By Jonathan Manteuffel
Special to BassFan
Anytime an angler can look back on his Bassmaster Elite Series season and see the kind of consistency that Virginia’s John Crews demonstrated in 2011, he has to feel pretty good about it. He easily qualified for his sixth Bassmaster Classic with a 30th-place finish in the Toyota Tundra B.A.S.S. Angler of the Year (AOY) race.
His best tournament finish was 16th at Lake Murray, and he didn’t have any serious bombs all year. He turned in respectable 17th-place showing at the Bassmaster Classic. All in all, he was “Crews-ing” on all cylinders.
“I was consistent, that was probably my biggest accomplishment last year,” he said. “I fished well, but at the same time I lost some key fish in a number of tournaments that probably cost me some Top 20s and even Top 10s. That’s what I need to improve most on this year.
“It comes down to focus and dialing in on a few details. There are a lot of small things that add up. You have to make sure you execute 100 percent of the time, and don’t get distracted. I was putting myself into situations where I had opportunities to do better, and I need to capitalize on those this year. So that’s my biggest goal now, to execute well all the time.
“That, qualifying again for the next Classic, and winning a tournament,” he continued. “The Red River Classic next month would be a good place to start.”
Never did pro angler John Crews think that the nickname “Crews Missile”, given to him by good buddy Rick Hawkins, would grow so popular.
Not only does the nickname appear in the well-liked Virginia pro’s email address, but these days, Crews is also often referred to as ‘The Crews Missile’ on stage during B.A.S.S. weigh-ins.
Crews never thought he’d trade away his diesel tow vehicle for a gas powered Toyota Tundra either, but like the nickname, Crews’ new Tundra has serious horsepower.
“Based on my experience, the Tundra is the only gas powered truck out there that will keep up with a diesel. It’s the strongest gas powered truck on the road from what I’ve witnessed,” said Crews, who will tow his SPRO Lures sponsored Bass Cat with the new 381-hp Tundra throughout the upcoming 2012 Bassmaster Elite and PAA season.
“Not only will it be cheaper to buy gas than diesel, but I’m also looking forward to a quieter, smoother ride across the 30,000 miles I typically tow each year,” said Crews, who describes his dream fishing trip as any lake in Mexico where they’re biting a SPRO Little John DD.
Crews will also have a chance to haul home cash bonuses he wasn’t eligible for previously. “Being eligible for the Toyota Trucks Bonus Bucks definitely played a role into buying a Tundra. I feel like I have a good shot at grabbing some of that Bonus Bucks money,” said Crews, who has practiced a strict health and fitness lifestyle en route to qualifying for five Bassmaster Classics.
The “Crews Missile” is right on track. When you buy or lease a 2007 or newer Tundra, Sequoia, 4Runner, FJ Cruiser or Tacoma, send in your registration like he did, and be the highest finishing eligible participant (must finish in the top 50% of the field) in your FLW or BASS affiliated tournament – and you win the Bonus Bucks. To find out more and to make sure you’re signed up please visit www.ToyotaFishing.com or call Kendell at (918) 742-6424.
