LITTLE ROCK — For years, Billy McCaghren of Mayflower was one of the best bass fishermen in Arkansas, and now he's one of the best in the country.
In his first year on the Bassmaster Elite Series Tour, Mc-Caghren earned Rookie of the Year honors last week while fishing in New York on Oneida Lake. McCaghren, 35, overtook front-runner Matt Herren during the regular-season finale, breaking Herren's six-tournament grip on the Rookie of the Year points lead. He finished 25th at Oneida, shooting past the faltering Herren, who finished 76th. McCaghren beat him by eight points for the title.
Along with the victory, which is based on Bassmaster Angler of the Year points, McCaghren also claimed one of the 37 Elite Series qualifying berths into the 2010 Bassmaster Classic, set for Feb. 19-21 on Lay Lake at Birmingham, Ala. Classic slotsare awarded to the top 37 Angler of the Year points leaders. McCaghren ended the season in 27th place.
"That was my goal at the beginning of the year, to win Rookie of the Year and to make it to the Classic," McCaghren said. "I'm really blessed. To have done this well - I thought I could, but until you actually do it, you don't know."
Honors of any kind looked doubtful for McCaghren at the start of the season. His first tournament was forgettable,then he bounced back with a top-15 finish in April on Lake Dardanelle.
"That let me know in my own mind I could compete with these guys," McCaghren said. "I had a little advantage over them being familiar with the lake, but it was just knowing that I can. So much of fishing is mental, just having the confidence in yourself that you can do it."
After another low point on Wheeler Lake in Alabama, Mc-Caghren found a consistent groove and put himself in position to make the Classic. That's every Elite Series angler's dream, and winning Rookie of the Year was a sweet bonus. Unfortunately, it wasn't as sweet as it was in years past, when it came with a $25,000 check, but it validated McCaghren's decision to try his hand on the Elite Series Tour.
"I went to New York to make the Classic," McCaghren said."Rookie of the Year was icing on the cake."
Without a major sponsor, McCaghren got by this year with a little help from his friends. He said more than 200 friends and business people in Arkansas donated money to keep him afloat on a tour where the entry fees totaled nearly $42,000. He won $50,000 last year by winning the Bassmaster Central Open in Shreveport, but thanks to the generosity of his benefactors and his 2009 winnings, he said he didn't have to tap into his Central Open money. All of those people are listed on McCaghren's Web Site, www.fishingwiththefans.com.
"Without them, I'd have never been able to survive this year and have the opportunity to live the dream," McCaghren said. "Hopefully, Rookie of the Year will go a long way to getting a sponsorship. I've got a lot to learn about the business partof it, but I'd be a good promoter for a sponsor."
A self-described "homebody," McCaghren gave special credit to his wife, Norma, who quit a job she liked as a nurse to go on the road with McCaghren.
"I don't think I could have made it through the hard times if it hadn't been for her," Mc-Caghren said.
Because we have so many different kinds of lakes and rivers, Arkansas anglers have always been prominent in professional bass fishing. McCaghren said it also helped sharpen his skills to compete on local tours, especially Mr. Bass of Arkansas.
"That was very important," McCaghren said. "There's not a better training ground than fishing Mr. Bass of Arkansas. Those guys will bring out the best in you. It's hard to compete on that level, and it got me prepared, just fishing against the guys inArkansas in general."
With a successful year on the Bassmaster Open circuit under his belt and now a really successful year on the Elite Series Tour, McCaghren said he expects next year to be even better.
"I'm going to try to use what I learned this year and hopefully not do anything different," he said. "I'll try to research each lake and use my experience this year to improve on what I've done and hopefully make the Classic again. There's lots of great fishermen who didn't make the Classic this year, but I'll be determined to do it again."
CORRECTION
Admission will be $7 to the Arkansas Gun & Cartridge Collectors Club gun and knife show Aug. 28-29 at the State Fairgrounds in Little Rock. An item in Thursday's edition mistakenly listed admission as free.
Sports, Pages 32 on 08/23/2009