MOUNTAIN HOME, Ark. – Bassmaster Elite Series pro Carl Jocumsen, the first and only Australian full-time professional bass angler on an American circuit, stormed back from third place and a four-and-a-half pound deficit to claim the victory in the final regular season event of the 2019 Bassmaster Elite Series at Oklahoma’s Lake Tenkiller. His 19 pound 12 ounce limit on Day Four was the best of the tournament by over 3 pounds, and allowed him to win the tournament by 3 pounds as well.
Not only did he celebrate his 35th birthday by hoisting the trophy, but he’ll also be married in two weeks, making the fall of 2019 a momentous period in his life and in his rapid ascent through the professional fishing ranks. He credited his Bass Cat Cougar FTD with helping him throughout the year and particularly in this tournament.
“One thing that people don’t talk about much is a Bass Cat’s speed,” he said. “But the speed is a huge advantage. Over the course of a season I can fish an average of five to seven more hours than most other pros. At Winyah Bay I was starting 40 minutes earlier and leaving 40 minutes later. In a sport where one cast can change your life, that’s a big deal. Just a few years ago, I had excuses for why I couldn’t compete. Now there are no excuses anymore. I’m running the best of everything.”
At Tenkiller he had a magic stretch that produced the bulk of his catch on Day Four, but that success was the culmination of a large amount of running and gunning the first three days. “I ran so much of the lake that my GPS trails look crazy,” he said. Had the boat not handled the water so efficiently, he might have missed a critical clue.
Bass Cat pro staff director Kevin Short, who also directs the company’s international sales program, has been thrilled with Jocumsen’s contributions. “Even before the win, he’s been a big help in getting the word out about the Bass Cat advantage and the Bass Cat family,” Short said. “It’s very rare that you get a whole country rooting for one competitor, and even rarer that it’s someone as magnetic as Carl.”
Bass Cat President Rick Pierce agreed that it was a no-brainer to add Jocumsen to the “family” in 2016, and despite the occasional speed bump along the way there was never any doubt that he’d make the company proud.
“We work hard to ensure that all of our team members are solid citizens and quality anglers who can win at any time,” Pierce explained. “Carl is a winner in every respect.”
About Bass Cat: Bass Cat, owned by Correct Craft, manufactures the industry’s premier bass fishing boats from its headquarters in Mountain Home, Arkansas. Family operated since it’s founding in 1971, Bass Cat is the longest continuously operating tournament bass boat company in the United States. For more information visit www.basscat.com.
About Correct Craft: Celebrating 94 years of excellence in the marine industry, Correct Craft is a Florida-based company with global operations. Focused on “Making Life Better,” the Correct Craft family includes Nautique, Centurion, Supreme, Bass Cat, Yar-Craft, SeaArk, Parker, and Bryant boat companies, Pleasurecraft Marine Engine Group, Watershed Innovation and Aktion Parks. For more information please visit www.correctcraft.com.