MONTEREY — Danny Smith doesn’t fish for the money, the prizes or the glory. The lakes and the rivers are his getaway.

But $6,000, a Triton TR20X2 boat and trailer and the title of Bassmaster Central Open champion make his private place something to brag about.

Smith, a Monterey resident who turned 47 on Friday, was the winner of the Bassmaster Open at Red River in Shreveport, La., Saturday.

A fisherman since his teens, Smith has been competing much of the last 30 years.

“This is something I always do,” he said. “I like competing. My grandpa and uncle used to take me fishing when I was a kid, and I loved it.”

But Saturday was his highest finish ever.

He finished fourth in a regional championship last year, qualifying for nationals. Smith went on to the national event, but finished a dismal 40th out of 50 fishers.

The story was different Saturday afternoon though. The field was bigger — 158 — and Smith was No. 1.

The fishermen went out for approximately eight hours for three days on a series of pools up and down the Red River. The tourney winner was based on the best five bass each fisher caught. Smith’s top five weighed in at 42 pounds 6 ounces.

All fishers must use artificial bait. Smith opted to fish a jig.

The area was relatively new for Smith. Though he fishes on the Red River some, he’s used to the area south of his tournament location. But this time, he had a good spot and stuck with it.

“A lot of skill and a little luck goes into it,” he said. “They both go a long way. It means getting a good fish and landing them.”

Smith has won prize money over the years, none as great as Saturday’s, but even the $6,000 in cash and $50,000 boat likely don’t cover the money he’s sunk into tournaments, he said.

But he’s not concerned with that.

“I enjoy it,” he said. “People are going to spend money on what they enjoy. I’d rather be spending it on fishing.”

His sponsors — Triton Boats, G. Loomis Rods, Trilene Big Game, Pinnacle Reels, Mercury Optimax and Lowrance Electronics — help some financially, but Smith’s not quitting his day job at BASF in Vidalia anytime soon.

And though he’s on the lake at least once a week, the longer tournament trips must come on vacation time.

Next on his calendar is a tournament on the Texas-Mexico border and a lot of mornings at his favorite local summer spots — Old River and Deer Park.