Kingfish Connection:
Congratulations on an incredible year. You all certainly
started off with a bang in Key West, and finished the
season just as strong. What was your goal, as a team,
coming into the year? And did you ever expect this level
of success?
Ozzie
Fischer: Our goal this year was to win the Team of the
Year. So I expected this level of success. I feel if
you don’t, it will never happen. I am a big believer
in you have to see it for it to happen. Every fishing
tour I do I expect to be the top team. It does not always
happen, but I always have the faith I can do it. At
the start of every year I always write down my goals
for my business and everything else. I put this list
up where I can always see it so it is a constant reminder
to me. It really helps keep you focused.
Did
you find out this year, fishing the Kingfish Tour, that
it is better to be consistent or to be really good in
specific events?
For
the overall points title consistency is the way to go,
but being really good in a specific event helps out
your bank account a whole lot better though.
What
has led to your consistency?
Traveling
to these venues for the second time was a huge help.
Being able to prefish the areas and knowing what to
look for was also a key. Having the ability to read
the water come tournament day is invaluable.
Another
little thing that we changed this year, that helped
was that we went to heavier wire and started using tighter
drags. The lightest wire we used all year was # 6. That
was definitely a change for us.
Coming
into the year, which event on the FLW Kingfish Tour
schedule did you see as your weakest tournament?
We
saw the event in North Carolina as our weakness. It
always seems to be rough there and the fish seem to
be really spread out. Characteristics like that don’t
help teams from outside that area. The fishery up there
is very different from the one in South Florida, it
takes some time to adjust.
Looking
back, which one event was key to your FLW Team of the
Year win?
Sarasota
was the event that got it all started for us this year.
Both in the Sarasota event and the Fort Pierce event
we caught our big fish on the last few moments of the
last tournament day. That made the difference for us
this year.
Who
are the different crew members on the Yo-Zuri team,
and how have they helped your team with this great success?
Our
crew members are Greg “The Mayor” Holley,
Kevin “The Trash man” Aley, Paul “Bevis”
Michele, and Christian “Terd Foot” Fischer.
Each team member has something special they bring to
the team. Greg has every GPS number you could ever want
and he has been on the kingfish tour for years. Kevin
and Paul both have spent the majority of their life
fishing offshore. Christian just reminds me why life
is so worth living for. I really enjoy our team.
Which
team were you most concerned about this season in the
FLW Team of the Year race coming into the final event?
Team
M & M had a great year. They would be the team we
were looking out for.
Ozzie,
you have accomplished some great things on the inshore
tournament scene. But this past kingfish season has
been incredible for your team. So, do you think you
are a better inshore angler or king mackerel angler?
It’s
not even close, it’s inshore by far. But that’s
why I have enjoyed king mackerel fishing so much. It
is a new challenge to me and I learn something new every
time I’m out.
Ozzie,
which has been your proudest accomplishment this year?
Winning the Hog’s Breath with a kingfish over
60 pounds, winning a PTTS event with a 206 pound tarpon
or winning the FLW Kingfish Team of the Year honors?
That’s
not a fair question, but if I had one moment that stands
out the most it would have to be the Hog’s Breath
win. That was my first king mackerel win and we just
had so much fun that weekend.
After
this big year, are you planning on fishing more kingfish
tournaments next year?
Yes
I am and I can’t wait for the Hog’s Breath
in January ’08.
