For this edition of our W2 Profile we visited with Logan Buttolph, an angler we featured a couple years ago as one of our W2 Young Guns to watch. He’s now 20, a junior at Clemson and a part time guide for McCotter’s Lake Anna Guide Service. He fishes out of a 20’ skeeter FXR with four graphs, three of which are Humminbird, and the other is a dedicated Garmin for Livescope.
What circuits are you fishing now and how have you been faring?
I’ve been fishing the MLF BFL’s and as many local tournaments I can jump in. It’s been difficult to fish a whole trail of any circuit since half of the season is spent in South Carolina and the other at home in Virginia. I’ve been fortunate to win some tournaments this year and cash some nice checks. Some recent success includes a fourth place BFL finish on the James River out of 127 boats and winning the Sunday Morning Double Down event on Lake Anna for July with 18.14 pounds.
Why do you enjoy fishing tournaments?
I fish tournaments for a few reasons. First, tournament bass fishing is such a tough mental sport. There are so many highs and lows. You might go a whole year and not win a single tournament, but that toughness is what makes the sport so appealing to me. I love the challenge. I also really enjoy the atmosphere. There is nothing like catching a big fish in a tournament and getting to show it off at the weigh-in.
Tell us about how Fishers of Men and the college fishing team has helped make you a better angler over the years?
The Fishers of men legacy trail was the first tournament trail I fished. My Dad and I really got to see what Virginia had to offer with its fisheries while teaching me what tournament fishing was all about. I think the best thing for making me a better angler in recent years is the Clemson Bass fishing team. Getting to experience a different part of the country and get my but kicked in tournaments down there for the last few years has really taught me a lot about the sport and has helped me to hone my skills making me a lot more competitive as an angler.
Why do you like to fish with your father?
My Dad is someone I really look up to in life. He is the hardest worker I know. I enjoy spending time with him, and there is no better way to do that than fishing tournaments together. My Dad has taught me so much about the sport and I believe that’s what makes us such a good team. We can bounce ideas off each other knowing that we both have similar fishing styles and can work together as a team.
How important is FFS to your tournament success recently?
FFS is a very controversial topic in the fishing community right now. Since it’s allowed in tournaments, I always have mine on. It’s my eyes under the water. Since I’m a younger angler I am fishing against guys who have been tournament fishing since before I was born. I have to use all the information I can get my hands on to try and compete.
What would be your advice to other young anglers looking to hone their skill and become better?
Fishing is a process. You could win a tournament one week and come dead last the next. Everyone has bad tournaments but what makes someone good is how they recover from it. What helps me is just to reflect on the tournament and figure out what went wrong and what could have been better.
What do you think of guiding?
I am really enjoying the opportunity to guide for MLAGS this summer. It’s teaching me how to be a more professional person. It’s also making me a better angler because I have to adapt to the clients’ needs to put them on as many fish as possible. But what I enjoy most of all is sharing my love for fishing with clients. Watching someone’s face light up when they catch a nice bass is a really rewarding feeling for me and is something that will never get old!
What are you studying at Clemson and why?
I am currently studying mechanical engineering at Clemson. I think an engineering degree opens many doors down the road for me with job opportunities. I am always curious as to how things work and operate and figured that mechanical engineering would be a good fit for me. So far, the classes have been pretty tough, lots of time spent in the library studying. But I enjoy the challenge and am curious to see what the future might hold for me!