Long Beach, California
Oliver is a pioneer in his sport – having carved a space in bass fishing by chasing bass over 10 lbs. on swim baits. The biggest bass ever documented on video? That’s Oliver’s. He’s passionate about sharing what he’s learned and his love for the sport with others, especially the next generation. Oliver’s also made a name for himself among swim bait manufacturers, and he’s become a go-to for his expertise and feedback on new products. But he’s also sought-after for his charismatic personality and great attitude. He embodies the YETI spirit in his restless pursuit for bigger and bigger challenges, his infectious love for the sport, and his gracious approach to life.
What goes through your head when you first wake up in the morning?
I envision the moment when I get a trophy fish to make the mistake of committing to eating my artificial lure, the day starts and hopefully ends with this moment as I mentally prepare to facilitate it and then execute on what is typically one opportunity at capturing the biggest fish in a system.
Where is your favourite place to fish?
My chase for the biggest fish of my life has taken me to new places both domestically and now internationally. However one of my favourite places is where it all started for me, Puddingstone Reservoir in San Dimas, California. It’s home.
Tell us a favourite story from a day out.
Recently I was on the coast of Australia in the Northern Territory targeting big grouper and coral trout with a big freshwater-style topwater bait. I was getting absolutely destroyed by angry, aggressive fish in a very visually engaging style of fishing. I hook a Coral Trout and as I’m fighting it to the boat, I notice it was being followed by 3 or 4 other Coral Trout. As I’m telling my man Matty to cast on one of the followers, the food chain kicked up a notch as a Blacktip Reef Shark seized my trout, and in a flash so did 4 or 5 of his kin. Instantly we had a full on feeding frenzy of reef sharks boatside creating a RUCKUS the likes I’ve only seen on a nature documentary – except it was all at the end of my line. Wild. Nature is savage.
How do you up your game year after year?
I push myself to embrace new challenges and apply the things I’ve learned from each experience. Paying attention to the small details, the subtle nuances is what has really allowed me to continue elevating my approach at some of the most difficult fish in the world to fool.
What goes through your head when you first wake up in the morning?
I envision the moment when I get a trophy fish to make the mistake of committing to eating my artificial lure, the day starts and hopefully ends with this moment as I mentally prepare to facilitate it and then execute on what is typically one opportunity at capturing the biggest fish in a system.
Where is your favourite place to fish?
My chase for the biggest fish of my life has taken me to new places both domestically and now internationally. However one of my favorite places is where it all started for me, Puddingstone Reservoir in San Dimas, California. It’s home.
Tell us a favourite story from a day out.
Recently I was on the coast of Australia in the Northern Territory targeting big grouper and coral trout with a big freshwater-style topwater bait. I was getting absolutely destroyed by angry, aggressive fish in a very visually engaging style of fishing. I hook a Coral Trout and as I’m fighting it to the boat, I notice it was being followed by 3 or 4 other Coral Trout. As I’m telling my man Matty to cast on one of the followers, the food chain kicked up a notch as a Blacktip Reef Shark seized my trout, and in a flash so did 4 or 5 of his kin. Instantly we had a full on feeding frenzy of reef sharks boatside creating a RUCKUS the likes I’ve only seen on a nature documentary – except it was all at the end of my line. Wild. Nature is savage.
How do you up your game year after year?
I push myself to embrace new challenges and apply the things I’ve learned from each experience. Paying attention to the small details, the subtle nuances is what has really allowed me to continue elevating my approach at some of the most difficult fish in the world to fool.
If you could do anything better, what would it be?
I struggle with having the means to better capture the moment and tell the incredible stories I’ve been fortunate to live through.
Who are your heroes? Who do you look up to?
I’ve had lots of influences, especially as a youngster. I’ve been drawn to the natural sciences and storytelling. David Attenborough as a film maker and story teller for example. Al Lindner as a scientifically driven multi-species angler.
What haven’t you accomplished that you aspire to do in your lifetime?
I want to influence the culture of fishing in the most positive way possible. Get people to embrace that it’s the experiences that chasing big fish bring that we should value most, not the trophy shot for personal ego stroking.
What part of you, or what you do, reflects a spirit of restlessness?
There’s always a bigger fish, and I’m thankful for that. A lifetime isn’t enough time to do it all. I chase big fish full time on my own schedule and I often find myself feeling like if I had more time to devote to each particular targeted species I could capture something special.
If there is any love-hate relationship with any aspect of what you do, can you describe what that is?
There’s a lot of love-hate in my world. I love that there are so many different experiences to be lived through fishing. I hate that it’s so time and resource demanding. I love being at the insane locations I’ve been chasing giant fish. I hate the actual traveling it takes to get there. I love that fishing brings out the best in fishermen. I hate that it can also bring out the worst. I love that this passion has afforded me an incredible lifestyle. I hate that it’s a detriment to a normal sense of home life, at great cost to personal relationships, time at home, and good food options, ha.
What kind of challenges might you face that people haven’t considered?
To be honest, I still feel like there are those out there that may glance at me and at first sight might not understand I’ve dedicated my lifetime to chasing the biggest and most challenging fish in the world. They often don’t see how someone who may seem so foreign to what they know can offer them insight and perspective that I’m willing to share in the hopes we can all live that dream of holding the fish they’ve been chasing their entire life. Approach everything and everybody with an open mind, you might find yourself as surprised as I have when I’ve done exactly that.