BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — After fishing nine seasons on the Bassmaster Elite Series, Micah Frazier of Newnan, Ga., is stepping away from professional fishing. Over the course of his B.A.S.S. career, Frazier has earned one Elite win, nine Top 10 finishes and 34 Top 30 finishes.
Although Frazier has experienced consistent success in the Elite Series, he felt as if now was the right time to step away for his family and future endeavors.
“This has been a decision that has been two or three years in the making,” said Frazier. “My family has always been able to travel with me, but with my son (Huck) about to start kindergarten, I just can’t come to peace with leaving them so often when they start school.
“I keep reminding myself that if I fish for another 10 years how much time I would miss with my kids, and I truly think that if you gave me the chance at the end of those 10 years, I would absolutely buy that time back.”
The five-time Academy Sports + Outdoors Bassmaster Classic qualifier also feels as if some of the business opportunities he’s passionate about have forced him to step back from providing bass fishing the attention it demands to be successful.
“I’ve really had to come to grips with the fact that I simply can’t do everything I want to do,” he said. “I feel like I have to free up some space in my life and in my mind. I haven’t been giving fishing the attention it deserves.”
Frazier fished his first St. Croix Bassmaster Open in 2013 and has since given bass fishing everything he has. Over the course of time, he’s made relationships that will never be broken and experienced things that most anglers never get to experience.
One of those things is to mentor his brother Marc through his young Elite Series career.
“I’m really proud of my brother and all he’s been able to accomplish in a really short amount of time,” he said. “Not many people get the chance to share those kinds of memories with their siblings. Leaving Marc out there (on the Elite Series) is one of the main reasons this decision was so difficult to make.”
Like all Elite pros, Frazier knows how much of a sacrifice being a professional angler is, and doing it without the support of his wife Anna, parents, friends, sponsors and fans would make it impossible.
“I’ve really been blown away by all the comments and support that I’ve been given since I made the announcement,” he said. “I know I’m doing the right thing. It’s a bittersweet decision, and there are going to be times that I miss it, but it just doesn’t sit in my life the same way it used to.
“The filter in which I see things now and my reason for living is my family and my kids, and it just doesn’t suit them as much as it suits me, which is a big part of the reason I’ve made this decision.”
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About B.A.S.S.
B.A.S.S., which encompasses the Bassmaster tournament leagues, events and media platforms, is the worldwide authority on bass fishing and keeper of the culture of the sport, providing cutting edge content on bass fishing whenever, wherever and however bass fishing fans want to use it. Headquartered in Birmingham, Ala., the 515,000-member organization’s fully integrated media platforms include the industry’s leading magazines (Bassmaster
and B.A.S.S. Times), website (Bassmaster.com), TV show, radio show, social media programs and events. For more than 50 years, B.A.S.S. has been dedicated to access, conservation and youth fishing.
The Bassmaster Tournament Trail includes the most prestigious events at each level of competition, including the Bassmaster Elite Series, St. Croix Bassmaster Opens Series, TNT Fireworks B.A.S.S. Nation Series, Strike King Bassmaster College Series presented by Bass Pro Shops, Strike King Bassmaster High School Series presented by Academy Sports + Outdoors, Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Team Championship, Yamaha Rightwaters Bassmaster Kayak Series powered by TourneyX, Yamaha Bassmaster Redfish Cup Championship presented by Skeeter and the ultimate celebration of competitive fishing, the Academy Sports + Outdoors Bassmaster Classic presented by Toyota.