a TikTok video. I want people to understand that this dream is available to those who don’t have deep pockets.”
As for his future goals, Ebare has set his sights on achieving the status earned by Kevin VanDam and other superstars in our sport.
“I’ve always been driven to be the best I can be,” Ebare said.
His title sponsors are Strike King and Lew’s. His other sponsors include Bass Pro Shops, Nitro Boats, Mercury Marine, Power-Pole, Garmin and TASF.
