Jones Gets Motivation From Son's Success
Having your boat and truck totaled in a rollover highway accident would put a damper on any angler's season. Other than that mishap, Alton Jones' 2023 MLF Bass Pro Tour campaign went extremely well.
The 60-year-old veteran from Texas performed solidly across the schedule and qualified for this year's REDCREST Championship with a 33rd-place finish in the Angler of the Year (AOY) points race. What was perhaps even more satisfying was watching son Alton Jr. take another step on his journey to becoming one of the premier competitors in the game.
"Every tournament I always want to finish ahead of him and it's the same with the end-of-the-year standings – we've got our own family competition," Jones said. "But at the same time, I'm his biggest fan and for me as a dad, it's been really fun watching him excel.
"I go into every event feeling like I have two chances to win."
The 31-year-old "Little Alton" was in contention for the AOY crown throughout the season and ended up 4th, just five points behind winner Matt Becker in an extremely tight four-angler battle. He also dominated Heavy Hitters (a non-points derby) on three venues in Louisiana to claim his second tour-level victory.
The son's success adds to the father's motivation to remain competitive against a bevy of standout anglers that are approximately half his age.
Bass tournament success is a family affair for the Joneses
DECEMBER 12, 2023 • JOE BALOG • BASS PRO TOUR The father/son relationship between 60-year-old Wendell Alton Jones and 31-year-old Wendell Alton Jones Jr. is multi-sided. It’s grounded in strong family values – respect for a parent, love for a child, etc. – but it also represents a high-level working rapport where each is both partner and competitor.
Alton and Alton Jr. have been competing with and against each other at the highest levels of tournament bass fishing since early February 2017, when “Junior” (as he’s commonly called by friends and family) fished his first Bassmaster Elite Series tournament on Cherokee Lake in Tennessee. Alton Sr. finished 19th at that event; Junior finished 25th, just 2 pounds behind his dad.
In the 50-plus tour-level events they’ve fished together since, each of the Joneses has learned from the other, elevating their game to a higher level. Within the Jones family blood runs a deep understanding of the intricacies of successful tournament fishing, an understanding made even more profound by the give-and-take between a veteran teacher and a gifted student.
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Thank You!
Most of you have probably heard by now that Jimmye Sue and I were involved in a bad accident while traveling to Lake St. Clair. Jimmye Sue has a broken sternum, but thankfully has been released from the hospital. I’m mostly just sore. I’ll be fishing stage 6 from a borrowed boat, but I’m just grateful to be back out on the water after missing the first day of practice! I’ve got to admit, my heads not fully in the game this week. I just keep thinking about how easily this could have turned out much differently. God truly had his hand of protection on us. I also want to say a huge thank you to everyone for all of your prayers and support! We are both overwhelmed by your care and your kindness.
Alton Jones explains how and why a punch skirt works well in Florida
Mercury Pro Team angler Alton Jones rolls with the punches when it comes to fishing conditions, which is why he’ll simulate fishing with a jig by pitching or flipping a punch skirt rig while in Florida.
In this video, the Texas titan shows how to set up a punch skirt that allows him to fish a plastic through heavy vegetation while maintaining the weightlessness of a Texas rig. A punch skirt provides the larger profile that’s needed for scoring big bites while also showing the Sunshine State’s bass something they don’t frequently see.