|
<< Back to Texas State home page
|
 |
| Prostaff
Team Member Overview : Tom Lester |
|
| Email Address
- tlester@fishingprostaff.com
| www.fishingprostaff.com |
|
 Tom
Lester II is a family man who lives in Corsicana, Texas with
his wife, Kelly, and his daughters, Megan and Tatum.He has fished
the Bass Anglers Sportsman Society Central Invitational tournament
trail (58th for the 1999-2000 season), the FLW Everstart Series
and several other professional-level bass fishing tournaments.
Sought-after for endorsements by numerous leading outdoor product
companies, Tom’s name appears alongside some of the industry’s
most well reputed brands. Quarrow, Pro Locker, Bill Lewis Lures,
EZ Retriever and Shell gasoline number among more than a dozen
Tom Lester sponsors.
He also serves as pro staff for Quarrow and P-Line and as a
field staff member for Bulldog lures, Lure Eyes sunglasses,
H&H Plastic Rattles and more. These positions draw from
more than just his pro angling accomplishments. They also demonstrate
his knowledge of the equipment and his will to provide the best
possible fishing experiences for everyone --- even his competitors
on the BASS circuit.
Such dedication to the sport is not surprising, considering
that he comes from a line of anglers --- his father is also
a tournament fisherman. Plus, Tom has fished for nearly all
his life.
Even when he’s not fishing, Tom maintains a close connection
to the outdoors. Before moving to Corsicana, he was a part-time
guide for largemouth and smallmouth bass in Cleburne, Texas.
For several years, he has written a celebrated outdoor sports
column for the Corsicana Daily Sun and numerous web sites. |
 Commanding
a Masters degree in Agricultural Education from Texas A&M
University, Tom doesn’t just handle his business on the
water. He helps his wife operate Four Seasons Lawnscape. The
company gives him a perfect application for his background in
agriculture and education --- he designs, sells and executes
landscaping design concepts, as well as educates his customers
on landscape needs. As co-owner of the company, he also has
the freedom to set his own schedule --- leaving him ample time
to promote outdoor products.
Tom taught Agricultural Science for high school students and
also played a part in animal health during his tenure as a Territory
Manager for Fort Dodge Animal Health. There, he consulted with
veterinarians and distributors and handled customer service
issues. |
|
| Field
Test & Pro Staff Affiliations |
|
 "I
personally use and recommend all of the products that you will
find on this page. As a professional bass fisherman, I make
part of my living tournament fishing. It is important to me
to use the best products I can find to help ensure my success.
Please take a moment to look over these products and consider
them for your bass fishing experience. If you have any questions
or comments, please drop me an email or check these product
web sites. Good luck and good fishing." |
|
BASSIN' USA™ - http://www.bassinusa.com/
Bass fishing information about largemouth bass, smallmouth bass,
tournament bass fishing, fishing tackle and equipment, and fishing
destinations, reports, guides, techniques, magazines and books
and a whole lot more.
Quarrow - http://www.quarrow.com/
" It's really hard to describe the enthusiasm I have for
these new rods. Quarrow's parent company has been manufacturing
top of the line rods for other companies for the past fifteen
years. This year, they decided to utilize their expertise in
the rod industry and make a line of rods to sell themselves.
They've brought together all of the key components and the most
up- to- date technology to produce this high end quality rod
and afford to sell them at mid-range prices. I assure you, as
a person who makes part of his living with a fishing rod in
his hand, you too will love the feel of these rods. To top things
off, they even come with a lifetime warranty!"
Winters Oil Company, Corsicana, TX - http://www.shell.com/
"Between my travels on the BASS tournament trail, fishing
and my landscape business, I use around 11,000 gallons of gasoline
each year. With that much gas going through my vehicles, boat
and equipment, it is imperative that it be the highest quality
fuel I can find. Winters Oil Company, our local Shell gasoline
distributor, is my choice for most of my gasoline purchases.
The consistent quality found in Shell gasoline is just what
I'm looking for to keep my engines running and performing at
their best. Whether it's one of my lawn tractors or my bass
boat, I can count on Shell to keep me going."
H & H Plastic Rattles - http://www8.bcity.com/plasticrattles/
- please note that URL may be incorrect
"James Clemmons
of H&H Rattles sent me some rattles 2 years ago to try.
Since then, I've been hooked on them. My favorites are the clip
on jig rattles and the cylindrical tube rattles that fit nicely
into today's flippin' tubes. They are durable and produce tremendous
sound in the water. On several occasions, I've had to share
some of them with my fishing partners that weren't catching
fish, when I was. Once they started using the rattles, too,
they began catching fish."
High Roller - http://www.hroller.com/
High Roller Fishing Lure Company proudly produces the world's
finest line of custom-made, high-caliber surface lures. Serious
fishermen worldwide appreciate the unsurpassed quality and durability
that has put High RollerTM in a class of its own.
Lure-Eyes - http://www.lureeyes.com/
"In all the years I have been wearing polarized fishing
glasses, I have never worn a lighter, more comfortable pair
of sunglasses. Hour after hour, day after day of wearing these
glasses, I have never experienced any facial fatigue or soreness.
My Legend series and Falcon series Lure-Eyes truly are the most
comfortable glasses on the market."
Easy Retriever- http://www.easyretriever.com/
"About a year ago, Rick Leigeber of EZ Retriever sent me
some samples of his easy to use lure retriever. Since then,
I couldn't even tell you where my old, clumsy lure retriever
is. While fishing the BASS tournament trail, I keep one in my
pocket at all times. When I get hung up, I pull it out, attach
it to my line and in no time, I've got my bait back. It saves
me valuable fishing time, not to mention a great deal of money
in lost lures. If you're looking for an easy to use lure retriever
that works, give the EZ Retriever a try."
Norman Lures - http://www.normanlures.com/
"Even before I began fishing professionally, I used Norman
Lures crankbaits to catch bass. With the wide variety of sizes
and colors Norman Lures has available, they have a bait that
will match almost any fishing condition. The gel coat finish
stands up to the rigors of tournament fishing better than other
baits I have tried. They come out of the box with super-sharp,
strong hooks, so there is no need to change hooks when there
is money on the line and the built in rattles produce terrific
sound. From the deep diving DD22 to the small Tiny N's, Norman
Lures' baits are my number one choice of crankbaits."
Pro Locker -
"The Pro Locker is the best rod carrying
system I've ever used. It is user-friendly and is adaptable
to any need you might have for carrying your rods. Since I keep
many of my rods in my boat, I primarily use my rod locker to
carry my extra or specialty rods in while traveling on the B.A.S.S.
tournament trail. I can really load up my rod locker and never
have to worry about my rods. If I'm fishing in another boat,
the Pro Locker gives me a way to carry my rods and reels in
a safe, organized fashion to and from my partners boat. I like
the larger eight rod design for my bass fishing rods and the
four rod design for my crappie and trout rods. Either way, the
Pro Locker is my choice for carrying and protecting my rods."
Rat-L-Trap - http://www.rat-l-trap.com/
"What can you say about Bill Lewis Lure's Rat-L-Trap? They
are the number one selling bait in America. Why? They catch
more fish than any one bait on the market. I use my Rat-L-Trap
everywhere I go to catch fish. I really like to use them to
help me locate aggressively feeding bass while practicing for
a tournament and early in the morning on tournament days. If
the bite slows down while fishing another lure or if I'm stumped
on how to catch fish, I will often go back to the basic, ole'
reliable Rat-L-Trap to help put together a limit of bass. Of
all the baits I carry in the boat, the Rat-L-Trap has produced
more bass for me than any other bait I have. Anyone can use
them and use them in a variety of ways to catch several species
of fish."
Stor's It -
"As I am preparing for a tournament, I
will often rig up several extra rods with specialty baits or
just some rods to use as backups. The Stor's It rod covers are
perfect for this application. They allow me to go ahead and
rig up the rods, use the covers and lay them in the bottom of
the rod box. In the event I need or want one of them, all I
have to do is slide it out without it getting all hung up with
my other rods. It saves me valuable fishing time by eliminating
wasted time untangling rods in the rod box, protects the rods
and the line from unwanted frays and nicks."
P-Line - http://www.p-line.com/
"I started using P-Line a little over a year ago. Like
many other new lines I've tried, I was pretty skeptical about
it. After a day on Lake Fork using 20# P-Line to catch several
4-6 pound bass flippin' and pitchin' in heavy cover without
a single break off, I knew I had found a new line to use. It's
abrasion resistance and cast ability are second to none. The
super strength of the CXX P-Line allows me to scale down my
line size without giving up strength to haul in the big ones.
The low memory and smoothness of the line increases my casting
distance as much as 15-20%. For my money, P-Line is the best
fishing line on the market."
Strike King - http://www.strikeking.com/
"A few years ago, Denny Brauer won the coveted Bassmaster's
Classic on a tube bait. Since then, the flippin tubes have taken
the soft plastic market to new heights. I have fished countless
tubes that are on the market and have found the Strike King
tubes to be the best. They hold up fish after fish and the impregnated
salt keep bass holding on long than others I've tried."
Nuwave Products -
"What good is it to have a huge arsenal
of fishing tackle if you can't find it when you need it or be
able to get it from one place to another? When it comes to tackle
bags and pouches to carry my tackle in the boat or into a partner's
boat, I rely on my Nuwave tackle bags to get the job done. They
are fishing gear made for fishermen, by fishermen. Their pouches
are made of sturdy, puncture proof materials that stand up to
the elements and time. My favorite product from Nuwave is their
soft side tool pouch that can be placed anywhere in your boat
making your tools accessible and easy to reach when you need
them."
Ranger Boats - http://www.rangerboats.com/
" I've been using a Ranger Boat for the past several years.
I feel that my Ranger 461VS, equipped with a Mercury 175 EFI
outboard, is one of the best and most versatile bass boats on
the market today. It is large enough to take on rough water
conditions, yet small enough to get into those tight, backwater
conditions I love to fish. For years, Ranger Boats has been
setting the benchmark in the bass boat industry for safety,
reliability and dependability. Ranger Boats are built to last
and hold up to the rigors of professional bass tournament fishing."
Abu Garcia - http://www.abu-garcia.com/
"I purchased my first Abu Garcia reel in 1978 at the ripe
young age of 15 from the Woolworth's store in Corsicana, Texas.
We no longer have that Woolworth's store, but I've still got
that Ambassaduer 5000 and use it from time to time for bass
fishing at night. I wish I could see all of the fish I've caught
with that ole' reel, in one pile. That would be a pretty big
pile. 22 years later, all I've ever done to it is clean it,
oil it and put new line on it. What else do I have to say about
the quality of Abu Garcia reels? They work, catch fish and keep
working."
Gamakatsu - http://www.gamakatsu.com
"When it comes to hooks, there is only one brand in
my terminal tackle box, Gamakatsu. They come straight out of
the package super sharp and strong. I've never had a Gamakatsu
hook break or fail during a tournament, when I needed it the
most . If my crankbaits, topwaters and other baits don't come
with Gamakatsu hooks, I switch them out before I ever tie 'em
on."
SPRO - http://www.spro.com
"If you are looking for life-like hard plastic baits,
look no further than the SPRO series. They catch fish and
feature sharp Gamakatsu hook for superior hookups and fish fighting
strength." |
|
|
Articles and "Hot" Tips can be found with the links
below: |
|
 "I
hope you enjoy reading these outdoor articles as much as I enjoyed
writing them. Most of them are first-hand experiences of mine.
I look forward to your questions or comments about the adventure,
the products I used or my techniques."
|
|
