BUZZBAIT [ P R O F I LE ]


Drew Almighty “I


People say you’ve got an uncanny knack for fishing rivers. What’s the root of your passion? It was my dad’s passion for bass fishing and the outdoors that sparked my interest in general. From there, it’s my personality and sense of adventure. Lakes aren’t interesting to me because they don’t have the wildlife, rapids and adventure that a river trip has.


Why did you make the switch to fishing from kayaks? I am first and foremost a river fisherman and the kayak is simply the best tool to fish the riv- ers in the Southeast. In certain sections of riv-


P R O F I L E | T O U R N A M E N T S | B Y T H E N U M B E R S | G E A R | C O N S E R V A T I O N


V.P. for a reason. PHOTO: DREW GREGORY


WHY A TOP RIVER BASS ANGLER CHOOSES KAYAK FISHING


N THE BEGINNING there were rivers, and the rivers were secluded.” Te words on Drew Gregory’s website are almost prophetic. It figures. Gregory, the vice president of Ameri-


can River Fishing, an online network promoting river fishing in 11 southern states, says he’s always gravitated towards flowing water. His intimate knowledge of rivers has made him one of the best bass anglers in the United States: he holds top honors on the Georgia Kayak Fishing tournament trail and lands dozens of trophy fish each year. Kayak Angler tracked down the Greenwood, South Carolina, local to find out more.


ers you can use a jon boat or a canoe, but the kayak will work in all sections of all rivers since it is so versatile. And I love the fact that my fa- vorite hobby keeps me active and in shape.


You now list kayak fishing instructor at Lander University on your resume. When the university developed a continuing education program on campus, the head of the department immediately contacted me to see if I would teach a kayak fishing course because he had been so intrigued by the sport when he heard me speak of it. It works out great because we use the university pool to teach the kayaking part of the class.


What’s your top tip for an aspiring river basser? Learn to stand up in the kayak so you can see what’s really going on in the water. Bass don’t have a huge strike zone so it’s important to get as close as possible to where they are hid- ing. Standing up allows you to not just see structure, but also the deeper water where the bigger fish are more likely to be. If you cast to the structure, who knows what may happen?


What’s next for Drew Gregory? I’m still exploring new water all over the Southeast trying to find the biggest, baddest wild river bass that lurk in America’s wa- ters—and having a lot of fun doing it! Tis June, I’m heading down to Peru to assist Am- azon Expeditions, an ecotourism company, in locating the best peacock bass fishing in their neck of the Amazon. —Conor Mihell


www.kayakanglermag.com… 15


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