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Home: St. Clair Shores, MI
Family: Single
Occupation: Professional Angler & Guide
Additional Sponsors: Triton Boats, Mercury Marine, Marathon Oil Co., Kistler Custom Rods, Jeffrey Auto Group, Owner Hooks, Gary Yamamoto Custom Baits, Lifeline Youth & Family Services, Lowrance Electronics, Navionics, Kar's Nuts
Hobbies - other than fishing: Bible Study, Church, Golf, Internet
Most Memorable Fishing Experience: "There are really too many to count, but probably the most memorable was the three days on Wheeler Lake during the Bassmaster Top 150. I caught big bass, had 21 lbs., of bass and eventually won the tournament - just as God had promised!"
Even though he is only 40 years old, Art Ferguson has accumulated 24 years of competitive bass fishing. In 1981, at age 16, he fished his first B.A.S.S. event, becoming one of the tours youngest competitors ever. Over the next several years, he continued to fish competitively & in 1990 quit his plumbing apprenticeship to persue fishing full-time. This decision came after Art qualified for the Bassmaster Classic in 1990 through the B.A.S.S. Federation ranks.
In 1991, Art began a new phase of his career by becoming a professional guide out of Roland Martin's Marina. Art continues to guide on Lake Okeechobee in the winter months & now also guides on Lake St.Clair & the Great Lakes in the summer months. He has been seen on numerous television programs like, "Fishing With Roland Martin", "The Master Angler", "Angler's Diary", "Outdoors With Dean Durham", "Fishing North America", & "Practical Sportsman", as well as the Wal-Mart FLW Tour seen on ESPN & the BASSMASTERS seen on TNN.
Early in his career, Art experienced a good deal of success fishing his home lake of Lake St.Clair, emassing numerous wins & top 10 finishes. However, things changed when he began fishing the BP top 100 circuit full-time. He was able to get some good finishes, but the money was not enough to cover all of his expenses. Things began to turn around for Art in February of 1999. That year, he finished fifteenth on the FLW money list & on the B.A.S.S. circuit, he finished in the money nine of his next sixteen tour events. He took top honors at the Alabama Top 150 on Lake Wheeler. Art weighed in a total of 53-05 lbs., earning him his first B.A.S.S. career win & a paycheck of $101,000. He was also ranked 5th for the 1999-2000 B.A.S.S. Top 150 circuit. In August 2000, he fished his second consecutive BASSMASTER Classic, collecting a 9th place finish. After a couple of off years, Art is back at it again in 2003. He collected 2 Top 5's on the Northern Everstart trail, which qualified him for the Championship on Old Hickory Lake in TN. This success was overshadowed by his performance on the B.A.S.S. Northern Open Trail, where he finished 2nd, 4th and 1st in the 3 events on his way to Angler Of The Year honors and another birth into the Classic.
Many have asked Art what caused the huge change in his success over the past few years & he is quick to pinpoint the critical factor. "On February 16, 1999, I dedicated my life to Jesus Christ, my Lord ans Savior and have seen my life completely change for the better. Now my biggest desire is to let people know what Jesus can do for them!" - Art Ferguson
Professional Accomplishments:
1987 Michigan Toughguy Circuit - 1st Overall
1988 American Scholarship Circuit(ASC) - Michigan - 1st Overall
1988 ASC - National - 1st Overall
1988 Michigan B.A.S.S. Federation Classic Qualifer
1989 ASC - Michigan - 2nd Overall
1989 ASC - Lake St.Clair - 1st
1990 BASSMASTER Classic Qualifier
1990 Operation Bass Michigan Division - Wixom Lake - 2nd
1990 ASC - Michigan - 2nd Overall
1991 Operation Bass Michigan Division - Saginaw Bay - 1st
1991 Michigan B.A.S.S. Federation Circuit - Lake St.Clair - 1st
1992 Tri-State Bass Tournament Of Champions - Elk/Torch Lake - 1st
1992 Operation Bass Michigan Division - 1st Overall
1992 Operation Bass Michigan Division - Saginaw Bay - 2nd
1992 Michigan B.A.S.S. Federation Circuit - Lake St.Clair - 1st
1992 Team Michigan Tournament Series - Saginaw Bay - 1st
1993 Tri-State Bass Tournament Of Champions - Houghton Lake - 1st
1993 Tri-State Bass Circuit - Muskegon Lake - 2nd
1993 Team Michigan Tournament Series - Saginaw Bay - 1st
1993 Operation Bass Michigan Division - Saginaw Bay - 2nd
1993 Michigan B.A.S.S. Federation Circuit - Detroit River - 2nd
1994 Tri-State Bass Tournament Of Champions - Saginaw Bay - 1st
1994 Operation Bass Michigan Division - 1st Overall
1994 Operation Bass Michigan Division - Saginaw Bay - 2nd
1994 Michigan B.A.S.S. Federation Circuit - Saginaw Bay - 2nd
1995 Operation Bass Michigan Division - 4th Overall
1996 Operation Bass Michigan Division - 3rd Overall
1997 Operation Bass Michigan Division - Saginaw Bay - 1st
1997 Operation Bass Michigan Division - Lake St.Clair - 2nd
1998 Anglers Choice Championship Qualifier
1998 Fishermans Bass Circuit - Lake Okeechobee - 2nd
1999 B.A.S.S. Kmart top 150 - Lake St,Clair - 8th
1999 FLW Forrest Wood Open - Lake St.Clair - 3rd
1999 FLW Championship Qualifier
1999 BASSMASTER Classic - Louisanna Delta - 18th
1999 B.A.S.S. Wrangler Federation National Championship - Red River - 7th
2000 BASSMASTER Classic - Lake Michigan - 9th
2000 B.A.S.S. Kmart top 150 - Wheeler Lake - 1st
2000 B.A.S.S. Megabucks - Lake Murray - 17th
2000 Canadian Open - Lake St.Clair,Canada - 2nd
2001 Northern Everstart Series - St. Lawrence River - 5th
2001 B.A.S.S. Tour Event - Lake St.Clair - 33rd
2002 Northern Everstart Series - Mississippi River - 13th
2002 Northern Everstart Series - Lake Champlain - 31st
2002 Northern Everstart Series - Detroit River - 36th
2002 FLW Forrest Wood Open - Lake Champlain - 57th
2003 Northern Everstart Series - Lake Vermillion - 3rd
2003 B.A.S.S. Northern Open - Lake Erie - 2nd
2003 B.A.S.S. Northern Open - Potomac River - 4th
2003 Northern Everstart Series - Lake Champlain - 4th
2003 B.A.S.S. Northern Open - Oneida Lake - 1st
2003 B.A.S.S. Northern Open - Angler Of The Year
2004 Virginia Citgo Bassmaster Open - 33rd
2004 New York Citgo Bassmaster Open - 27th
2004 Northern Everstart Series - Detroit River - 4th
2004 Citgo Bassmaster Open Championship - 26th
2004 New York Citgo Bassmaster Open - 35th
2004 Northern Everstart Series - Lake Champlain - 5th
2004 Northern Everstart Series - 3rd Overall
2004 Missouri Citgo Bassmaster Tour - 22nd
2004 Everstart Championship - Lake Cumberland - 48th
2004 Bassmasters Classic Qualifier - Lay Lake
2005 FLW Tour - Lake Okeechobee - 37th
2005 Florida Citgo Bassmaster Tour - 25th & Big Bass
2005 FLW Tour - Ouachita River - 31st
If you have questions for Art or would like to book a fishing trip, contact him at artoffish@aol.com or visit the Art Ferguson website at artoffishing.com.
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