From the west coast of California to upstate New York to the Everglades in Florida, fishing has taken Greg Vinson across the country — quite literally.
Vinson, who was raised in Alexander City and now calls Wetumpka his home base, has been fishing professionally for more than 15 years. Most recently, he has been competing in a new series called the Major League Fishing Bass Pro Tour, which has grown into one of the elite fishing series in the country.
“I got the opportunity in 2019 to be a part of something new,” Vinson said. “They really needed a core group to get that started, and I didn’t know if I had the resume to get the invite. There were some big names also making the move — Skeet Reese, Kevin VanDam, a lot of the biggest names in the sport made the move to the bass pro tour.”
And Vinson was one of them.
One of the innovative aspects of Major League Fishing is it doesn’t have a weigh-in at the end. Instead, there is a boat official and a log of everyone’s catches so each angler knows where he or she stands throughout the tournament.
“It really affects my decision making during the day,” Vinson said. “I played baseball, football and basketball at Benjamin Russell, so I was always used to knowing the score and playing from behind, and learning how to play with the elite.”
Vinson also said having that running monitor helps him stay motivated. This week, he is competing at a tournament at Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, and his first day was a rough one. He caught only one bass midway through the day, but seeing that his competitors were also struggling helped him keep his head in the game.
With all the time and experience under his belt, Vinson is now competing for some big bucks. The REDCREST tournament is the top competition for Major League Fishing, and the winner earns $300,000.
Although Vinson has never had a major tour level win, he finished third in the very first REDCREST. He’s also placed second at a Bassmasters Classic, which is considered the most elite tournament of the year. Throughout his career, Vinson has collected over $1 million in winnings.
“People talk about golf being a rich man’s sport — they got nothing on fishing,” Vinson said with a laugh. “Between the fuel, the boat and the vehicle to pull the boat, plus you gotta rent hotels or houses at these tournaments, expenses add up quick. I wouldn’t have been able to do any of this without great sponsors.”
And money was never the goal for Vinson.
When talking about his greatest accomplishments, Vinson doesn’t first think about his wins or his top finishes. Instead, he remembers things like his first 10-pound bass he caught in Texas or the first smallmouth bass he snagged in New York.
“It’s funny because when I started all this, I said a prayer because I know this business is a roller coaster,” Vinson said. “But I said a prayer that I just want to fish for a living. I don’t want to be rich or famous; I just want to be able to fish. And I got exactly that — nothing more, nothing less.”
