I was Paul’s Co-Angler that day on Guntersville. Without a doubt, Paul is a true class act. I was just a few points away from qualifying for the Forest Wood Cup, so I needed a big day. And to say I was a little nervous when we had boat issues that morning, would be an understatement. Then, when Paul pulls out the umbrella rig, I was dumbfounded. I said, “You’re not going to throw that thing”. I had trolled with umbrella rigs for Stripers in the past. BUT, not casting them for largemouth. He said that he would give me one when he caught his limit. Paul, true to his word, gave me one. Of course, I didn’t have the right swimbaits, he knew I was struggling, watching him cull 4lbers! He broke down gave me some of his baits too. Thanks to Paul Elias, I finished 5th in the Co-Angler standings and qualified for the 2012 Forest Wood Cup on Lake Lanier.
I can remember in 83 in our bass club tournament spending most of the day knee’l & reel’n after hearing about Pauls success. Just loss one our club members at 79 years young. What a great sport.
Great interview, it’s more than just fishing stories, it’s life stories that help those of us who grew up back in the 70’s understand what made these guys the legends they are. Thanks for sharing, really enjoyed it.
I love how engaged the interviewer is. I've never bass fished. I've only surf fished for perch for a year or so. Just did it for fun. Watching these interviews are entertaining though. The passion these guys have is awesome.
I can still see Mr. Paul's face and voice as a kid at the Classic in Birmingham. My dad was a huge Paul Elias fan and so of course so was I. Dad pointed him out and walked me over to get his autograph and all i could muster to say was "....sign it..""" 🤣🤣. Hell i had the whole speech asking for his autograph lined out on the way over. Mr. Paul just laughed and shook my hand, signed my bassmaster shirt and talked to my Dad for a minute. One of the nicest men i ever had the pleasure of meeting. Got a bunch more autographs and a brand new Abu Garcia combo setup with some money i had saved. Three things from that classic still stick out with me. Don't remember who won it but what i remember most was 1. they shot a cannon off somewhere in civic center during weigh in that scared the hell out of me. 2. My dad and i argued over what boat looked better between a Ranger or a Champion, there was a black white and gold 20' Champion with a Mercury on it and idk how many Rangers. But i've yet to see a bass boat anywhere as fine as that Champion i saw in Birmingham. 3. I blundered asking Paul Elias for his autograph and just essentially stuck out my shirt and told him to sign the damn thing lol. What a time. Hope you didn't think i was being a rude little sob.
Edwin I’ve been in the Hospital for 20 days fighting Covid… couple years ago I sold my boat and have regretted every since!!!! I’ve been watching all your videos to pass time… THANK YOU!!I love your content!! I can’t wait to get out of here and on the water! First new lure will be a j-walker!! God Bless!!
Definitely another amateur angler who watched Paul on the B.A.S.S trail and listened to his tips and techniques and I remember that classic win for sure. Fantastic video, Edwin and Paul...thank you so much for sharing. I could listen to the fellas from the previous generation tell stories till the cows come home!!
I started to comment on the Hank Parker video to request a Paul Elias video! Yay!!!! I'm a Mississippi boy myself. Man would I love to meet either one of you. Absolute legends. 💪💪💪💯💯💯
I was quite fortunate to see that tournament on TV that Paul wone on Guntersville with the 'A' rig. I called Mann's in the south from Montana to order a pair of those baits.
I was living in Kalamazoo when the "A rig" first hit the shelf @ Lunkers bait&tackle in Edwardsburg, MI. I bought one for my buddy and gave him as a joke. He laughed at it and tossed it into my rod locker. A couple weeks later we was up on Skegemog near Traverse City and I pulled it out. He laughed at it again as did I but on the first cast I caught 2 3lb smallmouth and there were 3 or 4 other bigger smallies chasing it!!! I reckon we found out the Alabama Rig wasn't no joke after all! 😎
Edwin, you asked what we would like to see in your videos and I said more interviews. That was only one or two day's ago. I think you do the interviews for kids wanting to be professional fisherman but I'm 70 years old and love the interviews. Thanks for all your awesome instructional videos and everything in between. 💙🐟🙏
Sorry to all the great fishermen out there (you too E2), but Paul’s win with the Alabama Rig is the most influential win of all time in this guys opinion. Thanks for the vid Edwin.
It's good to see he is still the greatest of all time! That man deserved it. Like he said "it's like God reached down and touched me on the shoulder and said it's your turn buddy" haha he is a legend and so humble. Good luck to your future sir. And maybe beat your own record again. E only have one life.
Awesome interview........ with a guy thats been doing this a long time..... So much history and experience...... Really enjoyed this..... Thanks for sharing Edwin...
I just watched that story about his record the other day. I have it on a VHS I got free when I joined B.A.S.S several years ago! I still have a couple of those Manns cranks and probably 8 or 10 bags of Jelly Worms too
You need to interview Pete Barello from Staten Island, New York. He caught the smallest 5 fish limit in BASS history 5 fish 3lbs 2oz !!!!! He’s a great guy!
I drew out with Paul on the St. John's, Palatka, FL in a B.A.S.S. Top 100 Pro-Am I believe around 1990. He caught 35 or so pounds of bedding fish all on 6lb. test and guess who had to lip every one of them? Nets were illegal at that juncture in B.A.S.S. rules. I was shakin' like a bird dog trying to pass a peach seed all day afraid I'd lose one for him but I never did. I was throwing a Texas rigged worm and asked Paul "should I set the hook as soon as I feel one or wait a few seconds until they have it?" Paul says "they ain't got no hands!'
Man this has to be one of the greatest videos I’ve ever watched. So special to see a legend. Absolutely enjoyed thanks for sharing this vid. Paul is special
Got to fish with Paul on Chickamaugua back in 92 and he was a class act. Had more weight from the back of his boat and felt so bad about it. He was great though. Good times and great memories.
That wasn’t my point at all. He had a bad day, even loaned me the bait I caught my fish on. After the weigh in, he took the time to meet my wife and visited with us, posed for pictures with us. He is a true gentleman, fierce competitor, and his many accomplishments speak for themselves. I’ll always cherish the time I spent with him that day. Not many people have that opportunity.
Great interview, really enjoyed listening to Paul. You forgot to ask the most important question of all though, does he still have any of the jumpsuits that the pro fisherman wore in the early years? I remember them well. I was just getting into bass fishing when they first came on the scene and I thought they were so 😎 that they would be around in fishing forever. Boy was I wrong. ( still would've liked to have one then though)
GREAT VIDEO!!!! You said these were for the kids, thanks I’m a 65 year old kid. Also said this might last two hours, where’s the other hour and a half? 😀😀😀
I heard him tell once-he became a pro because Mercury had approached him “why aren’t you pro?” He said “I need insurance benefits for my family”. Mercury agreed to give him/family insurance. He never told that story in this interview. I guess he was sucking up to Mercury in that interview😂.
Man it's not just kids that wanna know. It seems like everything is always pointed toward "kids in school that wanted be a pro fisherman." But there's a huge percentage of fans and aspiring bass fisherman that have families and go to work every day spending every minute trying to figure out how they can get back on the water.
Hey Edwin I look up to you so much I love in foyil Oklahoma right next toe the blue creek and spencer creek ramp what would it take for us to go fishing ?
unfortunately never met Paul, but I'm from around the same area as him and I know his niece and she is without a doubt one of the most beautiful women on the planet and one of the nicest. I guess that's really neither here nor there but I figured I'd say it.
Goes to show ya how fish get conditioned to the baits we throw. High pressure lakes the bass are likley laughing at our baits and retrieves. Anyone have any idea why its sooo good on suspended fish?
I was Paul’s Co-Angler that day on Guntersville. Without a doubt, Paul is a true class act. I was just a few points away from qualifying for the Forest Wood Cup, so I needed a big day. And to say I was a little nervous when we had boat issues that morning, would be an understatement. Then, when Paul pulls out the umbrella rig, I was dumbfounded. I said, “You’re not going to throw that thing”. I had trolled with umbrella rigs for Stripers in the past. BUT, not casting them for largemouth. He said that he would give me one when he caught his limit. Paul, true to his word, gave me one. Of course, I didn’t have the right swimbaits, he knew I was struggling, watching him cull 4lbers! He broke down gave me some of his baits too. Thanks to Paul Elias, I finished 5th in the Co-Angler standings and qualified for the 2012 Forest Wood Cup on Lake Lanier.
Are Lanier is my home lake,how did you do?
Thanks for sharing rest of story, awesome. Good job man.
Both of these guys are just a totally american class act,we should all strive to be that kind,and respectful
I can remember in 83 in our bass club tournament spending most of the day knee’l & reel’n after hearing about Pauls success. Just loss one our club members at 79 years young. What a great sport.
Paul is a class act would really like to see him win one of the mlf tournaments, thanks for the interview with him
there are Milf tournaments? Hell yeah, I love this sport.
Solid gold! I could listen to these stories forever.
I wish this interview was 3 hours longer! Thank you Edwin and Paul! Appreciate yall! Learned a ton!
At least 1.5 hrs, Paul I am sure has cool stories.
Grew up watching him kneel and real. Great video.
Great interview, it’s more than just fishing stories, it’s life stories that help those of us who grew up back in the 70’s understand what made these guys the legends they are. Thanks for sharing, really enjoyed it.
One of the true gentlemen of the sport - a legend for sure!!!!
I love Paul he's cool as hell guys broke a lot of records I feel like he doesn't get a lot of the recognition he deserves
I love how engaged the interviewer is. I've never bass fished. I've only surf fished for perch for a year or so. Just did it for fun. Watching these interviews are entertaining though. The passion these guys have is awesome.
I can still see Mr. Paul's face and voice as a kid at the Classic in Birmingham. My dad was a huge Paul Elias fan and so of course so was I. Dad pointed him out and walked me over to get his autograph and all i could muster to say was "....sign it..""" 🤣🤣. Hell i had the whole speech asking for his autograph lined out on the way over. Mr. Paul just laughed and shook my hand, signed my bassmaster shirt and talked to my Dad for a minute. One of the nicest men i ever had the pleasure of meeting. Got a bunch more autographs and a brand new Abu Garcia combo setup with some money i had saved. Three things from that classic still stick out with me. Don't remember who won it but what i remember most was 1. they shot a cannon off somewhere in civic center during weigh in that scared the hell out of me. 2. My dad and i argued over what boat looked better between a Ranger or a Champion, there was a black white and gold 20' Champion with a Mercury on it and idk how many Rangers. But i've yet to see a bass boat anywhere as fine as that Champion i saw in Birmingham. 3. I blundered asking Paul Elias for his autograph and just essentially stuck out my shirt and told him to sign the damn thing lol. What a time. Hope you didn't think i was being a rude little sob.
One of my favorites! All time ! Great man !
I love these interview videos! So cool to hear the origin stories of a lot these guys I grew up watching!
Same here man, great to hear the behind the scenes.
I have followed Paul’s career since the 80’s. Always a great guy.
Edwin I’ve been in the Hospital for 20 days fighting Covid… couple years ago I sold my boat and have regretted every since!!!!
I’ve been watching all your videos to pass time… THANK YOU!!I love your content!! I can’t wait to get out of here and on the water! First new lure will be a j-walker!!
God Bless!!
Love Paul, very humble guy. Never got the recognition outside his peers or closest fans.
Definitely another amateur angler who watched Paul on the B.A.S.S trail and listened to his tips and techniques and I remember that classic win for sure. Fantastic video, Edwin and Paul...thank you so much for sharing. I could listen to the fellas from the previous generation tell stories till the cows come home!!
Paul has always been my favorite angler. What he did at Falcon lake was unbelievable. Yea,really like Paul!
His signature reels are absolutely off the chain too! BRUIN OUTDOORS
Mr Elias is someone I always enjoyed watching fish on TV. He put on a heck of a show on Falcon. 👍👍
Best interview yet…among some great interviews.
I started to comment on the Hank Parker video to request a Paul Elias video! Yay!!!! I'm a Mississippi boy myself. Man would I love to meet either one of you. Absolute legends. 💪💪💪💯💯💯
I was quite fortunate to see that tournament on TV that Paul wone on Guntersville with the 'A' rig. I called Mann's in the south from Montana to order a pair of those baits.
Exactly what Paul is describing at 21:00 is when I tuned into him casting the 'A' rig. I ordered 2 of them while they were still legal.
I was living in Kalamazoo when the "A rig" first hit the shelf @ Lunkers bait&tackle in Edwardsburg, MI. I bought one for my buddy and gave him as a joke. He laughed at it and tossed it into my rod locker. A couple weeks later we was up on Skegemog near Traverse City and I pulled it out. He laughed at it again as did I but on the first cast I caught 2 3lb smallmouth and there were 3 or 4 other bigger smallies chasing it!!! I reckon we found out the Alabama Rig wasn't no joke after all! 😎
Edwin, thank you for interviewing fishing legends like Paul Elias! It's awesome to see the different perspectives.
Edwin, you asked what we would like to see in your videos and I said more interviews. That was only one or two day's ago. I think you do the interviews for kids wanting to be professional fisherman but I'm 70 years old and love the interviews. Thanks for all your awesome instructional videos and everything in between. 💙🐟🙏
Sorry to all the great fishermen out there (you too E2), but Paul’s win with the Alabama Rig is the most influential win of all time in this guys opinion. Thanks for the vid Edwin.
Paul’s a legend!! so so soo underrated.
Paul is a great guy 👍
It's good to see he is still the greatest of all time! That man deserved it. Like he said "it's like God reached down and touched me on the shoulder and said it's your turn buddy" haha he is a legend and so humble. Good luck to your future sir. And maybe beat your own record again. E only have one life.
Great video..!! I'd love to sit at the campfire and just listen to you guys tell stories..!! Thanks for all you do..
I could listen to that ol boy for hours....
Awesome interview........ with a guy thats been doing this a long time..... So much history and experience...... Really enjoyed this..... Thanks for sharing Edwin...
Awesome Interview, great to get insight on all the critical moments in what is truly a Awesome career 🎣
I really enjoy listening to the old-timers thank you Edwin for taking the time to talk to them.
Awesome video Paul is one of my all time favorite anglers!
Enjoyed this interview.
That was awesome, thanks!
I just watched that story about his record the other day. I have it on a VHS I got free when I joined B.A.S.S several years ago! I still have a couple of those Manns cranks and probably 8 or 10 bags of Jelly Worms too
You need to interview Pete Barello from Staten Island, New York.
He caught the smallest 5 fish limit in BASS history
5 fish 3lbs 2oz !!!!!
He’s a great guy!
These are really great to see how people got to where they are now
I drew out with Paul on the St. John's, Palatka, FL in a B.A.S.S. Top 100 Pro-Am I believe around 1990. He caught 35 or so pounds of bedding fish all on 6lb. test and guess who had to lip every one of them? Nets were illegal at that juncture in B.A.S.S. rules. I was shakin' like a bird dog trying to pass a peach seed all day afraid I'd lose one for him but I never did. I was throwing a Texas rigged worm and asked Paul "should I set the hook as soon as I feel one or wait a few seconds until they have it?" Paul says "they ain't got no hands!'
I'd be gettin goose bumps sittin there listenin
That was a awesome interview keep it up
Paul is a class act !!! Thanks for another great episode Edwin 👍
What a great story….any chance for a part 2…Falcon??
….I’d also love to hear his testimony too.
Man this has to be one of the greatest videos I’ve ever watched. So special to see a legend. Absolutely enjoyed thanks for sharing this vid. Paul is special
Great video edwin and its awesome learing alot about these great anglers,
Great history! thanks!
What an awesome interview! You did not hardly have to ask him any questions and he just shared all kinds of neat stories. Love these interviews Edwin
These are great. Hope you do more of them.
That’s awesome love to hear his story that’s just so cool. God bless 🙏
He busted out the golf glove and all. Lake Falcon has never fished the same since!
Fantastic interview 👏
Got to fish with Paul on Chickamaugua back in 92 and he was a class act. Had more weight from the back of his boat and felt so bad about it. He was great though. Good times and great memories.
Ooo we got a bad ass over here he had more weight than Paul Elias from the back of the boat wow
That wasn’t my point at all. He had a bad day, even loaned me the bait I caught my fish on. After the weigh in, he took the time to meet my wife and visited with us, posed for pictures with us. He is a true gentleman, fierce competitor, and his many accomplishments speak for themselves. I’ll always cherish the time I spent with him that day. Not many people have that opportunity.
These videos are killer! Keep it up man!
Great interview, really enjoyed listening to Paul. You forgot to ask the most important question of all though, does he still have any of the jumpsuits that the pro fisherman wore in the early years? I remember them well. I was just getting into bass fishing when they first came on the scene and I thought they were so 😎 that they would be around in fishing forever. Boy was I wrong. ( still would've liked to have one then though)
Really enjoy these interviews hope you keep them up with some other Anglers.
Great content to have this on youtube is priceless
Awesome stuff
Your a lucky dude E ! Keepum comin !
Love hearing fish stories awesome
Great show Edwin and thanks to Paul. He's an all time great
great interview !
Awesome!
Another winner Edwin!
GREAT VIDEO!!!! You said these were for the kids, thanks I’m a 65 year old kid. Also said this might last two hours, where’s the other hour and a half? 😀😀😀
Legend(s)
I heard him tell once-he became a pro because Mercury had approached him “why aren’t you pro?” He said “I need insurance benefits for my family”. Mercury agreed to give him/family insurance.
He never told that story in this interview.
I guess he was sucking up to Mercury in that interview😂.
Good video.
#teamfxcustomrods 💪🏻 I just shared this to the FX Facebook page
This makes me want to go fishing so bad
I love Paul God bless
Please have part 2 3 4 5 6 7
Thats awesome
Such a cool video.
Paul Elias is a step above pro
Man it's not just kids that wanna know. It seems like everything is always pointed toward "kids in school that wanted be a pro fisherman." But there's a huge percentage of fans and aspiring bass fisherman that have families and go to work every day spending every minute trying to figure out how they can get back on the water.
Hey Edwin I look up to you so much I love in foyil Oklahoma right next toe the blue creek and spencer creek ramp what would it take for us to go fishing ?
unfortunately never met Paul, but I'm from around the same area as him and I know his niece and she is without a doubt one of the most beautiful women on the planet and one of the nicest. I guess that's really neither here nor there but I figured I'd say it.
Is the Alabama rig legal in tournaments?
Goes to show ya how fish get conditioned to the baits we throw. High pressure lakes the bass are likley laughing at our baits and retrieves.
Anyone have any idea why its sooo good on suspended fish?
This is the "barge" tournament. He talks about at 3:28
th-cam.com/video/bAfJJ5urmxE/w-d-xo.html