Wyatt Downs: Young, Driven, Determined.
What’s more to say about Wyatt than he’s a legend in the making. 13yrs old, living in Baxter, TN, Wyatt has a passion. The passion to fish.
Wyatt gets his passion honestly from his father, Jerry, who has taken Wyatt fishing since he was 2 years old. It seems he was hooked, metaphorically speaking, and began fishing competitively in the 5th grade. Being a part of B.A.S.S. nation, a youth program dedicated to “provid[ing] more localized venues for High School and youth anglers to participate in competitive fishing” -setbassnation.com, Wyatt fishes alongside longtime friend Braden Huddleston.
Braden and Wyatt go way back (way back for 13yrs olds) to the 5th grade, where they met playing football. The two eventually left the sport to pursue his greater love, fishing. Wyatt told us that the first time he ever competitively fished was on Braden’s grandfather’s boat. As they’ve gotten older they’re friendship has continued to grow and the two families spend a lot of time together, as they travel often for fishing tournaments.
For the past 3 years Wyatt’s parents have taken him to the Bassmaster Classic, which seems to be the beginning of a yearly family tradition. He told us that he intends on taking the entire B.A.S.S. Nation TN team to the Classic next year as it will be held in Knoxville, TN.
We asked Wyatt what techniques he uses when fishing. He explained his favorite method is using the Texas rig with a Senko or any soft plastic worm because it has proven to be a reliable year-round bait. He went on to explain he uses it to “break down structure” under the water to see what types of lake floor he’s fishing above. He uses the Humminbird Helix and Lowrance HDS 9 for his live scoping and underwater monitoring.
Being only 13, we asked Wyatt what some of his goals are in life and he wasn’t shy in his response. Wyatt desires to receive a scholarship for fishing and would choose Auburn if the choice was given. In school he plans to pursue a degree in Fish and Hatchery to become a Fish Hatchery Specialist. He believes a 4-year degree surrounding fish will give him quite a leg up as he continues to pursue fishing as a profession.
After college, Wyatt plans to fish professionally and desires to fish in the opens and move into the elite competitions. His ultimate goal is to be the first person to win the Bassmaster Classic 3 times in a row. This is an incredibly lofty goal, but one that is achievable with enough dedication, grit, and effort.
Wyatt is already proving to be a powerhouse, and we should continue to see him gain more ground as he grows in the sport.
If you would like to get in touch with Wyatt for sponsorship opportunities or more information, reach out to the TN B.A.S.S. Nation team to get connected here.
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