Photo from Mark's Outdoors Facebook page
Jacob Walker, an employee in the fishing department at Mark's Outdoors, has qualified for the 2026 Bass Pro Tour.
Jacob Walker works at Mark’s Outdoors in Vestavia Hills. He recently qualified to compete on the Major League Fishing Bass Pro Tour.
Q: How long have you been fishing? Who first introduced you to the sport, and what’s your earliest memory of going fishing?
A: I’ve been bass fishing my entire life and it’s all I’ve ever wanted to do. My dad (Geoff Walker) and grandfather (Jim Duran) were the first people to introduce me to bass fishing. My earliest memories of fishing are with them. My dad would take me any opportunity he could, and my grandfather would take me fishing on Logan Martin Lake in Pell City, Alabama. My love for fishing was created by the people who would take time to take me — my family and many family friends.
Q: How were you able to qualify for the Bass Pro Tour? Where and when does it begin?
A: There’s no short way to explain how much has gone into making the Major League Fishing Bass Pro Tour. There are so many hours and days of travel to lakes across the country, so much time away from my family and a lot of learning from my mistakes. There are a lot of very important things to make it possible for me to do this: my wife (Alyssa Walker) who supports me, takes care of our two boys (Miller and Maddox) and drives me to do the best I can, always; my sponsors who have supported me so that I can have the opportunity to compete. There are so many expenses, and without their support I would never be able to do it.
Major League Fishing has created a system for anglers to work their way up to the top through these circuits: high school fishing, college fishing, BFL tournaments, Toyota Series tournaments, Tackle Warehouse Invitationals and finally the Bass Pro Tour (top 50 anglers in the country). With this system, there’s an opportunity to qualify up from each series to the next. As you move up, the competition gets harder, the entry fees get higher, and the winnings get bigger.
Q: What were some of the biggest bass you’ve caught? How much did they weigh?
A: I’ve been very fortunate to catch big fish in all three species of bass: smallmouth bass, spotted bass and largemouth bass. I’d say my biggest smallmouth is 6 pounds, 8 ounces; the biggest spotted bass is almost 7 pounds; the biggest largemouth is just over 10 pounds.
Q: Will you continue to work at Mark’s Outdoors while going on tour?
A: I’ve been extremely blessed to have the opportunity to work at Mark’s Outdoors for as long as I have. I started working part time when I was in high school and have been working there ever since. Working there gave me the opportunity to meet so many good people and so many good friends. One of the most important things that I have gained from working at Mark’s is my connection with industry-related people in the business. Relationships are such a strong factor in gaining sponsorships, and with my job at Mark’s I have been able to create good relationships with all of those people. They have been so supportive in letting me take weeks off work to chase my dreams, and I know there are not many companies that would let me do that, so I’m very thankful. I plan on continuing to work at Mark’s when I’m not on the road traveling and fishing tournaments.
Q: How excited were you to find out you qualified for the Bass Pro Tour?
A: I’m very excited to fish in the Bass Pro Tour and have the opportunity to showcase my skills against the best anglers in the country. I would say that it hasn’t set in yet, but at our first tournament in January it will probably hit me then.
Q: Is there anything else you would like to add?
A: The most important thing that I want you to mention is this: I would never be in this position if it weren’t for the people who took the time to take me as a kid to teach me about fishing. We all need to take any opportunity to take kids fishing and get them outdoors.
