May Pro Spotlight: James Kennedy
Mon, 19 May 2008
This month’s pro staff spotlight is on James Kennedy. James is fishing his sophomore season in the B.A.S.S. Elite Series. He originally qualified for the Elite Series through the Bassmaster Federation Nation. After qualifying through the Central Division, James fished the 2006 Bassmaster Classic.
The Lacombe, LA pro has been with Kistler for several years and he appreciates the relationship that has developed between him and Kistler. Kennedy called Kistler part of his “foundation”. “Kistler makes a quality product and the people there have been quite supportive in my fishing success” stated Kennedy.
Prior to joining the Elite Series, James was a mechanic for a Chevrolet Dealership in the New Orleans, LA area. The dealership worked with him by allowing him to have time to fish the Bassmaster Opens. As Kennedy met greater success, he had to make a decision to leave a job that he enjoyed for an uncertain future in the world of competitive angling. The choice was made easier by the support of his family. James knows that none of what he is doing would be possible without their support.
Kennedy’s immediate family support is from his wife (Bonny), son (Ryan), and his daughter (Kristen). Bonny and Kristen work for one of Kennedy’s biggest sponsors, Dr. Michelle Cooper and Dr. Scott Sullivan. Bonny is an office manager for the doctors, while 19 year old Kristen is a receptionist in the office. James stated that none of his fishing would be possible without the “behind the scenes” help from his wife. She is his personal assistant and manager of his fishing career. Bonny will do much of the needed work, so that James can focus on fishing. Kennedy said that without his wife’s support, he would not be able to fish at this level. James shared an example of Bonny’s support. After a poor day of fishing on Clear Lake in California last year, James felt like he just wanted to “come home”. He had been on the road for 7 weeks. He missed his daughter’s prom and felt beaten. Bonny told James that “you had a good practice and you need to make that practice happen in the tournament”. Kennedy was then able to catch a 27 pound stringer the next day.
Support is also given in other forms by other people. Kennedy has 2 other fans that are members of “Team Kennedy”. James’ mother has been and is one of his biggest fans. “She has 10 copies of everything that has ever been written about me”. His sister is another person who supports his fishing. His sister wears a “Team Kennedy” shirt on the days of James’ tournaments.
Many people are aware of the two recent losses in James’ family. He recently lost his father and his aunt. His father had been ill for sometime and he had been in a wheelchair. James said that during his father’s illness, his sister was “unbelievable”. She told James that “you just keep fishing; I’ve got everything covered here”. When speaking with Kennedy, it was obvious that he was getting choked up when he talked about all that his sister had done during his father’s illness.
Kennedy’s success in the Elite Series is partially due to his use of Kistler Rods. When asked about a favorite rod, he said that it would have to be a Helium LTA 7’6” Med/Hvy. He said that this was “one” of his favorites. The rod’s versatility is what Kennedy feels is the rods biggest attributes. He uses the rod for everything from soft plastics, Senkos, and ¾-1oz tubes in deep water. James mentioned that the rod has just enough of a “forgiving tip” so that he will not rip a bait out, and it still has plenty of backbone.
The love of bass fishing was quite evident when speaking to Kennedy. He mentioned how he loves to see the success that it now has in today’s media coverage. “Of course I would love to see it reach a NASCAR level” said Kennedy. James mentioned that one thing that he loved about the sport is the fact that it is accessible to everyone at many different levels. He mentioned that he could not climb in a car with a NASCAR driver, but someone can fish on an extremely competitive level from the back of a pro’s boat in an Elite Series tournament. Kennedy said that the sport is “family friendly” and it is something that should be enjoyed as a family.
Also, Kennedy feels a desire to give back to the sport that he loves and that has been so good to him. He shared how much he enjoyed working with the Junior Anglers in the Junior Classic. Kennedy shared that he would have loved to have had that opportunity when he was growing up. He mentioned that some of the young fishermen still keep in touch with him via email.
During time that was spent prior to an Elite Series tournament on the Potomac River, Kennedy made a trip to Walter Reed Hospital to see the men and women that were in the hospital recovering from injuries. Kennedy not only wanted to make the visit because his father served in a previous war, but because he felt that it was the right thing to do. He wanted these soldiers to know how much people do care and appreciate the sacrifices that they made for all of us.
Kennedy mentioned that his favorite body of water to fish would have to be the California Delta. Then he said that he also liked the Mississippi River Delta and the Potomac River. It is obvious from these bodies of water that he enjoys fishing in waters that have a tidal influence. When speaking with him, he was in the Houston, Texas area on his way to Falcon Lake. He was quick to mention that he may have a new favorite after his swing through Texas!
Kennedy mentioned that his keys to success are the support from his family, friends and sponsors. James said that Bonny always finds a way to “pump me up”. He also stated that you have to have confidence when fishing against the Elite Pros. He said that they are all so good that “they will leave you behind”. Also,James mentioned that you have to also leave a lake with confidence so that when and if you return, you will not be afraid of that body of water.
There are areas in which Kennedy would like to see his fishing improve. He would like to improve his crankbait fishing and his ability to target smallmouth. Kennedy also said that he would like to master his electronics, but the electronics have so many features to know them all.
At the end of our discussion, James made it clear that he wanted to “thank” everyone who had taken the time to support him during his recent losses. Kennedy mentioned that he felt “blessed” due to all the support that he had received from fans, fellow anglers, and the B.A.S.S. staff. He said that during this time, he received cards emails, and phone calls from so many people. He said this support made it a bit easier to go on during his grieving period.
It is quite obvious that James Kennedy has the “foundation” that is needed to be a successful Elite Series Pro.
