Please select your home edition
Edition
Henri-Lloyd Dynamic Range

Top pro Huynh catches way more than walleye with FFS

by Vexus Boats 3 May 09:35 PDT
Top pro Huynh catches way more than walleye with FFS © Vexus Boats

Given the fact Vexus® Ambassador Tom Huynh is the 2024 National Walleye tour champion and is regarded by his peers as one of the best walleye wranglers in America, he's totally comfortable with his masculinity while making a living in a world of manicures and pedicures.

He's also totally comfortable with forward-facing sonar, to the point he launched fishing's first online curriculum-based platform, with a huge emphasis on FFS for students who subscribe to FishTHU.com. Hundreds of anglers have paid for a piece of his sonar wisdom, and in addition to his online teachings, he also conducts nearly 50 in-person seminars annually.

"I get told I give away too many secrets, but I don't believe that. I believe in teaching. I don't believe we should deceive our fellow anglers. Teaching is the first step to growing participation in fishing," says Huynh, who lives on the North Dakota-Minnesota border.

However, a call from friend Curt Underhill recently lead to a teaching opportunity for Huynh in a realm far bigger than fishing. Underhill asked Huynh to use part of a tournament practice day at Lake Sharpe, SD to provide desperately needed sonar instruction to City of Pierre emergency rescue personnel tasked with recovering drowning victims.

"They were pretty discouraged before I loaded them in my Vexus and began to share my knowledge, but after I showed them how to find two sunken practice mannequins on the bottom of the lake in under 3-minutes, their confidence skyrocketed," smiles Huynh.

The unique front fork design of his Vexus DVX22 tournament boat creates tons of front deck space, which enabled Huynh to carry as many as five rescue personnel at a time for on-the-water instruction.

"We were also able to see the rescue divers on the screen and told them what direction to swim in relation to the practice mannequins. That made a huge impression on them," says Huynh.

When asked for a free tip to make all forward-facing sonar users more adept, Huynh graciously offered the following.

"Stop overworking your settings. Everybody wants to tune their machines to get a perfectly clear screen like our living room televisions with zero interference, but when you do that, you're hiding a lot of the critical details," he emphasizes.

Perhaps it wasn't exactly what Huynh perceived his practice day would look like in what he often describes as the "most solid built walleye boat on the planet" at the NWT tournament on Lake Sharpe, but he'd be the first to tell you it was even better.

"I'm the son of a Vietnam immigrant, and yet I get to make a part of my living teaching people how to catch more fish. That's a statement that's super humbling to my family and me. So, to be able to give back by spending a portion of my practice day helping America's rescue personnel was super rewarding," says Huynh.

Solid. A fitting description of Huynh's character as well as his boat.

Related Articles

Rolex TP52 Worlds in Cascais preview
Eleven teams hoping the Portuguese venue lives up to its reputation Given that it is a long time since the 52 SUPER SERIES fleet raced in big winds and waves, a breezy final few training days before the start of next week's Rolex TP52 World Championship in Cascais would be universally welcomed by the 11 teams. Posted today at 4:43 pm
Multiple 2025 Melges 24 ranking circuits heat up
Collectively more than 100 team entries have hit the starting line in pursuit of glory With summer in full swing, the 2025 Melges 24 racing season has hit its stride across North America, and the momentum is building. Posted today at 4:34 pm
Ullman Sails Long Beach Race Week overall
Class Leaders Win Big at 20th Edition There were few surprises on the final day of racing at Ullman Sails Long Beach Race Week as class leaders who took control on Day 1 skillfully navigated the unusual-for-Long Beach conditions to prevail in their respective classes. Posted today at 3:24 pm
Challenging winds for Edgartown Race Weekend
Rick Egan's Corbeau wins Venona Trophy, Chip Hawkins' Caneel collects three trophies It looked as if the M32 multihull Yonder, sailing in 'Round-the-Island race at Edgartown Race Weekend, might set a record, but a large wind hole near the finish of the 55-mile circumnavigation of Martha's Vineyard put a decisive end to that possibility. Posted today at 1:52 pm
SailGP opens tender process for two new teams
SailGP has confirmed 2026 expansion plans, unveiling details of a tender process to seek investment. SailGP has confirmed 2026 expansion plans, unveiling details of a tender process to seek investment for ownership of two new teams entering the global racing championship next season, alongside available stakes across existing national teams. Posted today at 12:09 pm
America's Cup - #3 Finish Line
The Cup is still undecided. And somewhere, in one last simulation, the universe holds its breath. The Cup is still undecided. And somewhere, in one last simulation, the universe holds its breath. Step into the last leg. This is where legends break — or rise. Posted today at 11:07 am
National Women's Invitational Team Race overall
California team seals the deal in must-win final race Newport Harbor Yacht Club won the 5th edition of the National Women's Invitational Team Race for the Thayer Trophy in dramatic fashion. Posted today at 6:24 am
T. Freytag reigns at A Scow National Championship
Madcap masters madtown in Madison, Wisconsin Thomas Freytag's I-7 Madcap takes the win at the A Scow National Championship in Madison, Wisconsin. Posted today at 6:08 am
Inaugural ORC North American Championship Preview
Fleet is ready to race within the biennial Block Island Race Week Starting tomorrow an assembled fleet of 26 entries divided into three classes will start competing in the first-ever ORC North American Championship, embedded within the 31st edition of the Storm Trysail Club's biennial Block Island Race Week. Posted today at 1:57 am
Something for Everyone
At Ullman Sails Long Beach Race Week Steve George is a good sport; after Day 1 Ullman Sails Long Beach Race Week he was at the back of the fleet in Random Leg B class but he has a great sense of humor and was quite okay about that, understanding that his luck is in the hands of the universe. Posted on 22 Jun
Hyde Sails 2024 - One DesignLloyd Stevenson - Catalyst GT 1456x180px BOTTOMArmstrong 728x90 - Wing FG Board Range - BOTTOM