Vexus® pro Kyle Cortiana: “I'm living my dad's dream”

Vexus® pro Kyle Cortiana: “I'm living my dad's dream.” © Vexus Boats

Carl Cortiana is about to turn 70, but he still remembers the days four decades ago when he'd cast a practice plug across the living room floor and his toddler son, Kyle, now a highly accomplished Vexus pro on the MLF Toyota Series, would pounce on it like a feisty largemouth.

"Much like Kyle, I too dreamed of being a professional bass fisherman when I was a young man, but like a lot of guys, fatherhood, work, and home life took a more important precedence than being gone from home and spending money I didn't have to chase a dream," says the always joyful and perspective-rich Cortiana.

With zero bitterness, Carl made sure to provide young Kyle the chance to be a seasoned pond hopper on every small accessible body of water they could explore around Tulsa and Broken Arrow, OK, long before he went to kindergarten.

"I don't think Kyle was even 3-years old when he caught his first bass on a Texas-rigged worm, and we've been chasing fish together ever since," smiled Carl while sharing a day on Lake Guntersville recently in Kyle's Vexus.

As a 2-time Toyota Series Angler of the Year, a 2-time Toyota Series tournament champion, with several Top 10 finishes in the 100 MLF events he's competed in, it's fair to say the 42-year old former pond hopper was destined to catch fish for a living, despite having a civil engineering degree in his hip pocket from Oklahoma State University.

"Kyle's obviously turned out to be one heck of an angler, he's indeed living the dream I once had, but first and foremost I'm most proud of the fact he's a kind, thoughtful, super determined, young man. I'm proud to be his dad," reflects the elder Cortiana, a mostly retired machinist, who travels from Oklahoma to join Kyle and Miranda somewhere 'on tour' each year.

Sometimes it's Guntersville, on other occasions it's been the St. Lawrence River, NY. He'd like to make it to more events in the future, but they're always sure to talk on the phone at least three times a week.

"I've been a bad fisherman my whole life," laughs Carl. "But I've learned a lot from my son - especially how effective the drop shot rig is."

Perhaps no catch was more meaningful however than a 10-pounder Kyle guided his dad to in 2014 back home in Oklahoma. "My mom had just died, and Kyle and Miranda weren't about to let me spend Thanksgiving alone. So, we went to dinner at Miranda's family's home near Ardmore, and that afternoon we went fishing. That 10-pound 12 ounce fish proved to be the biggest bass of my nearly 70-years on earth, and I'm convinced it was Heaven-sent as a sign from Mom to keep living life," reflects Cortiana.

Carl Cortiana has kept living life indeed. His cup is full these days, having a cushy front row seat in his son's Vexus to vicariously live-out the dreams he had in the 1980s of catching bass for a living.

The numerous trophies prove Kyle Coritana's success, but perhaps more importantly is the fact he had a dad who was wise enough to know he might be starting something awfully special when Kyle first pounced on that rubber practice casting plug in the family living room.