Bassmaster Opens pro Wyatt Wimberley of The Bass Tank Academy

When I was first introduced to Wyatt Wimberley through my friend Clifford Wiedman three years ago, it was clear then that 17 year-old Wyatt was on the fast track to a career in fishing. The Sam Rayburn local already had a successful podcast and was building a reputation throughout the industry. Now, still shy of the legal drinking age, he’s built up a guide service and educational platform, and is preparing to embark on the Bassmaster Opens in 2024.

Not surprisingly, consistent with other members of his generation he’s an expert in electronics, including but not limited to forward-facing sonar. He’s paired up with industry leader The Bass Tank both as a sponsor and as a way to spread information through their various channels. Here’s what he had to say during a recent conversation:

HPFC: What’s the current state of electronics education?

WYATT: Just a few years ago, there weren’t a lot of dedicated electronics installation shops. The Bass Tank came out and they were one of the first to really specialize. Now, in the last three or four years, everybody and their mama installs electronics. Everybody is now an electronics experts. It’s getting so saturated so they’ve come up with The Bass Tank Academy. It’s literally a do-it-yourself to where you have experts doing three- to four-hour long videos on how to do something like install a Garmin Force Trolling Motor. The detail is down to put this screw here, tighten it this much – it’s phenomenal.

It'll pretty much work like The Bass University. You pay a membership and you can get on there and there will be guys like me, Justin Hamner, some of our Elite Series guys, all doing videos on things like how to read electronics, how to install electronics, updates, the whole nine yards.

HPFC: You’re a young guy. Justin Hamner is a young guy. How does your generation build up electronics expertise so quickly?

WYATT: When I first started fishing, electronics really weren’t in the picture for me. My family was old school. They crappie fished and deer hunted and really didn’t use electronics very much. When I turned 16, I bought a Helix 7 and I used that thing to the maximum capacity that I could. Then Livescope came out and I got it when it first came out through The Bass Tank and that really set my world on fire. I was on the water as much as I could trying to use it. I studied electronics through Scott at The Bass Tank. I studied everything I could. I went to the shop and watched them install. I talked to Garmin technicians at ICAST and the Classic. I learned everything I could about it and utilized that on the water.

HPFC: So what electronics are you running now?

WYATT: I run a Garmin EchoMAP Ultra 106SV up front with a Garmin Livescope LVS34 transducer. Then at the back I run a Garmin 93SV with a Lowrance HDS-9 Live Pro with a three-in-one Lowrance transducer and a UHD-54 Garmin transducer.

HPFC: What is the advantage of mixing and matching brands?

WYATT: I originally ran all Garmin. As far as Livescope, the clarity and the quality of the product is top notch right now. But what I like about Lowrance is the mapping details. I use C-Map in a little bit different way, with some different mapping features. I also like Lowrance’s side-imaging from that three-in-one transducer. I like the way it reads and it’s a little bit simpler for someone starting out to tune in.

HPFC: I know you offer classes and guide services to teach about electronics. How would someone get in touch with you for on-the-water lessons?

WYATT: They can go to Wyatt Wimberley Fishing on Facebook, shoot me a message, or they can email me at wyattwimberley25@gmail.com and I’ll reach back out as soon as possible.

HPFC: Are most of your classes on Rayburn?

WYATT: We do them on Rayburn, Toledo Bend, Lake Nac and Lake Murvaul.

HPFC: What are the biggest misconceptions people have about electronics, or mistakes that they make?

WYATT: I think the three biggest things when it comes to electronics are: Number one, let’s start from the point that can really have you miserable is the installation – not using the proper wire, not wiring the unit properly, not setting your transducer properly. If you don’t do those three major things you’re going to have issues right off the bat. That’s the number one thing that I see. The second thing I see is that the anglers want a magic setting for everything. If you go into it with the idea that you’re going to set it up and never touch it again, it’s not going to work for different situations. You can set up side-imaging to read stump flats in 14 feet of water with three feet of visibility but if you then get out in the river channel and the water’s got some color to it, and it’s 30 feet deep, those settings aren’t going to be right and you’re going to have a blurry image. Anglers need to be willing to adapt and learn and adjust the images. The third thing is buying electronics that matches what you want. Not every unit is similar, so if you have a Humminbird setup and you have an Ultrex or a Fortrex for a one-boat network and you want a Garmin or Lowrance you’re not going to have that ability. Or if you have a Garmin and you’re running an Ultrex and you want to be able to link the units together to run your trolling motor and do Spot Lock from your unit, that’s not going to be capable. Think out what you want before you buy it, and how you want to it to work on the boat before just going and buying something.

HPFC: After someone takes a class with you or spends a day on the water with you, what’s the best way for them to continue the learning process?

WYATT: The number one thing I would say is time on the water – go to a lake you know and just practice your electronics. If you where certain drop-offs and brushpiles are, you can start learning and your brain will start processing what things are supposed to look like on the unit. Once your brain starts processing that and starts getting used to knowing what it’s seeing, when you start going to different lakes you’ll have more confidence in what you’re looking at.

The Bass Tank Academy is going to be very helpful to anybody that is new to electronics or has had electronics for years but doesn’t have confidence in them. That’s what we want to instill in people – confidence. We want people to feel that they can find and catch fish with their electronics. We’re going to have very detailed videos that’ll help out anyone at any level.