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Gary Yamamoto's National Pro Team

"I was four years old. My parents leased a farm on the island of Oahu in Hawaii where I was born and raised. On weekends, we would travel to the farm to work, but I was too little to make much of a contribution."

Gary amused himself by digging up earthworms. Then, bamboo-cane fishing pole in hand, he would set out for a nearby river. For a four year old, the jungle was endless and frightening.

"What's called American grass grew in the river," he recounts. "It was so thick and solid that I could slide out into it, and it was slippery, and get closer to the fish."

He snagged a whole bunch of those fish.

Gary fished all through his childhood, in rivers sluicing through the Hawaiian Islands where he was born, and the surrounding Pacific Ocean. He was 18 when he set foot on the mainland for the first time, enrolling in college to study electronics. But Gary put his education aside to enlist in the Air Force where he served as a Sergeant, X-Ray Technician from 1964-68 with an overseas tour in Thailand during the Viet Nam War. Today Gary competes on the BASS Pro Tour and FLW Tours and has qualified twice for the Bassmaster Classic in 2001 and 2002.

In 1995, Gary Yamamoto earned the biggest bass fishing title in the West by winning the 1995 W.O.N. Bass U.S. Open. His three-day total of 31.22 pounds gave him the $50,000 top prize over a field that included the best bass fishermen in the nation, plus seven of the top bass anglers from Japan.

Not only did Yamamoto win the $50,000, he had a large bass on two days of the event, worth $1,000 each day, and one of those was the tournament's biggest bass, 4.58 pounds, which also gave him the overall Big Bass Prize -a $23,000 Ranger bass boat prize package - making a grand total of $75,000 for Yamamoto, the maker of Yamamoto Custom Baits, some of this nation's and Japan's most popular soft plastic baits.

Gary Dobyns - Yuba City, CA

Many Western bass anglers know Gary Dobyns as no stranger to the winner's circle. A determined competitor, he has averaged winning just a little more than two boats per year, for the last eleven years, 27 in all! With strong support from his family and key sponsors, last year Dobyns made the decision to go to full-time pro status and he's never looked back. He qualified for the Bassmaster's Classic in 1999, and our bet is that he'll become a regular fixture at that event.

Lendell Martin, Jr. - Nacogdoches, TX

Five time Bass Masters Classic qualifier Lendell Martin, Jr. started fishing as a young boy in ponds and rivers and loved all kinds of fishing. He started fishing tournaments in the early 70's with New Caney and Nacogdoches Bass Clubs and progressed to the professional tournaments when his wife, Dianne, entered him in his first one as a Christmas present.

About Yamamoto baits, Lendell says, "I have never used a product that I have had so much confidence in as Yamamoto's full line of products. That in itself is what it takes to be able to catch fish. Confidence in what you are using."

"It's been good to watch our sport grow," remarks Lendell. "Trying to help it grow has been good for me. I have a grandson now, Tristan, who is almost 3 years old. I can't wait to have the opportunity to teach him how to fish. It's important to make our fisheries better for not just ourselves, but for these young ones that are looking to have the opportunity to make some lasting memories."

Roland Martin's legacy of longevity, consistency, and national tournament wins remains the standard by which all others are judged. Of the many titles that Martin has earned, the most indicative of his dominance, and the least likely to be equaled, are his BASS Angler of the Year titles - all nine of them! 

In 2003 Roland made his 25th appearance in the prestigious BASS Masters Classic. Roland served as a 2nd Lieutenant/Artillery in the US Army from '63 to '65. Visit Roland's website at www.fishingwithrolandmartin.com.

Growing up in Idaho, Ben Matsubu has been fishing most of his life. Ben started fishing with Yamamoto products back when they were still called "Twin T's" and that was for steelhead in Idaho. His bass fishing career took off, though, when he moved to Arizona. He started tournament fishing as a non-boater in 1988. He didn't realize it at the time, but he drew some of the top fishermen in the state: John Murray, Ted Miller, and Greg Hines to name a few. After two years as a non-boater, he bought his first boat finishing the following year with two Angler of the Year titles, and he won a boat.

As Matsubu quickly climbed to the Pro level, he captured the 1997 American Bass Teams "Anglers of the Year", and became a 1997 W.O.N. Classic Qualifier. He placed 8th at the 1998 Ultimate Challenge Champion Tournament on Lake Ouachita, Arkansas, and placed 25th at the 1998 U.S. Open on Lake Mead. Ben has fished 27 B.A.S.S. tournaments since 1999, amassing 11 top 50 finishes, 7 top 20 finishes, and 3 top 10 B.A.S.S. finishes, including 5th on Clear Lake, CA in 2000, 3rd on Toledo Bend, LA in 2001, and 5th on Toledo Bend, LA in 2002. Watch the Real Video Interview with Ben Matsubu.

A full-time professional angler since the age of 20, John Murray has not even begun to reach his peak. Based out of Phoenix Arizona, with 20 angler of the year titles won throughout the west, John has amassed over $1,000,000 in tournament bass fishing including over 30 boats and trucks.

His top techniques feature deepwater structure, however, fishing the 2003 B.A.S.S. Tour and finishing fifth in the AOY race, Murray never fished deeper than 8 feet all season. In short, he’s versatile. Murray is not stingy when it comes to dishing out facts. He has been teaching college bass fishing classes for over 15 years, and Bassmaster University seminars.

John says, "I've used and recommended Yamamoto products to my college bass fishing classes for over 15 years. There is no satisfaction like teaching a student about Yamamoto baits and then they go out and have exceptional success with those products." Visit John at www.johnmurraybasspro.com .

Takahiro Omori is one of the hardest working fishermen in today's tournament world - this year he competed on the BASS Central and Eastern Invitational Circuits, the BASS Top 150 Circuit, as well as the FLW Tour. Omori currently leads the points race for the prestigious title of BASS Angler of the Year, and is headed for his own berth at the BASS Masters Classic. Omori's ten-year bass fishing odyssey from Japan to the U.S. has been anything but easy - his first six years were a struggle, as Omori learned to deal with fishing new water, a new language, and new food! But his efforts have borne fruit; today he is one of the most consistent anglers on the national scene.

One of Florida’s most accomplished anglers, Bernie Schultz' achievements include two Canadian and two U.S. titles, while qualifying for six Bassmasters Classics and five FLW Championships – the sport’s highest levels of competition.

Bernie has also participated in numerous light-tackle saltwater tournaments around Florida, including many charitable events like the RedBone Series for Cystic Fibrosis.

Currently, Schultz competes on both the BASS and FLW pro tours., and he resides in Gainesville, Florida, with his wife, Kim and two young sons, Daniel and Trevor.

When not on the water, Bernie can usually be found in his studio producing art related to angling. His illustrations appear regularly in various magazines and books dedicated to the sport, such as Bassmaster and BASS Times, and he is a columnist to Florida Sportsman magazine. Schultz is a devoted conservationist, concerned with the preservation of Florida’s fisheries. He has donated considerable time and original art to the Coastal Conservation Association. Visit Bernie's website at www.bernieschultzfishing.com. 

Born in San Francisco, Judy Wong entered competitive bass fishing in 1977 on the Bass'n Gals circuit, took a break in the 80's to raise her son, and returned to competition in 1989. Today she competes on the WBFA Tour, BASS Central Invitationals, and works as a full-time fishing guide. Judy won the WBFA World Championship back-to-back in 2001 and 2002, was Champion of the Beauty and the Bass Invitational Pro/Am in 2002, and narrowly missed a WBFA World Championship three-peat with a second place finish in 2003. Judy is an accomplished wildlife artist and outdoor writer, and her hobbies include hunting and golf. More info is available at www.wbfatour.com.

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