Welcome back to another edition of Member Spotlight here at UltimateBass.com! This month, we shift to the left coast and introduce you to Randy Lyman. Randy is known as Basser56 on the web site. Let’s not waste any time, and get right to the interview!
1. Tell us a little about you personally?
a. hometown-I was born in San Antonio, Texas. As an Air Force brat, I don’t remember anything about the town as we transferred out soon afterwards.
b. family- I have two brothers, one older and one younger. My older brother owns and insurance agency in Phoenix, Arizona, and my younger brother is a Chiropractor north of San Antonio, Texas. My parents are wherever they park their 5th wheel trailer. I never know where they are unless they call.
c. career- I’ve been with the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California for almost nineteen years. I’m a heavy equipment operator and jack of all trades. I plan to retire in about three years. I was able to purchase five years of service, so on paper I have twenty-four years in.
d. pets- I have a dog, named Dakota. She is a chow/yellow lab mix, 11 years old and still thinks she is a puppy.
2. Do you have any other hobbies other than fishing?
I like to go truck camping and take hikes around the desert in the spring and fall. I’ll start hunting when I retire, mainly for deer and turkey.
3. Do you fish for any other species other than bass?
I’ve concentrated on bass almost exclusively for the last twenty years. Occasionally I went after some trout or striper, but my love is bass fishing. Those spotted bass in Table Rock are calling to me.
4. Name the one person who you have never fished with, that you would love to fish a
day with?
I would love to spend a week fishing with Rick Clunn. Why? I met Rick briefly during a RedMan All-American at Lake Havasu years ago. I like his style, class and demeanor. I know he doesn’t do as well as he used to, but he knows so much about the mental aspects of fishing that we could all benefit from.
5a. What is your favorite technique for catching bass?
I prefer to fish with soft plastics, usually creature baits and tubes. I find them to be very versatile baits, able to be fished many different ways. Next would be the old jig and pig.
5b. What about your least favorite?
Unfortunately, my least favorite baits are crankbaits. I know this has cost me fish many times when they are active and I just refuse to pick one up. I’ve never been able to enjoy chunkin’ and windin’.
6. What do you feel is the biggest mistake anglers make when fishing for bass?
The biggest mistake I see is what I said about myself and crankbaits. Not specifically cranks, in this case, but being too set in your ways. When what you are doing isn’t working, its time to try something else, and many of us won’t adapt. I like to finesse, and many times the fish want a faster moving bait. The same holds true for anglers throwing cranks or spinners when the fish want a slow presentation. Versatility, and being able to read the conditions and adapt to them are key.
7. When did you start fishing and why?
I started fishing at about 5 years old. My father instilled a love of the outdoors in all of us by taking us fishing at Lake Pleasant and Bartlett outside of Phoenix, where I grew up, and also down to Rocky Point in Mexico for Rock Bass off the reefs. We also hiked and camped out all through the Superstition Mountains and many other ranges.
8. Can you tell us about your favorite local body of water and why it is your favorite?
My favorite local lake would have to Mohave, although it isn’t always kind to me. It has every kind of structure you could want, from shallow brush to deep walls and flooded willows. The fish aren’t as plentiful, but the quality is usually better.
9. Have you traveled across the country to bass fish, and if so, where have you gone?
I’ve fished from California to Michigan. I plan my vacations around fishing, and try to find a tournament to fish while I’m there. This serves two purposes. I get to do something I enjoy, and I can write part of my vacation off on my taxes. Sneaky, huh?
10. What bodies of water have you not fished that you would like to fish?
There are so many lakes to fish when I retire. I plan on going all through Georgia, South and North Carolina, Louisiana, and of course, the Florida lakes. Then up north to Champlain and Erie. I’m sure I’ll find many others along the way.
11. Tell us a little about your fishing equipment (boat, rods, reels, baits)?
I own a Champion 203 DCX with a 225 Merc Optimax, MinnKota trolling motor, and Lowrance electronics. My favorite rods are my three Loomis and two custom Phenix. All have Shimano reels on them. I can’t even begin to count how many packs of plastics and lures I have in boxes and bags in the back of my truck, let alone in the boat. My favorites would be Yamamoto, Zoom, and Reaction Innovations.
12. What is the biggest bass you’ve ever caught, where did you catch it, and on what?
This biggest bass I’ve caught was 8lb. 1 oz., which I hooked on the lake I live on. It’s a small 430-acre lake that belongs to the company I work for. No fishing allowed except once a year when the California Fish and Game Commission comes and takes three or four hundred fish out to relocate them. We get to spend three days fishing here and the action is spectacular. They only want fish under two pounds, and last year I had a hard time catching any that small.
13. Any sponsors that you want to give some credit to?
My sponsor is McCoy Line. I’ve tried most others and can’t find a better one, only different, so why switch? They have every type of line I like to fish with.
14. What are some of your future goals as far as fishing is concerned?
When I retire to Table Rock Lake in Missouri in a few years, I plan on fishing tournaments with a friend who moved there years ago from out here. Other times I’ll travel around to lakes I’ve never been to. During the winter, when not hunting, Florida is on the menu. I get to be one of those snowbirds we all complain about.
15. Tell us a little about the circuits/clubs you associate with?
I fish the ABA and Anglers Choice team circuits here on the Colorado River. Lake Havasu, Mohave and Mead. I’ve had the same team partner for about twelve years now. Our styles compliment each other as he’s more of a reaction bait fisherman as opposed to my plastics preference. We’ve made the regional every year. I fish for fun, and if I happen to get a check, so much the better. Fishing is more than a hobby to me, it’s a way of life. The friendships developed over the years have been very special to me. I plan on meeting many more friends in many more places in the years to come. Maybe even another wife,,,,did I really say that?
I want to personally thank Randy for his time regarding the Member Spotlight this month. As you can clearly see, Randy is a dedicated angler with a lot of diversity on his resume as far as fishing is concerned. I wish Randy nothing but success in his professional and personal life as he nears retirement. We should all be so lucky! And yes, Randy. You did say that!
Eric Huber is the Editorial Team Leader here at UltimateBass.com, and he can be reached for comment at warpath@ultimatebass.com.
