Table Rock Lake guide, Larry “Doc” Seger breaks into PAA’s top ten

CPAA's Jim Thompson, right and Larry "Doc" Seger.

BRANSON, Mo. “I am honored to be fishing in the PAA this year and satisfied, at this point, with my tenth place finish in my first tournament,” said Larry “Doc” Seger, a Table Rock Lake guide from Kimberling City, Mo. Doc’s comment came shortly after the Professional Angler’s Association (PAA) held their first tournament of the “2011 Bass Pro Shops Tournament Series presented by Carrot Stix” on Lake Lanier in northeast Georgia March 31st through April 2nd.

“I caught every fish on a Chompers 3/8 ounce Pro Shaky Head Jig with a Green Pumpkin Salty Sinker soaked in Chompers Formula G Garlic,” he said. During the first two days he limited out, but on the last day he only caught two fish. He said that last day was windy, the bass had changed the way they were hitting and he had trouble feeling the hits. As a result, although he estimates he had about 10 bites, he only hooked and brought two to the boat.

Doc indicated that his satisfaction at this point stems from the fact that he took tenth place out of a field of over 60 of the finest professional fishermen in the country, won over $6,900 in his first PAA tournament and is in an excellent position to qualify for the “Toyota Texas Bass Classic” (TTBC) to be held October 28 – 30 at Lake Conroe in Conroe, TX. The top 15 finishers in the PAA’s regular tournament series, consisting of three tournaments, the one just completed at Lake Lanier, the second to be held on Table Rock Lake June 23 – 25 and the third on Neely Henry Lake in Gadsden, AL August 18 – 20, will go on to compete in the TTBC.

The TTBC has a unique championship format in that its field is made up of the top 15 fishermen from the three major national bass fishing circuits, the FLW, BASS, and the PAA all fishing against each other. Last year the TTBC was won by Brian Snowden of Reeds Spring, Mo, who bested Mike Iaconelli by just over a pound and won $110,000 and a new bass boat in the process.

Seger points that just qualifying for TTBC means that you have already earned tens of thousands of dollars in cash and prizes as a result of fishing just the three PAA Tournaments. “Depending on the number of competitors in each tournament there is up to $250,000 in cash and prizes to be won in each,” he continued.

He said that he is focusing on one tournament at a time with the next PAA tournament being conducted on his home lake and the lake that he guides on, “Table Rock Lake.” When asked if that gave him an advantage he said that although fishing your home lake is obviously an advantage that the playing field is leveled for all the fishermen by the PAA’s 30 day off limits rule. This rule prohibits any tournament fisherman from fishing on a tournament lake within 30 days of the tournament.

Doc says the journey with PAA has been a wonderful experience starting with his winning the Central Pro-Am Association’s “Angler of the Year” in 2010. One of the prizes for winning that title was an all expense ‘ride’ to fish the entire 2011 PAA Tournament Series, including paid entry fees, food, fuel and lodging allowances worth, with entry fees etc. over $18,000. He credits his experience in fishing with the Central Pro-Am Association over the years for helping put him his current position.

Jim Thompson the owner of Central Pro-Am Association said, “Larry is a great fisherman and all-around good guy. We congratulate him on his great finish, are very proud of his accomplishments and wish him well on his wonderful journey.”

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