Born in San Diego, California, you would think this would be Gabe Bolivar, the Pro Surfer. But, that’s clearly not the case this is about Gabe, the Pro Angler. Gabe’s father, Rudy, introduced him to fishing at a very young age. It was during that time he developed a love for the outdoors. He and his father spent many weekends fishing for whatever would bite. During his childhood, he also discovered dirt bikes and soon after that every weekend was spent racing motocross while fishing was put on the backburner. Gabe traveled all around the country racing motocross and soon became one of the nation’s top ranked amateur racers. At the tender age of 19, professional motocross was a reality. Gabe had the opportunity to race in the AMA Supercross series for two years before deciding to retire. Due to years of broken bones and countless surgeries, he decided making a living racing was out of his grasp.

Gabe always liked to listen to his Uncles Steve’s stories about fishing in bass tournaments. Fishing was always a family hobby and often the subject of many dinner table conversations. After participating in competitive sports almost all of his life Gabe soon realized he needed to fill his competitive void. So bass fishing became his natural and logical choice. Team tournaments were popular in San Diego at the time, so he partnered with his father and quickly became a force to be reckoned with. Three years of small tournaments was enough for Gabe to decide he was going to make a living fishing. At 24, he became the youngest to fish at the pro level. Diving in head first, Gabe won his first pro tournament at Lake Havasu in Arizona. First place prize was a fully rigged Ranger Bass Boat, which sold Gabe on tournament bass fishing.

Throughout the next five years, Gabe experienced a lot of ups and downs. Gabe found out making a living fishing was no picnic. The money that we won quickly went to pay for entry fees and expenses. Quitting was never an option; he was determined to be a success! He knows that the tough times became great learning experiences to take fishing to the next level. After fishing on trails such as the Bassmaster Top 150, FLW Stren Series, Bass Western Invitational and WON Bass, his skills were sharpened. He also developed an understanding of what it means to promote a product to the public. Gabe has also done numerous radio shows, seminars and promotional programs. He is also a sales representative for Ranger Boats, which allows him to be at numerous boat shows and promotional events each year.

The fishing seasons of ‘05 & ‘06 were turning points in Gabe’s life. Shortly after leaving California to move to Arizona it all started to happen for him. In November, at the Stren Series Championship, Lake Pickwick in Alabama, Gabe finished 2nd, coming only one ounce from winning. This was a huge opportunity for him; he got a chance to be on national TV. Though finishing in such a close 2nd was painful, he handled himself well. Shortly after that tournament, Gabe signed a deal with Tylenol Rapid Release Gels. This sponsorship gave the Western phenom, a chance to fish on the FLW Tour, the biggest and most lucrative tour in professional bass fishing. He embraced the challenge and set out to prove to the world he was up for the task. After earning a check in five out of the six tournaments, the year proved to be an extreme success. Gabe finished 7th overall on the tour for the year and captured the Gain Rookie of the Year Award. This also qualified Gabe for the FLW Tour Championship on Lake Logan Martin in Birmingham, Alabama. With his first year of fishing in the books at such an elite level, he’s already looking forward to next year. With his upbeat and positive attitude he feels his best fishing days are ahead of him, not behind him.