Monday, February 06, 2012
Photo: Bill Day
Bill Day claims that he works too much to be a good fisherman and fishes too much to be a good boat dealer.
By Lynn Burkhead
Special to BassFan
Sometimes, when you watch Bill Day make a cast from the deck of his boat, you might see him smile.
Why? Simply because he's out there on the FLW Tour, getting to live out a dream.
"I have a tremendous love of fishing, always have, and I'm willing to take a lot of licks on the chin," he said.
In his "real" job – he's a full-time boat dealer in Frankfort, Ky. – he's taken plenty of licks in recent years.
"I was afraid in 2008-09 that we'd go out of business because of the economy," Day said. "But last year was my most profitable year in the business, ever."
How did that turnaround happen? Day attributes at least a portion of it to key business relationships he has learned to develop.
"There were a couple of key things that enabled us to survive and get to last year," he said. "One was being a Ranger dealer. And the other was the partnership we have with REC Lending, which allowed us to make the dream of owning a boat a reality for our customers."
Not surprisingly, Day credits his presence on the FLW Tour to that same thing: key relationships.
"I live in a part of Kentucky where we don't have any really super-strong fishing spots," Day said. "When people think of fishing in my state, they automatically think of Kentucky Lake. But Kentucky Lake is 3 1/2 hours from where I live. So really, I've learned how to fish out here with these guys."
Ego Adjustment
Day says that he's the first to admit that he came onto the FLW Tour with a "fairly big ego" after having done well on fishing circuits in the Bluegrass State.
"But then I decided to fish the EverStarts and it didn't take long to figure out that I really didn't know what I was doing," he laughed.
Enter J.T. Kenney, the Florida pro with more than $900,000 in career earnings, two FLW wins, and 30 Top-10 finishes.
"I've had some really good friends on the Tour who have helped educate me," Day said. "I simply can't say enough about J.T. Kenney. He has really shown me a lot of stuff (about succeeding as a pro)."
Day, whose best 2011 finish was a 37th at Hartwell, is particularly enthused about putting some of that stuff to good use in the FLW Tour season opener this week at Lake Okeechobee.
"Yeah, I'm really looking forward to (that one)," he said. "Of course, it's Florida we're talking about, so the game changes moment to moment, but J.T. is one of best flippers in the world and he has shown me a lot that I'm looking forward to using."
Beyond the season opener, Day is also excited about how the remainder of the schedule sets up for him.
"I like to power fish and I like the schedule this year. I'm going to simplify all of my tackle and flip as much as possible. Because of that – and if they don't ban the Alabama Rig – I may be able to catch them this year."
If he's able to do so, it will be due in part to some of the lessons that he learned last season thanks to another successful FLW pro.
"Traveling and rooming with Shawn Murphy, last year's rookie of year on FLW, has also taught me quite a few things," he said.
Such as?
"He has a really strong work ethic," Day said. "I wanted to quit at 3:30 every day – my shoulders were hurting, my feet were hurting, etc. But after watching Shawn (and his dedication to succeeding), I learned that if I'm going to fish with these boys, then I'm going to have to get back after it pretty hard."
Caught in the Middle
While Day readily credits some of his fellow pros with helping him learn more about the business of fishing on the FLW Tour, don't think for a minute that he comes to the table with nothing to offer.
"It's not my day-to-day profession, but I think I can hang with those guys, and every once in a while get something done on the water," he said.
"I work too much to be a good fisherman and fish too much to be a good boat dealer. But this year, with a more stable economy, I've kind of turned a corner in my mind and I'm going to give everything I need to this year in order to be good at it."
Part of being able to turn that mental corner is due to the commitment of Day's employees to minding the fort so that he can concentrate on fishing.
"As far as my employees go, I'm just the luckiest guy in world," Day said. "A lot of guys might resent their boss getting to go fish and be on tour with all the pros. But not my guys. I think they know how hard it is, how hard you have to work at it, how hard I work at it."
Day says that many of his staff members are tournament anglers themselves, so they understand the grind of trying to succeed on two fronts.
"When I get to go, they're watching to see how I'm doing. They see me have my good days and they see me have my struggles. And when I struggle, I think it hurts them a little bit because they want to see me do good."
With his tournament skills improving, with his business stable, and with his employees backing his endeavor to be successful, Day is able to hit the water this year with few worries on his mind.
Add in financial sponsorships from the likes of Ranger, Mercury, Shimano, G. Loomis, Backwater Outfitters, and Team BassADX and it's easy to see why Day is highly optimistic about his chances in 2012.
"Some guys swing for the fence, but I'm going to try and knock it down," Day laughed. "And right now, with the season about ready to start, I'm like a kid who can't wait to get out of school.
"I'm getting better and I'm getting my confidence back," he added. "But I'm not going to be cocky about any of this. Instead, I'm going to be thankful for the good fortune I'm having."
Hopefully all the way to the Forest Wood Cup this year on Georgia's Lake Lanier.
