Williamsburg angler's going to 'Super Bowl'

If Kelly Pratt makes any noise in this weekend's Bassmaster Classic, don't expect him to make any noise about it.

The Williamsburg angler is simply too low-key to cause any hoopla.

"I'm pretty mild-mannered. It takes a lot to get me going," Pratt said. "I'm a rookie as far as they're concerned and if I do well, I know there will be a lot of attention paid to me. I'm in their 'He's just happy to be here' category.

"But while I am happy to be there, I'm not happy to just be there. I'm going down there and trying to win this thing."

The classic is Friday through Sunday on Louisiana's Red River.

Pratt, 52, isn't a known entity in the professional bass fishing world - that's reserved for the guys in BASS's Elite Series. Pratt qualified for the Super Bowl of bass fishing by winning the Northern Open Division tournament last year on the James River.

He won by fishing his "home" waters of the Chickahominy River that feeds into the James, more than 50 miles from the weigh-in site.

"Yep ... I ran all the way to the Chick," Pratt said. "The James is getting better but it still can't compete. I fished for three days and never saw another tournament angler.

"It was worth the long run."

Pratt won a little more than $53,000 and a ticket to the biggest show in fishing.

"Winning was pretty awesome," Pratt said. "I've fished in about seven or eight opens and finished in the money in four of them. But winning was pretty special."

It brought back memories of days when he entertained going pro.

"I dreamed about it," said Pratt, who owns a landscaping company. "I was fishing in some tournaments in the '90s and thinking about it. But my mom got sick and I had to take care of her.

"It's always been in the back of my mind."

Winning the classic could re-open the door and supply a little incentive in the form of $500,000 in cash and countless endorsements.

"I think I would go fishing full-time," Pratt said. "I think winning would definitely change things for me.

"A half-million dollars? What wouldn't that change?"

Only a handful of anglers not in the Elite series have done well in the Classic, but Pratt believes the waters of the Red River favor the kind of fishing he is accustomed to.

"It's similar to the Chick in that the water needs to be moving," Pratt said. "If it is, and I find a couple of little areas where there are fish, I can do well. I don't like to run all over the place. I'll fish one area hard before I'll move. If the water is fairly clear in the shallows, there should be some fish for me to find."

Pratt said he will employ Rat-L-Trap lipless crankbaits and spinnerbaits in areas where lily pads are starting to sprout.

And he plans to savor every moment.

"I know this is the classic, the big deal," he said. "But it's still fishing and it's supposed to be fun. I know it's a business for most of these guys, but it isn't for me. If you feel the pressure it will get to you and there's no pressure on me. If I can open strong and stay in the hunt, I'll sneak up on people."

Which is why Pratt doesn't like to make a lot of noise.

Lee Tolliver, 757-222-5844, lee.tolliver@pilotonline.com; Twitter @LeeTolliver