Eastonite of the Week: Terry Baksay

Name: Terry Baksay

Occupation: Professional bass fisherman

Family: Wife and three boys

How long have you lived here in Easton?

My wife and I were both born and raised here.

What do you enjoy most about your job?

Being outside and being on the water. I’ve grown up around the water, my mom lives three houses down and yes I got caught fishing in the reservoir many times when I was younger. I like the traveling. I have fished almost every place there is to fish east of the Mississippi and many places west of it.

How did you become a pro fisherman?

I have been fishing since I have been able to walk. After college and graduate school — I have a master's degree in psychology from Springfield College — I was trying to figure out what to do for a job. I was a manager for Hermann’s Sporting goods stores here in Connecticut. At the time I would take unpaid vacation to go fish and earn money in tournaments. When Hermann’s went out of business, I went into pro fishing full time.

When did you compete in your first tournament?

Well from 1985 to the middle of 1989 I fished in various tournaments around the country. Then from mid-1989 through the middle of 1990 I fished the entire tournament trail, which is the equivalent of the golf or tennis tours for fishing. In 1990, I qualified for the bass masters fishing classic as a rookie and I have been on the trail ever since.

Do you do anything locally with fishing?

Yes, I guide a bit at Lake Candlewood at least two or three times a week I will go out and teach people to fish. I am also the youth director for the Connecticut Bass Federation Nation, which promotes fishing for the youth of the state of Connecticut.

What should the average fan know?

Fishing is a lot more grueling that it looks. It is a lot more than just sitting and fishing. Boats travel at 75 mph and some time we have to travel 100 miles in our boats just to get to the fish. I have gone 140 [miles] each way to catch fish in a tournament. Tournaments do not get cancelled no matter what the weather is. I also have to take my boat everywhere I go. (To visit Baksay's website, click here.)

What is the hardest thing about being a pro fisherman?

Money. Entry fees are high, [then you have to buy] gas for the boat and truck. The boat gets three mpg, the truck 12. So I am always looking for sponsors to help cut costs. I have had the same sponsors for years but as the economy is going bad I am looking for sponsors outside the sport to help fund me as well.

What is in your boat when you go to a tournament?

I have 30 rods and reels in my boat at all times. Each type of fishing lure has a specific rod, worm, jig, et cetera that it works well with. Rods and reels and fishing line never changes but the lures are the game and I am a real tactician when it comes to lures I have almost everyone made.

What is your big fish story?

Well I did catch a Shark off Montauk. But my big story was when I was in a tournament at Lake Lanier, Ga. I was in the lead going into the last day I was up by 2 pounds which is a sizeable lead. When I got up on the morning of the final day of fishing my back went out. I could barely walk. I had to crawl into my drivers seat to get into my boat. I went out to fish and because I was in the lead I was with a camera guy and had a mic on. So every time I would move a certain way I would wince in pain and the camera guy would look at me. I could barely fish that day but manage to catch a few and ended up losing the tournament by 12 ounces. The sad thing is I had a fish on my line from my last cast that would have kept me in the lead but my back was so bad that I could not bend and when I went to bring the fish into the boat it dropped back in the water. That cost me $50,000.

Do you have your own baseball card?

Yes I do (see photos). The funny thing is up here know one knows who I am but when I go south people stop me in restaurants and ask me for my autograph. It’s a lot of fun.

What is your favorite thing about Easton?

Its rural setting.

What is your favorite spot in Easton?

The mud hole at Toth Park, I learned to swim there.