Tournament Ready with Trey Butler

Anyone spending any time around bass tournaments on the Coosa chain has heard the name. He is often described as "the man to beat" on Lay Lake. But other than a few Team Skeeter guys he knows or he fishes with, he is pretty much a mystery. There’s been much speculation and discussion over where he fishes, how he fishes, and what he fishes. This is not the sort of guy that you will hear bragging about his accomplishments; his style is very laid back, and his tournament record speaks for itself. Who is this mystery man, this slayer on Lay, this Jordan Jock, this Riverside Rambler, this Mitchell Mountain? Dill, Chris Dill, of course!

I’ve had the opportunity to get to know Chris a bit working with him on the Airport Marine Prostaff and Team Skeeter. Chris has been married to Linda for 21 years and has two kids; Devanne and Cory. Although he spends some time on the water, he is definitely a family man; you can hear the pride in his voice when he talks about his wife and kids.

I caught up with Chris on a rainy spring night and pinned him down just long enough to ask a few questions. Here is your chance to get to know the mystery man a bit. If you tuned in to find our where and exactly what he fishes, you may be disappointed; we didn’t go there. I have always believed that you could learn more about fishing from a man if you could understand his attitude and how he thinks on the water than you could from him handing you a bait and marking a map.

Mark’s: Who taught you to fish and how log have you been tournament fishing?
Dill: My Dad and my brother taught me to fish and to tournament fish. I’ve been tourney fishing for about 15 years. My brother is the one who really mentored me on tournament fishing.

Mark’s: What is your best memory of fishing?
Dill: Catching 25 lbs in 15 minutes! Vern and I (Vern Moody, Chris’ tournament partner, and also an excellent fisherman) were fishing a tournament on Lay and having a terrible day, and we were running out of time. It was miserable; 20 degrees and raining. We almost called it quits but we decided to hit one more stretch of bank. It was amazing and I will never forget it.

Mark’s: Did you learn anything from that experience?
Dill: Never, never, never quit!

Mark’s: Who is your biggest supporter?
Dill: Linda, my wife. She knows how much I love to fish, and it (fishing) has been good to us at times. She’s gotten used to it and it has never been a problem.
Trey: Hope my wife reads this!
Dill: I also really appreciate the folks at Airport Marine; you won’t find a better dealer to work with than Ken Hollis. He will treat you right and keep you on the water. Angie and Jeff (Littleton) at Sizmic have helped out too.
Marks: Didn’t you do some lure designing for Sizmic?
Dill: Yeah, I designed a "chunk" for them, the Big and Little Dill. It is great for flippin’, pitchin’, or swimmin’. They are a great company; everyone should give their stuff a try.

Mark’s: What is your favorite Lake?
Dill: Without a doubt, Lay, but I really like the Coosa Chain from Lay to Jordan, and even Logan Martin at certain times.

Mark’s: What advice would you have for someone who wants to become a better tournament angler, whether at a club or open level?
Dill: It is all about time on the water. You have to be able to know what the fish are "doing" and what the conditions are. I would suggest that someone trying to move up from club fishing to fish as a non boater in BFL or something similar. But the bottom line is time on the water.

Mark’s: What is your favorite lure and favorite season on the water?
Dill: A jig, the fall.
Mark’s: Want to give some more details?
Dill: Nope.

Mark’s: What do you do when a cold front hits?
Dill: Slow down, I mean really slow. If you are flippin’, make sure you drop you bait every 8-10 inches. If you think you are going slow enough, slow down some more.

Mark’s: In your opinion, what is the most common mistake that tournament fishermen make?
Dill: Leaving fish. I’ve done it and guess we all have. Some times you just don’t know what you’ve got! Tournament success is all about making the right choices; go with your instincts and don’t second guess.

Mark’s: Do you have any words of wisdom about fishing with a partner?
Dill: You have to find someone who is committed, someone who will be there rain or shine, every time. You need to be able to agree and get along, and both of you have got to be willing to do your part.

Mark’s: What is the funniest thing that ever happened to you in a tournament?
Dill: Last year in Mark’s (Tournament) the Spots started schooling all around the boat. Vern and I were going crazy trying to figure out what to do. We caught a few, and then they got really close to the boat. I stuck one right by the boat and she just ripped the rod right out of my hand! All I could do was watch $300 worth of rod and reel sink. Vern thought it was hilarious and really made a big deal out of it. He got his though, the same thing recently happened to him.

Mark’s: What are thoughts on The Lay Lake Open?
Dill: It is a great tournament and it is getting bigger every year. I really appreciate the effort they put into it.

So there you have it, just a regular guy that loves the sport and attacks it with all he’s got. The Yamaha mechanic at Airport Marine says that Chris Dill’s Skeeter requires less maintenance than anyone else’s. Wonder if that might be because he is too busy fishing to be running up and down the lake like the rest of us? I think we all can learn a lot from the man they call Dill. Know what I mean, Vern?

Trey Butler is sponsored by Airport Marine, Skeeter Boats, Minn Kota, Falcon Graphite Rods, Davis Baits, and Sizmic Lure Company. Your support of these fine companies is greatly appreciated!