Shane LeHew

A vaccine for the coronavirus may still be in developmental stages, but the sport of bass fishing recently received a tremendous shot in the arm thanks to ESPN2’s televised coverage of several recent Elite Series tournaments. Millions of viewers, many of whom had never been exposed to bass fishing before, were glued to their sets watching pro anglers battle bass, the clock, rough water and each other. Mere ounces often separated the top competitors, and the lead changed virtually every time a fish was boated. Among the cadre of young pros who dominated much of the televised action was North Carolina’s Shane LeHew. “The TV coverage of our summer Elite tournaments, especially the Northern Swing events, was awesome, but it put a lot more pressure on us anglers to perform,” he recalls. No worries there for the Baby Shark. While he had previously been quoted as favoring shallow water and lacking confidence in fishing offshore, LeHew placed 16th at Lake Champlain (New York) and seventh at Lake St. Clair (Michigan), mostly by targeting structure far from the bank. “I’ve learned you have to be proficient in every style of bass fishing if you even hope to compete in the Elites,” LeHew admits. Hop aboard LeHew’s boat as he uses his