About Me

About your guide - Ryan Salzman

Bass Pro Tour Champion! Watts Bar Lake
Major League Fishing - Bass Pro Tour Angler
Double Qualifier for 2019 FLW CUP
8th Place Finisher at 2019 FLW CUP
Coast Guard Certified Captain - 100 Ton Master License
Four Time BFL Champion, FLW BFL Choo Choo DIV
Owner, True Bass Fishing
Favorite Techniques - Swimbaits & Topwater Action

My name is Ryan Salzmasn, and I am a 34 year old guy from North Alabama who is able to make a living bass fishing. I was a Captain in the Alabama National Guard. Had 10 years of service.

      I got started fishing at a very young age of about 5, my uncles started taking me fishing when I visited family in Wisconsin. I instantly became addicted to tricking fish into biting! My uncle Pete and I used to walk up and down a mile long stream through thick brush fishing night crawlers on the bottom. We would catch everything from suckers to 4lb largemouth! It was amazing how many fish were in this 15 yard wide stream!
     I became hooked on bass when my Dad took me fishing at a Fort Bragg pond to catfish. I was reeling in a big chunk of worms that I wanted to re-cast when an 8lb largemouth INHALED it 5 feet from the bank. The big boy had HUGE eyes and walked me all over the pond.
     My mother also also took me fishing whenever she could. It was really my step dad, Ralph Mitchell, that accelerated my fishing abilities. He took me fishing at least twice a week in high school! I even rode my bike to the pond every night so I could to test out new lures I was reading about on the internet at sites like www.wired2fish.com.

College Fishing

I attended college at the University of North Alabama, and received a BBA in Marketing in 2011. I also received my commission as a 2nd Lieutenant in the Army in 2011. The first two years of college I constantly visited McFarland park during the day, and at night. I was always pitching and flipping under the cables behind the floating docks. It was a great way to hone my skills. Becoming proficient in pitching takes hours upon hours of practice.
Well I met a friend, and he told me about college fishing. We decided to start up a college fishing team in 2008. It was a lot of work with some knock down drag out meetings, but we got the team on its feet and started walking. Our first year out we won the Southern Collegiate Championship on Wilson Lake. The rest is history, and now in 2013 we have between 20-30 members. Check out the UNA Fishing Facebook! Since 2008 I have been on the water 3-5 times a week. I may have missed a couple classes. Lake Guntersville, Pickwick, Wilson, and Wheeler are the best lakes I have fished, and all of them consistently produce big fish!

Transitioning into Guiding and Professional Fishing

When I graduated from college I immediately began spending as much time as possible on all the North Alabama Lakes to start my guide service. I have been working hard for you learning every detail possible on these North Alabama Lakes! I have had to balance military with guiding and it has been a challenge. I had an extremely successful year guiding as Salzy's Guide Service with all my clients placing in the top ten in tournaments after a guide trip with Salzy. Alabama Bass Guide is the new face of Salzy Bass Fishing. I want to offer more than my guide service. I want to provide all of you with the most up to date fishing information that is available! Ranging from bass reports, new patterns, new baits, new spots, locations, how to get sponsors, and everything you need to work your way up to the pro level. Notice I say "WORK." Its not easy ladies and gentlemen, but is anything worth having is ever easy? I live to work for you guys. The great news is that I am still climbing that ladder. Let me tell you whats worked and my mistakes, so that you don't have to make the same ones. Get a great game plan going for you as an angler. Each angler is different, so why should each angler have the same game plan! Be unique.

I look forward to fishing with you!!

Salzy