Throughout the three days, Buddy Gross managed to haul in 11 bass with a combined weight of 64 pounds.
For some, landing a couple of bass makes for a good day out on the lake. For Buddy Gross of Chickamauga, winning $50,000 by hauling in nearly a dozen bass isn't even his best day.
The professional fisherman recently took home first place at a Costa Fishing League Worldwide tournament on Lake Seminole, earning him key tour points and $50,000 in prize money. If he scores enough points, he'll get to compete in the championship later this summer.
Gross caught over 60 pounds of fish across the three days of the Lake Seminole tournament, edging out the next-highest competitor by around 6 pounds. One particular grassy spot Gross had scoped out before the tournament graced him with all the bites he needed to bring home first place. While there were three other locations he thought would be similarly prosperous, he never had to really move. The fish just kept coming to him, he said.
This was Gross' second tour win. Last year, his first-place finish at Lake Pickwick earned him $100,000, his largest win ever.
Although this is just his second win, he's placed high in other tournaments throughout last year, he said, and he has his eyes set on the championship.
"You could say I've had a really good last 12 months," he said with a laugh.
The $50,000 brings his seasonal earnings up to $78,000 thus far. He said he's planning on making his winnings last as long a he can, but being a professional fisherman can get expensive. By his estimates, he's been home only four days out of the last eight weeks. The remaining time has been spent on the road and at tournaments, either competing or practicing.
The tournament series slows down as the year progresses, which will give Gross more time to spend at home with his family and in his community. But with such a hot start to the season, for now, Gross is looking forward to seeing how far his momentum can take him.
"I'm leading in points right now, so we'll see," he said. The season is still young, but Gross said if things continue as they have been, he should be fishing in the championship later this year.
Although tournaments keep him traveling for much of the early part of the year, the North Georgia native said he tries to come back when he can to fish our local waters. He grew up fishing in ponds in Walker and Catoosa counties, and cut his teeth competitively on the Tennessee River.
According to Gross, some of the best fishing in the country is within a one-hour drive of North Georgia.