I got the chance to talk to MLF Pro Martin Villa about his $10,000 pay day at his rookie season opener in the MLF Pro Circuit on Sam Rayburn reservoir. He shared all the insights from practice conditions to his biggest fear. As well as how Douglas rods helped him to get paid in a tough season opener.
Martin Villa, an avid outdoorsman and fly fisherman turned bass phenom, has only been fishing with MLF for four years. In that time, he has amassed 1 win and 11 top ten finishes in only 43 events fished. He qualified for the 2022 MLF Pro Circuit season through the 2021 Northern Toyota Series division. He decided to take that plunge into the big leagues. That decision seems to be a good one following the season opener on Sam Rayburn Reservoir. Martin said, “This event and the next one on Harris Chain scared me the most. I’ve never been to Florida or Texas bass fishing.” If a top 50 and huge pay day is the way he handles the lakes he is most fearful of; this season should be one to watch. “…but I’m looking forward to Harris Chain next. It’s got big ones.” says Martin.
When asked how he broke down the giant 114,000-acre reservoir in only two days of practice this is what he said. “I knew the offshore bite was going to be good and in the first 30 minutes of practice I caught 2 keepers in 20 feet of water. I stayed out deep catching them from as shallow as 10 feet to as deep as 35 feet. Most of my fish were in 18 to 25 feet of water. I was catching about 30 fish a day. That first 30 minutes of practice gave me the confidence to stay offshore.”
Sad thing is despite his great finish it did not come without its problems. Martin said “In practice I had found a mega school that I caught two good keepers out of. So, the first day of the tournament I ran there to start. I had it all to myself. I pulled up and proceeded to catch 8 spotted bass and threw them all back not knowing the spotted bass size limit was 12 inches (largemouth was 14 inches). They were all over 13 inches. So, I left my starting spot without a fish in the live-well even though I truly had caught a limit. Luckily that mistake didn’t hurt me.” He also knew capitalizing on the big fish bites would be the way to make the top ten cut. Martin said “I lost my biggest fish each day. One came unbuttoned and one broke me off in brush.”
I asked about the high wind delay that cancelled day two of the event. Martin said “On day two of practice we had 10 mph winds and it got really rough out there. So, on day two of the tournament, they were calling for 15 to 20 mph winds, so it was a good call.” Martin expressed how in a tough tournament at this level your equipment must perform flawlessly, and his new Douglas rods did not disappoint.
Douglas Outdoors, founded in 2014, initially started making waves in the fly-fishing industry by winning several prestigious awards including Best Overall 5-Weight, Best Overall 6-Weight, and Best Mid-Priced 6-Weight in the World Renowned 5-Weight and 6-Weight shootouts by Yellowstone Angler. Now they have also set their sights towards making great casting and spinning rods for bass fisherman. Martin being a fly-fishing enthusiast knew the quality behind the Douglas name and was excited to have them as a sponsor his rookie season on the MLF Pro Circuit.
Tackle breakdown for the event. Martin said “I caught most of my fish on a dropshot all week. I threw it on a Douglas LRS S724XF with a 3/8-ounce weight and Owner hook. I also caught one key fish each day of the event on a 1/2-ounce underspin with a Keitech swimbait. I threw that on a Douglas LRS C745F which I love and wish I had ten of them.”
Be sure to keep an eye out for Martin Villa and Douglas Outdoors as they make a name for themselves in the top tiers of bass fishing.