Wil Dieffenbauch is the 5th angler from West Virginia to qualify for the Super Bowl of Bass Fishing which is the Bassmaster Classic. A lot of us West Virginia people already know about Wil and his adventure to the Classic but I wanted to catch up with Wil this week on ‘The Catch‘. We dig on his thoughts about the upcoming week and what he is expecting.
DockTalkWV: First of all, I’ve told a lot of people here at B.A.S.S. how excited I am for the Classic, because number one it’s the Classic and number two I have a West Virginia native to root for which is super fun for me. So my first question is how excited are you to get started on Friday?
Wil: I’m excited and stressed. I’ve had a lot going on from the Bassmaster Open EQ, to the post office messing up my mail when I moved out of my apartment, my credit card number getting stolen, trying to get the boat and fishing gear prepared for the Classic, and working full time. It’s just been a lot in a short amount of time. As busy as the Classic week is going to be, it may be less stressful than the past month. I am looking forward to getting there and start putting the puzzle together.
DockTalkWV: From doing some reading you have fished this part of the Tennessee River before, tell me about your previous history here good or bad.
Wil: I fished my first college national championship on Ft. Loudoun back in 2010. The tournament was the middle of April but I did spend spring break down there practicing in March. The tournament did not go very well but I was still pretty green back then. I was very much an Ohio River crankbait and finesse fisherman for the most part. The whole field in that tournament struggled though. The University of Florida won and they only had 10 fish over 3 days.
DockTalkWV: With practice a week out from the start of the tournament. A lot of guys have a different mindset when practicing for the Classic. What is your mindset or game plan with practice being so far out from the tournament?
Wil: Looking at the weather, two of our practice days, the temperature won’t hit 50 degrees. At the moment, the first day of the tournament the low temperature will be over 50 degrees. So I know that whatever I find during practice will not be exactly the same as the tournament will be. So I am just looking for a section of water that I believe is holding the winning fish and I want to know where every type of cover and structure is in that section. So come tournament time, I can sample a little of this and little of that, figure out what they are doing and try to run a pattern for that day or hour by hour if they change multiple times.
DockTalkWV: Obviously there is a ton of hype around the Classic. From media day, to Night of Champions, to the increased amount of coverage and walking you guys through the Thompon Boling Arena before the tournament starts. It can almost spin guys out with everything going on. I think a lot of competitors can lose focus on the task at hand. Have you gave that much thought and if so what are you doing to stay sharp next week?
Wil: I’m trying not to think about it too much. I know I am an underdog and feel kind of like the outcast of the field. I don’t know any of these guys personally and they don’t have a clue who I am. I know the cameras and microphones will be in front of the big names. I look forward to shaking hands with the people in the industry and making a connection after I hoist the trophy and the cameras and microphones turn my direction.
DockTalkWV: We are still a long ways from Championship Sunday. What would it mean to you hoist that trophy over your head on Sunday?
Wil: It would mean so much. This is a dream I have been chasing since I was 7 years old in the CastingKids competitions. There have been so many naysayers over the years. So much sacrifice from friendships, relationships, comfortable living, everything has gone towards this dream of fishing professionally. I guarantee you will hear anglers in this field that have already had legendary careers say “This would solidify my career.” I am trying to win this thing to start my career.
DockTalkWV: Finally, I know we have a lot of younger kids that look up to you and are just as excited to see you compete in your first Bassmaster Classic. For those kids, what is a piece of advice you would share with them to inspire them to accomplish what you have?
Wil: Don’t let anyone convince you that you can’t do something. If you really want to do something, be prepared to sacrifice everything for it. Stay focused. No distractions. Compete against people that are better than you. You are going to get your butt kicked a lot but you will learn and grow from that a lot quicker.
DockTalkWV: Anything extra feel free to add below!
Wil: The amount of support from people all over West Virginia has truly been overwhelming the past few months. I am going to try my hardest to bring that trophy back to West Virginia. If you come to the Classic and you are talking to people at takeoff, or the expo, or wherever, tell them you are rooting for me; and if you are watching online or on TV, post on social media that you are rooting for me. Let to world know West Virginia is here.
