[SC_expand more_text="READ MORE" less_text="CLOSE" height="135" hide_less="no" text_color="#FFFFFF" link_color="#EB1000" link_style="underlined" link_align="left" more_icon="star" less_icon="" class=""]WHEN GARY KLEIN MADE HIS WAY EAST FROM CALIFORNIA AT THE TAIL END OF THE 1970'S TO ENTER BASS COMPETITION, HE HAD A DISTINCT ADVANTAGE OVER THE COMPETITION: HE WAS ONE OF THE VERY FEW PRACTITIONERS OF THE "FLIPPING" TECHNIQUE. MOST OF HIS ADVERSARIES HADN'T EVEN HEARD OF IT. FANS OF PROFESSIONAL BASS FISHING MAY REMEMBER THAT ROOKIE CAMPAIGNS OF KEVIN VANDAM AND TIMMY HORTON AS TRANSCENDENT, BUT KLEIN'S INAUGURAL SEASON WAS EVERY BIT AS STOUT. HE WON AN EVENT AND FINISHED SECOND IN THE ANGLER OF THE YEAR RACE TO ROLAND MARTIN. IT WAS MARTIN'S LAST AOY TITLE, AND KLEIN LATER CLAIMED THE CROWN, BUT THAT FIRST SEASON STILL WEIGHS ON HIM. HE HAD LED THE RACE ALL SEASON, ONLY TO SEE MR. MARTIN CLAIM FIRST PLACE ON THE LAST DAY. "I ENDED UP ONE POUND, FOURTEEN OUNCES AWAY. SINCE 1989 I HAVE LOGGED EVERYTHING I CAUGHT, AND I'VE LOGGED MISSED OPPORTUNITIES. IF I GET TEN BITES, I WANT TO TOUCH TEN FISH. THAT'S WHAT SEPARATES THE POLISHED PRO FROM THE WEEKEND FISHERMAN. I LOOKED AT MY MISSED OPPORTUNITIES AND HAD TO FIGURE OUT WHY THEY HAPPENED... I STARTED COMPETING IN BASS FISHING TOURNAMENTS WHEN I WAS A SOPHOMORE IN HIGH SCHOOL. BACK THEN, WESTERN BASS WAS THE ASSOCIATION THAT I FISHED ON THE WEST COAST. I STARTED FISHING BASS IN 1979. I WON THE SECOND BASS TOURNAMENT THAT I ENTERED WHICH WAS LAKE POWELL. I LOST ANGLER OF THE YEAR TO ROLAND MARTIN THAT YEAR ON THE LAST DAY OF THE LAST TOURNAMENT BY A MERE 1 LB. 4 OZ. SINCE THEN, I HAVE WON THE PRESTIGIOUS BASS ANGLER OF THE YEAR TITLE TWICE. I MOVED TO TEXAS IN 1988. I CURRENTLY LIVE IN WEATHERFORD, TX WITH MY WIFE, JANA AND MY TWO DAUGHTERS, LAKOTA AND KANYON. I ENJOY SPENDING TIME WITH MY FAMILY IN THE OUTDOORS. I ALSO ENJOY EXPLORING PRIMITIVE SURVIVAL SKILLS. I AM A HIGHLY SKILLED MARKSMAN, BOTH OF MY GIRLS ARE ALSO OUTDOOR ENTHUSIASTS. THEY HUNT AND THEY FISH! I WOULD LIKE TO TOUCH ON THIS SIDE OF MY LIFE ON THE WEBSITE.[/SC_expand]