Dan Gray is no fish story. He's the real deal.

The 1985 Butler graduate has been a fisherman all his life, but he had to put the sport on hold while serving four years in the Air Force, earning a bachelor's degree in human biology from Penn State in 1993 and graduating from Logan College of Chiropractic three years later.

But he returned to fishing and he's made up for lost time.

Gray, 37, is the Pennsylvania representative in the 2006 BASS Federation Championship slated for Jan. 11 to 14 at the Harris Chain of Lakes in Leesburg, Fla.

At stake are $50,000 and six berths in the 2006 Bassmaster Classic, which draws a winner's check of $500,000.

"It's hard to believe I'm still going," Gray said of the two-year run of qualifying tournaments. "This has been an exciting ride."

Once he returned to Butler to establish his practice as a chiropractor, Gray joined the Bass Casters Club, moved on to the Bass Buddies of Butler, then joined five other individuals three years ago to form Bass Extremes.

"These small local organizations help you find people to fish with and enable you to join the state's BASS federation," Gray said.

It was through Bass Casters that Gray met his longtime fishing partner, fellow Butler resident Chris Sumansky.

"The club had an event in Erie nine years ago. Dan didn't have a partner and neither did I, so we went together," Sumansky said. "We've been fishing together ever since."

The two teamed up to win the Keystone Bass Buddy Circuit points championship each of the past two years.

"We've won five KBBC events over the past eight years," Gray said. "Some guys have been fishing them for 20 years and haven't won one yet, so we're pretty proud of that."

Gray qualified for the Pennsylvania BASS Championship through each of three possible ways: Finishing among the top 10 overall in district tournament points, finishing among the top 20 in Mr. Bass Tournament points or finishing among the top 20 in points in one of three regions across the state.

Gray was among 150 state qualifiers competing at the Kinzua Reservoir in Kane. The top 12 from that event went on to comprise the Pennsylvania divisional team at the Mid-Atlantic Divisional at Lake Cobbosseecontee in Winthrop, Maine, in September.

Gray finished fifth in the state tournament.

"The top six state finishers got to be boaters at the Mid-Atlantic tournament while finishers seven through 12 were riders," Gray explained.

"Each boater from a state was paired with a rider from another state. You had no prior contact with your partner, so both individuals are on the water competing with a total stranger."

Pennsylvania's 12 competitors in the Mid-Atlantic Divisional had to eliminate roughly 1,500 other Keystone State anglers just to get that far. Only the first-place finishers from each state advanced from the Mid-Atlantic to the upcoming BASS Federation Championship in Florida.

Gray caught 24.10 pounds of bass to finish first and thus represent his state.

He will be competing against 46 other state champions, the Paralyzed Veteran's of America Grand National champion, the 2005 Federation national champion and members from chapters representing Japan, South Africa, Italy, Zimbabwe and Canada.

The six divisional fields in the BASS Federation Championship are Northern, Southern, Western, Eastern, Central and Mid-Atlantic. Each of those divisional champions will get a berth in February's Bassmaster Clinic on Lake Toho, Fla.

The overall BASS Federation champion receives $50,000. Last year's champion, who gaining an automatic berth in this year's event, was Ed Cowan of Greeley, Pa.

The BASS Federation Championship has no entry fee, has a five-fish limit per day and will have no cut. Members of the Florida BASS Federation will serve as drivers and observers.

"Dan will be out there fishing by himself and I think a fisherman is better off that way," Sumansky said. "He'll have no distractions."

A nine-day practice period will be available from Dec. 1 to 9. Besides that, the waters are off-limits until the tournament.

"This will be a challenge," Gray said. "You know everybody out there knows what he's doing."

"January in Florida — the fish are susceptible to cold fronts," Sumansky said. "That tournament's going to come down to 70 percent skill, 30 percent luck.

"You have to be able to adapt to the weather conditions, what the water is doing. You have to know where to look for and find the fish. Dan is very knowledgeable that way.

"You can't panic, you can't get frustrated if you start off slowly. Dan will keep his head together. He'll give it his best shot," Sumansky added.