Berry Is Primed for Big Time

This year, he finished first in the Western Open points and 2nd in the EverStart Western points. Of the seven tournaments across both circuits, he finished in the Top 10 four times, plus a 9th at the Open Championship. He had the fish to place high at the EverStart Championship, but took a wrong turn, got lost and had to surrender his entire day 1 bag.

Berry has always been a strong Western stick, but he's red-hot right now. And after his AAA tear this fall, he's ready for the big time ,the FLW Tour ,and feels his mistakes have only made him stronger.

Fishing Every Day
A quick look at Berry's stats reveals an angler who's due for a breakout. In the EverStart Western series, he placed 2nd at Lake Pleasant, 9th at Lake Havasu, 2nd at Clear Lake and 48th at the California Delta. In the Western Opens he placed 11th at the Delta, 5th at Shasta and 22nd at Clear Lake.

"I just think that fishing every day has really been my key," Berry said. "I had been guiding for so long down in San Diego (Calif.), but this year I made a change and moved up to Diamond Valley Lake. I'd always fished a lot, but this year it seemed like I fished every day for months on end. It really helped me out. I was focused and excited about fishing, and every tournament was fun."

Despite the high finishes, the winner's circle still eludes him. "Nothing really changed in terms of my competitive approach," he said. "It seems like it takes so long to be able to learn how to win. I can't tell you how many tournaments I fished this year where I caught fish in the last 30 minutes ,even the last 5 minutes. I've learned so much over the past few years about how to position yourself to win every time.

"It took a long time and a lot of tournaments, but those near misses make you better. My ultimate goal is to be the best, and to be best you have to have those things happen to you."

He said being in position to win is important, but noted his frustration with the near misses. For example, he finished 2nd at the Lake Pleasant EverStart the past 2 years in a row. He lost the 2003 event by 7 ounces.

"Over the past 2 years I've had three 2nd-place finishes in the EverStarts," he said. "In all three I had the opportunity to win. I was on the right spot, I knew what the fish were doing. It's just one of those things that didn't work out the whole entire way. But I can tell you I've learned a lot more through it about how to manage a spot ,how to manage my fish. Learning that is very hard."

Another heartbreak occurred at this year's Clear Lake EverStart. "I had a 19-pound lead after 2 days," he said. "I caught 30 pounds on the second day and my biggest fish was 12 pounds. I was a hair away from breaking the all-time biggest fish record and all-time 1-day weight record. Then I lost the tournament by 9 pounds. Those types of things will only make me better."

To The Tour
Although Berry was eligible to fish the FLW Tour last year, he held off for financial reasons. This year, he was invited to fish both the FLW and Bassmaster Tour, and right now is committed to the FLW. "I've chosen FLW because of the finances," he said. "The payout is incredible.

"I just signed a deal to be sponsored by Skippy (peanut butter), which is a major sponsor of FLW. I'm really excited about that because it's enabled me to fish the Tour. I would love to be able to fish BASS, and I'm working on a few things now that might make that possible. If so, I'd be incredibly excited. It's always been my dream to go to the (Bassmaster Classic)."

He's been close to a Classic berth twice. "Three years ago, when they took the Top 5 in the Open points (to the Classic), I finished 6th. Two years ago they took the Top 3 and I finished 6th. This year they took no one and I finished 1st.

"Mike Iaconelli told me a few days ago, 'Art, man, just wait a few years ,we'll be talking about all this again. What you're doing is incredible. Don't change it. It's a ladder you're climbing and you'll be at the top soon.'

Although Berry's from the West, the 2005 FLW schedule isn't entirely foreign to him. "Actually, I've been to four of the six lakes on the schedule," he said. "When I fished the Top 150s, I went to Toho (Fla.), Wheeler (Ala.) and the Potomac (Md.). At Toho that year, I was in 6th after the first day, but finished 38th. So I actually know a little bit about it.

"At Wheeler, I was 15th or 16th after 2 days, but didn't get a check. At the Potomac, I spent a couple of weeks there and fished around guys who did well. I feel I know a few things there too. Then, I was just at the Ouachita River (La.) for the Open Championship. I had a chance to win there."

Niche Fishing
Berry's a big-fish specialist, and proved it twice this year. "I caught the big fish at the first EverStart this year," he said. "I also caught the big fish at the Clear Lake (EverStart). I think fishing down here in Southern California is the reason why I catch big fish other places. When you fish here, you just get used to it. You don't know any different."

And he plans to try big baits on the Tour. "I'll bring them (on the Tour) and definitely try the swimbait at Okeechobee," he said.

Although he said he's been throwing swimbaits for years, he didn't use them when he fished the Top 150s because selection was too limited. "They've come out with a lot more color patterns for swimbaits," he said. "For the EverStart Championship in Cumberland, I had some alewife patterns made. Five or 6 years ago, I wouldn't have been able to get that.

"I'm not saying I'll go throw one all the time, but when an opportunity arises, it's just a little added niche I want to have over other people. What else would be better than having a limit and ,if you have the confidence ,going after a big bite with the swimbait. I have that confidence. In fact, I'm not sure if anybody has more confidence in it than me."

Notable
A few years ago, Berry was fishing a tournament at Lake Mead when he received devastating news. His girlfriend, and his kids, had been in a car accident on the way to the event. "Crystal rolled her Explorer like three or four times. The kids were hanging upside-down in their car seats without a scratch. She was thrown from the car. She was on life support for almost 3 weeks. They told me she wasn't going to live. She did. It gives you great faith in the Lord."

Will he travel with anyone on the Tour this year? "Probably Rusty Salewske," he said. "He's another westerner going out."
On losing his first-day catch at the EverStart Championship. "I made a wrong turn and got lost. I was 13 minutes late to the weigh-in and lost all my weight. I feel I was on the spot to win the tournament because I had a big sack the fist day. I came in with 10 pounds and it only took 13 to make the cut."