Local man headed for Bassmaster Classic
Perkiomenville native, Boyertown grad Buck qualifies for Bassmaster Classic
An unknown philosopher once stated “A bad day of fishing is better than a good day of work.”
Another one said, “Choose a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life.”
Grae Buck’s life speaks in validation of both philosophies. The Green Lane resident has been a professional bass fisherman the past four years, competing in tournaments around the country as his principal “vocation.”
He’s also been successful at the sport, in ways other than the number of fish that end up in his creel. Buck recently became a first-time qualifier for the 2020 Bassmaster Classic — a tournament dubbed the “Super Bowl of Bass Fishing — which will be staged Mrch 6-8 at Lake Guntersville, Ala.
“I’ll be competing against 52 other anglers for a top prize of $300,000 and being known as the 50th Bassmaster Classic Champion,” he said.
There are two avenues for Basssmaster Classic qualification: Through the BassMaster Elite Series — the highest level of professional bass fishing tournaments — or by winning one of four bass opens. Buck went the latter route, winning the 2019 Basspro. com Bassmater Eastern Open held Sept. 7-9 at Lake Oneida, N.Y.
Competitors get to keep their five biggest catches each day. Buck’s haul from the tourney weighed in at 50 pounds, 10 ounces.
“I’m ecstatic,” Buck said, shortly after leaving the stage a winner. “I can’t believe I made my dream come true of fishing the Bassmaster Classic. I fished all the Bassmaster Eastern Opens this year just to come to Oneida Lake, because this is the lake I know the best in the country. It’s about 3 ½ hours from my house, and I’ve made a lot of money up here.”
In advance of the Bassmaster Classic, Buck participated in the Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit’s Feb. 20 Harris Chain of Lakes tournament. He placed 24th with a total weight of 39 pounds, 13 ounces for his 15 fish.
A Perkiomenville native and Boyertown High graduate, Buck got interested in the sport while in Grades 3-4, encouraged by his grandfather.
His fishing horizons were expanded while a middle-school student, through a friend whose father ran a bass boat on the Chesapeake Bay.
Buck went on to attend Penn State University — he graduated in 2012 — and participate on its bass fishing team.
“After that, I really pursued fishing,” he said.
Grae fished the nearby Green Lane Reservoir while in high school. He’s also fished Lake Wallenpauck in Pennsylvania’s Pocono Mountains; at Watkins Glen, N.Y.; and Lake Guntersville, Ala.
Buck’s fishing boat is a 21-foot Triton 21TRX powered by a 250 horsepower Mercury motor. It falls well into the required range: Boats 17 to 18 foot long with motors of at least 150 horsepower.
In bass fishing, acceptable baits are artificial types like jigs, plastic worms or Z-Man chatterbait. Buck’s favorite is the chatterbait.
Sponsorship for Buck’s professional-fishing endeavors comes primarily from Landis Block & Nyce Crete, Souderton; the Souderton-based Univest Bank; and Jon Construction, Inc.
The tournaments consist of eight-hour days, and anglers use the full time to bolster their catches.
“You don’t go out if there are bad thunderstorms, or it’s too windy.” he noted. The weather at the Oneida tourney was “windy, but not enough to cancel.”
For his career on the Fishing League Worldwide (FLW) Tour, Buck has fished 71 events, won four tournament wins and had 12 Top-10 finishes. He’s been on the Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit since 2017,
The Bassmaster Elite Series, founded in 2006, is the highest level of professional bass fishing tournaments. Competitors must qualify for the series through the Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Opens or the B.A.S.S. Nation, and anglers who are already on the Elite Series must requalify each year by maintaining enough points throughout the season.
The series’ pro anglers compete all season for the opportunity to win points toward the Toyota Bassmaster Angler of the Year award, and to qualify for the Bassmaster Classic.