by Kelly Reeves
When you first meet professional bass angler Blake Schroeder, you immediately notice a few things, his genuine politeness, true professionalism, and his undeniable passion for fishing, family, and friends.
Hailing from Texas, Schroeder is making a name for himself in the professional bass fishing circuit, not only for his skills on the water but also for his personable nature off the water. I had the pleasure of sitting down with him on a crisp winter morning, and between stories of tournament days and favorite fishing spots, he shared some valuable tips for catching bass as the weather warms up. Read along and learn more about Blake’s history, tournament fishing, and his goals for the future.
Where did you get your love of fishing?
When I was about 3 yrs old, my dad, Kurt Schroeder, would take me out of pre-school to go fishing. I fished with waterdogs because I was too little to work an artificial lure. I later progressed to throwing an old-school Chug Bug topwater bait at Fayette County Lake. I had cast it across the cove and … ‘BLUP, BLUP, BLUP’ … was reeling it in, when a 6 or 7 pound Bass inhaled it. I’ve been hooked ever since. When I got a little bigger, Dad started taking me to Sam Rayburn [Reservoir]. Rayburn is what I’d call my ‘home lake’. Rain or shine, I wanted to be out on the lake fishing.
On one trip when I was little, it was pouring rain. I was hell-bent on going fishing but Dad didn’t have a rainsuit my size so he cut two arm holes and a hole for my head out of a trash bag, put the trash bag on me, and let me fish in the rain. I just loved it.
How did you progress to fishing the pro circuit?
Dad and I had a really strong hunting and fishing connection. When I was 8 years old, I fished my first bass tournament on Sam Rayburn. It was the McDonald’s Big Bass Splash Tournament. I remember it like it was yesterday, and I’m 29 now. I was throwing a Texas rigged lizard in the grass, and I remember setting the hook into this fish, a 4-pounder. I landed that fish and was thrilled. This is what got me hooked in terms of competitive fishing, and it always inspired me to chase the dream.
In the Big Bass Splash, they gave prizes for even pound weights … 3.00 pounds, 4.00 pounds, and 5.00 pounds. Well, this little 8-year-old kid goes down with all the grown men to weigh in my fish. It weighed 4.01 pounds. One one-hundreth of an ounce away from winning $5,000 dollars as an 8-year- old kid. Now, it sounds like a bummer, but looking back, what got me hooked on competition was being so close to winning $5,000 as an 8-year-old. It wasn’t about the money. It was the fact that I was so close but I didn’t win. So, it was like them dangling a carrot in front of a horse. That has stuck with me throughout my whole fishing career. If I would have won that $5,000, if that fish had weighed exactly 4.00 pounds, I don’t think I would be the fisherman I am today. It would have felt too easy. The fact that I was so close to success, but didn’t get it, is what got me hooked.
My dad and I fished a bunch tournaments together and had some mild success. We got a few checks here and there, but mainly used these tournaments as an opportunity to learn. Once I got to college, I started fishing for Steven F. Austin University with my buddy, Jordan Lane. I remember the first tournament we won was in November on Sam Rayburn. We were throwing Rattle Traps in Julie Creek and Harvey Creek. We won that college tournament and Jordan graduated soon after. Then, one of my best friends, Easton Heigley, and I started fishing together and we had immediate success the first year. We also fished a Texas Team Trail event. He was 19 and I was 20 years old. We couldn’t even legally have an adult beverage yet. We weighed in 27 pounds and won the Texas Team Trail. I think we were the youngest team to win the Texas Team Trail at that time. We were kind of known as the ‘Young Guns’ around Rayburn for several years. As young kids, we kind of caught people by surprise. A little further down the road I had some success in the BFLs (Bass Fishing League) and stuff like that, and the next year (2017) I won my first-ever BFL tournament on Rayburn, weighing in 28 pounds. To me, that was a huge deal. Back then the BFLs were a big deal. With my first win under my belt, I made a run at the Angler of the Year award, but fell short on Toledo Bend. That’s what got me started. I then was fortunate enough to fish the Toyota Series with some success. I got invited to fish some invitationals but turned them down because I wanted to fish with the B.A.S.S. organization. I fished the entire circuit of a division of the Bassmaster Opens, at one point. There are a lot of different avenues to get to where you want to be as an angler. This was my avenue.
Which tournament series do you fish now?
I currently am fishing the Bassmaster Open Division 2 as well as a bunch of various MLF (Major League Fishing) Toyota Series tournaments all over the country to try to qualify for the championship in November on Grand Lake. My ultimate goal is to fish the opens, make the eq’s (event qualifers) and qualify for the Elite Series in the 2026 season. We will see how that plays out.
Tell us a little about being a professional angler. What does it really entail?
Everyone has a different story. To be on the road fishing tournaments, obviously there’s some financial bounds and obstacles … entry fees, lodging, fuel, food, bait and tackle, unforeseen breakdowns, not to mention the mental aspect of fishing tournaments. You have to be mentally tough. Tournament fishing is a very acute picture of life. Life isn’t fair. Life will throw you curve balls every day. Nothing is going to go just as you plan. That is a typical day on the water fishing a tournament. You never know what is going to come at you, you just have to be able to change and adapt. Tournament fishing is just like life. It’s hard to win. People are always going to beat you. When you are on top, you’re not there for long. There’s always someone who’s better or more dedicated. You have to find a way to up your game every single time. That’s the biggest challenge.
What is the most rewarding part of fishing the professional circuits?
Winning a tournament is fun. The trophies are what do it for me. I want something that I can say, “I have that.” You can make money doing all kinds of different things, but no one else can say “I have that trophy.” I like to look back at that trophy and tell a story. You can’t tell a story about a check or a number in a bank account because people lose interest, but when you see those trophies, each one has a story. I love talking to people about fishing. Fishing brings people of all different walks of life together. Whether it is spending a day on the water together, or just swapping stories, people of all different walks of life can share their love of fishing. One of the best parts of tournament fishing is the people and the camaraderie. I’ve been able to meet some wonderful people like Keith Honeycutt, Todd Castledine, Russell Cecil, and others who I consider mentors. They’ve taught me more than they’ll ever know, and are good friends. I appreciate everything they’ve done for me in teaching me the ropes of the tournament trail, how to carry myself as a professional and how to represent myself, and how to represent other peoples brands, and as well as my own.
How important are sponsors?
Sponsors are a big part of what we do. I’m the president of Striping Technology in Tyler, Texas. We are a family-owned road striping contractor established in 1975. The relationships I’ve built in business and in the fishing industry, with guys that are 15 to 30 years older than me, have taught me how to earn and keep relationships for many years. This is beneficial in both my fishing and professional life. Cody Clark with Alamo Roadway Materials in San Antonio, Texas, has become a good friend who I share a really close hunting and fishing relationship with. Cody also provides most of the material we use in our roadway jobs. That’s the type of relationship we have built. We have made many memories in the woods and on the water, and plan to make many more. Alamo Roadway Materials is one of my big sponsors and have done a lot for me fishing-wise and in business. Skeeter Boats … I can’t say enough good things about Skeeter Boats. Jeff Wooldridge and Chris Brown have helped me tremendously. I couldn’t be more proud to be partnered with a local boat manufacturer that builds some of the best bass boats available. Skeeter Products Inc., in Kilgore, Texas, make it easy to take care of any problem I may have. The manufacturing facility is 45 minutes from my home. I couldn’t do this without Skeeter. I run a 2025 Skeeter / Yamaha FXR20 all around the country. It’s very reliable and I love it, but the biggest thing is having that relationship with someone local that I can help promote their product, and they help me. Austyn Fowler, is a great asset for Skeeter Boats Inc., and for me as well. He takes customer service to a new level and is wonderful to work with.
Falcon Rods, Abu Garcia, Owner Hooks have all been wonderful to work with, and all produce top of the line products that I can count on.
When you fish like I do, there’s always going to be maintenance issues. Diamond Sports Marine on the west side of Lake Fork in Yantis, Texas, keeps me on the lake. The owner, Fred Barthold, is a top-notch mechanic that has helped me maintain my boats and keeps me in the game. Fred is my go-to guy and the only person I allow to work on my boats. If you’ll give Fred a try, you won’t be disappointed. He will earn your business and your trust. I couldn’t fish the way I do without each of my sponsors.
What is your favorite time of year to bass fish?
I don’t necessarily have a favorite. I love it year round. January through March, chasing the pre-spawn and spawn, you’re trying to figure out where the bass are staged up coming from their winter transition spot to where they are making their way to the bank. Where are they coming from? Where are they traveling? Where do they stop before they spawn? It’s a chess game. It’s not checkers, it’s chess when dealing with the spawn. “It’s one of my favorite times of the year to fish for bass. As the water temperatures rise, bass start moving up into shallower waters to spawn. Understanding their movement patterns this time of year is key. One of Schroeder’s primary recommendations is to look for transition areas—places where deep water meets the shallows. “Bass stage in these areas before moving up to their spawning beds,” he says. Targeting these transition zones with the right bait can make all the difference.
What is your favorite technique for catching bass in the spring? Can you share a few tips?
There’s four things I like to do in late winter and early spring:
1) drag a 1 ounce Carolina rig with any type of Berkeley creature bait;
2) throw crankbaits during prespawn;
3) throw chatterbaits in green-pumpkin or a shad color; red if the water is really cold, like a firecraw color
4)fish a big, football head jig in black and blue, or green-pumpkin to keep it simple.
“Spring is one of my favorite times to fish.” When it comes to lures, Schroeder has a few favorites. My spring staples are the chatterbait, double-willow spinner bait in chartreuse and white, or solid white swim jigs. A Senko type bait … a Berkeley General, with a 1/8 ounce tungsten weight, or fish it weightless. I love fishing a weightless fluke or a fluke with a nail weight in the head on flats. Even topwater baits are a lot of fun. I’m not scared to throw a frog in the spring. Frogs are an underutilized bait in the spring.
You can’t go wrong with a lipless crankbait early in the season. It’s great for covering water quickly and locating active fish. As the season progresses and bass move into spawning areas, I switch things up. A soft plastic creature bait or a finesse worm can be deadly when bass are locked on their beds. You want something subtle that aggravates them just enough to strike.
If you put your head down and fish in the right areas, you will catch fish, especially on lakes like Tyler, Palestine, Fork, Toledo Bend, or Sam Rayburn.
I love power fishing, moving fast and efficiently. I love turning that reel handle. Crankbaits deep or shallow, chatter bait, rattle trap, anything like that. I like to cover water and analyze it. While many anglers focus solely on their bait choices, the importance of reading the water can’t be emphsized enough. Pay attention to clarity and temperature. If the water is murky, I’ll use something with more vibration like a spinnerbait. If it’s clear, I’ll downsize my presentation and use more natural colors.
Forward facing sonar- Love it or hate it?
It’s something new on the block. I love it, and I hate it. Some days it’s frustrating looking at big fish that won’t bite. Some days it can save your day and win you a lot of money. I use it quite a bit, and it’s really fun to do, but it’s just another tool. Bass fishing is a constantly evolving sport. I like it. I utilize it, but I am not totally committed to it. I run the Garmin 1643 with an LSV34 transducer for the Livescope and I like it. I still use a lot of old school tactics.
What are your favorite Texas lakes for catching big bass?
Lake Fork, Palestine, Lake O’ the Pines, Sam Rayburn, Toledo Bend are all go-to lakes for catching a big bass. One thing I recommend to everyone who is an avid bass fisherman is to go to Lake Falcon, or Amistad in Del Rio. The scenery is beautiful and you have a really good chance to catch a bass of a lifetime, and experience some of the coolest scenery you’ll ever see on a lake. If I had to pick one lake to go catch a big bass on, and I’ll put all my marbles on it … it would obviously be Lake Fork. From now through April, there’s a good opportunity to catch a giant bass on Fork. My second choice would be Rayburn or Toledo Bend.
“At the end of the day, it’s just fishing,” says Schroeder with his signature warmth and Texas drawl. “Some of us enjoy just going out and beating the bank. Some of us enjoy pounding our heads in tournament fishing, but it’s just fishing. You have to remember that. Fishing will be a part of my life until I die. When you are out on the lake watching a beautiful sunrise or sunset, you realize that you are fortunate that God gives you the opportunity to go out and chase your dream, and be in the great outdoors.”
From fishing with my dad at age 3, to fishing the Big Bass Splash at 8 years old, to competitive fishing in college, then winning some big team tournaments and a couple of BFL (Bass Fishing Leaugue) tournaments, progressing to the Toyota series and then to the Bassmaster opens. That was my route, but everyone’s journey is different. I’m just very thankful that I get to do what I love and that my sponsors, and my family have facilitated it so that I’m able to do this. I’m blessed to have the opportunity to live my dream fishing and make life-long relationships that I greatly cherish.
After an insightful visit filled with both expert advice and humble story-telling, it was clear why Blake Schroeder has built such a positive reputation in the fishing world, as well as the business world. His politeness and professionalism are as much a trademark as his ability to locate and land big bass. Whether you’re an experienced angler or just getting started, following his spring fishing tips might just help you reel in your next trophy catch.
