Votto of Team McVotto

Tournaments Attended:  2009

Tournament wins:  3rd 2009

Advantages: Life long fisherman, wife is a bleeding heart Liberal which gives him good karma with the fish gods.  Amazing Rib cooker.

2009 Tournament Interview

BABFT - Since it's your first year fishing in the Big ASS Bass Classic and your first time fishing Angler's Paradise, do you think you can pull out a win in foreign waters?

Votto - First off, I'd like to thank the committee and commissioner for letting team McVotto enter the Classic.  It's been a dream of ours for many years.  I feel like we have a fighting chance not just b/c of our dedication and talent, but b/c of our sponsorship team.  We'd like to thank Mickey's Beer (you know them, the small grenade sized bottles), Jimmy Houston Outdoors, Lake Tenkiller State Park, Sequoyah County Wildlife Assn, High Times Magazine, Jim Glover Chevy where Dad'll do it, and Zebco.  Oh yeah, Levi Garrett too.

BABFT - What advantages or disadvantages do you think you have, if any, being new to the tournament?

Votto - "Our fishing equipment is 2nd to none.  While we'll be in new waters and in a new vessel, we'll have 14-25 different fish finders, DeWalt Radio's complete w/ IPOD hookups, sour gummy worms, Johnny One Time will be making his way to Missouri, so that will be a big plus.  Obviously we won't know the honey holes, but by noon on Saturday, I'll have it smelled out where the large ones are.  If anything, we'll have beginners luck."

BABFT - What's the largest bass you have ever caught and what was it on?

Votto - It was a warm, early summer day.  About 430 in the pm.  I was with Frankie Teehee fishing at Fleetwood Cemetery pond, 5 miles east of Sallisaw, right off of Interstate 40.  Hadn't caught a thing all day, so I hurled out a spinner bait for the final cast of the day.  I hadn't even started reeling it back in yet when something hit my spinner.  I ended up knee deep in warm cemetery water chasing this large mouth.  AFter a struggle of at least 5 minutes, I got him on shore.  I get the hook out of the mouth and there looking me straight in the face was a 9lb largemouth, at least, that's what my gut told me.  We had an old spring loaded scale that read 5lbs and some oz, but I'm going with the 9 lb that registered in my internal scale.  My life was forever changed that day.  Lee Greenwood said it best, God bless the USA!!!!