Just a Matter of Time-- a series
Just a Matter of Time-1
When I read the topic title “Just a Matter of Time”, immediately the first thing that popped up in my mind was my dream of success in professional tournament competition. I really know it will just be a matter of time because; I believe I will succeed. However, for many others it may mean that eventually they will succeed in some fashion-- whether it is a single tournament win or maybe an angler of the year award. While those are of course measures of success; to me it is only rungs of the ladder to true achievement.
You may be asking, “How are you so sure.” I could answer with a long list of reasons; however, what it really boils down to is past success. Success builds confidence—not only in the short term, for instance; finding a honey hole the day before a tournament. With the success of catching fish in practice confidence is gained for the next day. Past success in winning and or placing high in tournaments equally builds confidence not only that you will catch fish in the honey hole, but that you will win the tournament.
Without confidence “Just a matter of time”, is really more like buying a lottery ticket thinking if I buy one a day that eventually I will win money-not likely. Now I am sure you are wondering “how do I achieve past success?” Well, that is the basis for this article come back and follow along I will share my journey there will be more on topics like preparation, opportunity, and commitment.
You may be asking, “How are you so sure.” I could answer with a long list of reasons; however, what it really boils down to is past success. Success builds confidence—not only in the short term, for instance; finding a honey hole the day before a tournament. With the success of catching fish in practice confidence is gained for the next day. Past success in winning and or placing high in tournaments equally builds confidence not only that you will catch fish in the honey hole, but that you will win the tournament.
Without confidence “Just a matter of time”, is really more like buying a lottery ticket thinking if I buy one a day that eventually I will win money-not likely. Now I am sure you are wondering “how do I achieve past success?” Well, that is the basis for this article come back and follow along I will share my journey there will be more on topics like preparation, opportunity, and commitment.
Just a Matter of Time-2
Last week I started this series off speaking about the road to success in professional competition in the first of the “Just a Matter of Time” series. I distinctly remember my first tournament experience; today most people starting off fishing tournaments both guys and gals in the back of the boat as a co-anglers. Well then just as now I tend to be very stubborn; I started as a boater. The tournament was set for Lake Okeechobee out of Harney Pond canal ramp in January. I had moved to Florida from the Washington D.C. suburbs just month earlier. Although, I had gone fishing on Okeechobee several times before, I had never fished that area. I had always launched from Okee-Tantie park ramp on the north end of the lake.
I made absolutely no preparation for the tournament I merely planned to fish the area on the north end where I had caught some fish the two weeks prior. Almost everything that could go bad went wrong that day; the weather was horrible with winds blowing to 30 mph making the lake roll like the ocean. I froze all day long as I did not have the proper rain gear. Even in the sheltered lee side I fought to hold the boat in the strong wind and high waves. I broke off two fish I managed to hook on spinner baits snapping line like dry twigs. My co-angler never said a word he just kept throwing what he called a Bang-o-lure. He put four fish in the live well that day to my one. I finished almost last that day; my co-angler took home third place.
What I learned from that tournament I have taken with me over the years. I vowed never to be unprepared again; after all I was a boy scout and should have followed the famous motto-be prepared. Today, many years later I am again preparing for a January tournament on Lake Okeechobee. Though this FLW event will launch on the north side of the lake from Scott Driver Park; by the start of the tournament I will have scouted not only the main lake areas, but also the Kissimmee River, and the protected rim canal areas as well. Before I ever leave my drive way I will have gone through check lists for: clothing, maps, tackle, inspecting my truck, boat, and trailer. I will have poured over the inter-net chasing past tournament results, and current fishing reports. I have become a weather watching guru to the point my family runs from the boredom of the weather channel. Even though I spent years fishing on the lake I will have several maps with highlighted with back up areas reflecting back up patterns. And, one other important item-two wind socks. I will never fish big water without them again.
This is just the first step in fortifying my confidence—my key to success. Next week I will talk about wetting a line.
I made absolutely no preparation for the tournament I merely planned to fish the area on the north end where I had caught some fish the two weeks prior. Almost everything that could go bad went wrong that day; the weather was horrible with winds blowing to 30 mph making the lake roll like the ocean. I froze all day long as I did not have the proper rain gear. Even in the sheltered lee side I fought to hold the boat in the strong wind and high waves. I broke off two fish I managed to hook on spinner baits snapping line like dry twigs. My co-angler never said a word he just kept throwing what he called a Bang-o-lure. He put four fish in the live well that day to my one. I finished almost last that day; my co-angler took home third place.
What I learned from that tournament I have taken with me over the years. I vowed never to be unprepared again; after all I was a boy scout and should have followed the famous motto-be prepared. Today, many years later I am again preparing for a January tournament on Lake Okeechobee. Though this FLW event will launch on the north side of the lake from Scott Driver Park; by the start of the tournament I will have scouted not only the main lake areas, but also the Kissimmee River, and the protected rim canal areas as well. Before I ever leave my drive way I will have gone through check lists for: clothing, maps, tackle, inspecting my truck, boat, and trailer. I will have poured over the inter-net chasing past tournament results, and current fishing reports. I have become a weather watching guru to the point my family runs from the boredom of the weather channel. Even though I spent years fishing on the lake I will have several maps with highlighted with back up areas reflecting back up patterns. And, one other important item-two wind socks. I will never fish big water without them again.
This is just the first step in fortifying my confidence—my key to success. Next week I will talk about wetting a line.
Just a Matter of Time-3
Like many other tournament anglers; inside I have a distinct competitive drive. I believe it is an inherit quality that tournament bass fisherman are driven to win. In order to win we as anglers strive to constantly improve each proponent of our fishing. As in many other sports achievement is a measure of success. For the whitetail deer hunter it may be a nice eight point buck, or a Boone & Crocket trophy. However, for many of the casual, weekend, or competitive tournament anglers it is measured in either a big fish or straight out wins, top ten finishes, and angler of the year awards. All of these are rungs on the ladder to success. On the lower rungs are the casual bass fisherman, moving up are the weekend anglers, and at the top of the ladder are the Elites.
Achievements are the results of goals. No matter what level angler you are at the present each of us should have both short and long term goals. The key to becoming a better fisherman is setting achievable short and long term goals. In the beginning we became involved in local bass tournament events. Later we moved up to regionals or championship levels. It is extremely important to always fish against other anglers who are at a level above were you currently are fishing. Most importantly always avoid complacency, once you achieve a goal immediately set a higher attainable goal. Move onto the next level of competition. An extreme example is Kevin Van Dam’s goal of winning a fifth Bass Master Championship eclipsing Rick Clunn.
Let’s wet a line. I remember telling my son during his baseball days; perfect practice makes perfect play. I still operate under that mantra every time I wet a line; no matter whether I am fishing a tournament or having a “practice” day on the water. I call this the “mental game of competition.” I hit the water immediately forgetting about everything else. I solely focus on this cast, this presentation, and getting this fish in the boat. I practice my mental game each time I am on the water. I focus on that cast. I do not let conditions like bad weather, high winds, or dock talk affect this moment. While I am certainly fishing against a field of other competitors during a tournament we all are equally fishing under the same conditions; the difference is each individual competitor capacity to overcome adversity. Again, I will stand by an earlier statement that success whether past or present develops confidence. I believe mental toughness is more important than the best rod, the best line, the best bait, or the best boat. Remember, fish on practice day just as you would on would for a tournament; don’t try and change what works for you.
Last week I started this series off speaking about the road to success in professional competition in the first of the “Just a Matter of Time” series. I distinctly remember my first tournament experience; today most people starting off fishing tournaments both guys and gals in the back of the boat as a co-anglers. Well then just as now I tend to be very stubborn; I started as a boater. The tournament was set for Lake Okeechobee out of Harney Pond canal ramp in January. I had moved to Florida from the Washington D.C. suburbs just month earlier. Although, I had gone fishing on Okeechobee several times before, I had never fished that area. I had always launched from Okee-Tantie park ramp on the north end of the lake.
I made absolutely no preparation for the tournament I merely planned to fish the area on the north end where I had caught some fish the two weeks prior. Almost everything that could go bad went wrong that day; the weather was horrible with winds blowing to 30 mph making the lake roll like the ocean. I froze all day long as I did not have the proper rain gear. Even in the sheltered lee side I fought to hold the boat in the strong wind and high waves. I broke off two fish I managed to hook on spinner baits snapping line like dry twigs. My co-angler never said a word he just kept throwing what he called a Bang-o-lure. He put four fish in the live well that day to my one. I finished almost last that day; my co-angler took home third place.
What I learned from that tournament I have taken with me over the years. I vowed never to be unprepared again; after all I was a boy scout and should have followed the famous motto-be prepared. Today, many years later I am again preparing for a January tournament on Lake Okeechobee. Though this FLW event will launch on the north side of the lake from Scott Driver Park; by the start of the tournament I will have scouted not only the main lake areas, but also the Kissimmee River, and the protected rim canal areas as well. Before I ever leave my drive way I will have gone through check lists for: clothing, maps, tackle, inspecting my truck, boat, and trailer. I will have poured over the inter-net chasing past tournament results, and current fishing reports. I have become a weather watching guru to the point my family runs from the boredom of the weather channel. Even though I spent years fishing on the lake I will have several maps with highlighted with back up areas reflecting back up patterns. And, one other important item-two wind socks. I will never fish big water without them again.
This is just the first step in fortifying my confidence—my key to success. Next week I will talk about wetting a line.
Achievements are the results of goals. No matter what level angler you are at the present each of us should have both short and long term goals. The key to becoming a better fisherman is setting achievable short and long term goals. In the beginning we became involved in local bass tournament events. Later we moved up to regionals or championship levels. It is extremely important to always fish against other anglers who are at a level above were you currently are fishing. Most importantly always avoid complacency, once you achieve a goal immediately set a higher attainable goal. Move onto the next level of competition. An extreme example is Kevin Van Dam’s goal of winning a fifth Bass Master Championship eclipsing Rick Clunn.
Let’s wet a line. I remember telling my son during his baseball days; perfect practice makes perfect play. I still operate under that mantra every time I wet a line; no matter whether I am fishing a tournament or having a “practice” day on the water. I call this the “mental game of competition.” I hit the water immediately forgetting about everything else. I solely focus on this cast, this presentation, and getting this fish in the boat. I practice my mental game each time I am on the water. I focus on that cast. I do not let conditions like bad weather, high winds, or dock talk affect this moment. While I am certainly fishing against a field of other competitors during a tournament we all are equally fishing under the same conditions; the difference is each individual competitor capacity to overcome adversity. Again, I will stand by an earlier statement that success whether past or present develops confidence. I believe mental toughness is more important than the best rod, the best line, the best bait, or the best boat. Remember, fish on practice day just as you would on would for a tournament; don’t try and change what works for you.
Last week I started this series off speaking about the road to success in professional competition in the first of the “Just a Matter of Time” series. I distinctly remember my first tournament experience; today most people starting off fishing tournaments both guys and gals in the back of the boat as a co-anglers. Well then just as now I tend to be very stubborn; I started as a boater. The tournament was set for Lake Okeechobee out of Harney Pond canal ramp in January. I had moved to Florida from the Washington D.C. suburbs just month earlier. Although, I had gone fishing on Okeechobee several times before, I had never fished that area. I had always launched from Okee-Tantie park ramp on the north end of the lake.
I made absolutely no preparation for the tournament I merely planned to fish the area on the north end where I had caught some fish the two weeks prior. Almost everything that could go bad went wrong that day; the weather was horrible with winds blowing to 30 mph making the lake roll like the ocean. I froze all day long as I did not have the proper rain gear. Even in the sheltered lee side I fought to hold the boat in the strong wind and high waves. I broke off two fish I managed to hook on spinner baits snapping line like dry twigs. My co-angler never said a word he just kept throwing what he called a Bang-o-lure. He put four fish in the live well that day to my one. I finished almost last that day; my co-angler took home third place.
What I learned from that tournament I have taken with me over the years. I vowed never to be unprepared again; after all I was a boy scout and should have followed the famous motto-be prepared. Today, many years later I am again preparing for a January tournament on Lake Okeechobee. Though this FLW event will launch on the north side of the lake from Scott Driver Park; by the start of the tournament I will have scouted not only the main lake areas, but also the Kissimmee River, and the protected rim canal areas as well. Before I ever leave my drive way I will have gone through check lists for: clothing, maps, tackle, inspecting my truck, boat, and trailer. I will have poured over the inter-net chasing past tournament results, and current fishing reports. I have become a weather watching guru to the point my family runs from the boredom of the weather channel. Even though I spent years fishing on the lake I will have several maps with highlighted with back up areas reflecting back up patterns. And, one other important item-two wind socks. I will never fish big water without them again.
This is just the first step in fortifying my confidence—my key to success. Next week I will talk about wetting a line.
Just a Matter of Time-4
I always look at fishing like a jig saw puzzle. To work a puzzle; first you have to get all the pieces out of the box, sort them out, and flip them face up. Tournament fishing is the same. Each lake is like a puzzle you have to open the lake up and sort out all the areas until you see how it fits together. How you sort the lake out is largely dependent on how open your mind is on that day. What distinguishes the winner’s and consistent finishers from the also-rans are the methods they use to work the pieces of the puzzle. I hardly know or meet any bass fishermen that do not have a boat load of lures, rods, reels, lines, and accessories. All of those are just one piece of the puzzle yet most anglers use the shotgun approach when putting together a plan to fish a lake. This is one of the key stages that separate the various levels of anglers. The most accomplished winners’ are the ones who can see how the pieces of the puzzle fit together once they lay the puzzle out on the board before they ever touch a single piece of the puzzle. I’ve seen so many people work puzzles; some start on the outside perimeter looking for all the straight edges, some look for brightly colored areas—I look for odd shaped pieces.
Before I fish any lake I study a map of the lake—even if I have fished that lake once or one hundred times before. I do the same when I work a puzzle; I look at the picture of the puzzle on the front of the box. I want to know what it looks like before I ever see it. I start by picking odd shaped pieces out from both the lake and the puzzle. That is my strength, just as my strength is fishing skinny water. I have been influenced in the past by what some call “dock talk.” It usually led me to fish an area or a technique that is not my strength. Conditions include what I define as seasonal patterns, weather, and water levels; the same for working the puzzle—a flat surface to work on with bright lighting is important. I never have seen anyone start to work a puzzle on a bed in the dark; mostly the dining room table is the preferred spot. However, every tournament I have fished I see anglers fishing in the dark hoping to put the pieces together. Sometimes, lady luck shines on them rewarding them with a fat hog or a quick limit. More often than not the reality is they struggle to put the puzzle together; only because they cannot see how the pieces fit together.
The anglers who are consistent have already worked out the strategy before they ever launch on the water. The changes they make throughout the day occur as they fish. It is not only what fish are caught but how they are caught; not only the type of bait; but presentation and location. A ledge fisherman may adjust the speed of retrieve if he is not getting hit; he may adjust the angle of the retrieve from shallow to deep instead paralleling the ledge or even off the ledge beak itself. The real key in working the fishing puzzle is when the pieces are not fitting together to regroup; you can’t force what doesn’t fit together to work. In this case when what you are doing is not work it is time to start working the corner or flat edge pieces. After regrouping you can’t worry about breaking off a fish on Tule’s, or Mussel shells, or in thick Hydrilla; first you must set the hook—you can’t break off what you can’t catch. As you work the puzzle towards completion of the puzzle filling your limit set your sites on upgrading your catch. To do that you must find the last piece of the puzzle.
Before I fish any lake I study a map of the lake—even if I have fished that lake once or one hundred times before. I do the same when I work a puzzle; I look at the picture of the puzzle on the front of the box. I want to know what it looks like before I ever see it. I start by picking odd shaped pieces out from both the lake and the puzzle. That is my strength, just as my strength is fishing skinny water. I have been influenced in the past by what some call “dock talk.” It usually led me to fish an area or a technique that is not my strength. Conditions include what I define as seasonal patterns, weather, and water levels; the same for working the puzzle—a flat surface to work on with bright lighting is important. I never have seen anyone start to work a puzzle on a bed in the dark; mostly the dining room table is the preferred spot. However, every tournament I have fished I see anglers fishing in the dark hoping to put the pieces together. Sometimes, lady luck shines on them rewarding them with a fat hog or a quick limit. More often than not the reality is they struggle to put the puzzle together; only because they cannot see how the pieces fit together.
The anglers who are consistent have already worked out the strategy before they ever launch on the water. The changes they make throughout the day occur as they fish. It is not only what fish are caught but how they are caught; not only the type of bait; but presentation and location. A ledge fisherman may adjust the speed of retrieve if he is not getting hit; he may adjust the angle of the retrieve from shallow to deep instead paralleling the ledge or even off the ledge beak itself. The real key in working the fishing puzzle is when the pieces are not fitting together to regroup; you can’t force what doesn’t fit together to work. In this case when what you are doing is not work it is time to start working the corner or flat edge pieces. After regrouping you can’t worry about breaking off a fish on Tule’s, or Mussel shells, or in thick Hydrilla; first you must set the hook—you can’t break off what you can’t catch. As you work the puzzle towards completion of the puzzle filling your limit set your sites on upgrading your catch. To do that you must find the last piece of the puzzle.
Just a Matter of Time-5
In the last four segments I have visited several areas from the beginning of the meaning what I thought “Just a matter of time” meant, to the epic failure of the first tournament experience, to the mental process of tournament competition, and last week figuring out the puzzle of tournament day. This week I want to revisit the idea of what it takes to make the decision to quit whatever job you were making your living from-- to fishing for cash.
Before I even start there will be those of you who are reading this thinking-I will never be able to stop doing what I do now to being able to fish my dream; so be it. In this moment I am going be philosophical. I will jump off track a moment to share that I grew up pretty much without any father figure in a single parent home; however, later in life I was able to re-establish a relationship with my father. One of the few words of wisdom he was able to pass on to me was the saying, “If you do the same old thing, you get the same old result.” Consider that in the back of your mind while reading this article.
We as tournament guys tend to hang out with other people who share our passion for competition or fishing for cash. However, there are always those times when someone outside of our circle offers the question; what is the difference between a pro and amateur fisherman? The answer is not always simple. In fact, it can be complicated. The pat definition for competition is simple; you pay the professional entry fee you are a professional. But, does that make you a Rick Clunn, a Michael Iaconelli, or a Randall Tharp—likely not. I have found a simple way to get non competitors to understand where on the ladder I am by comparing fishing to baseball. Everyone can readily recognize the different levels of baseball players—amateur levels from t-ball to college, however, few recognize there are many professional levels such as; single-A, double-AA, triple- AAA, and lastly the major leagues. Let’s make comparisons: Club level tournaments equals single-A, Federation level tournament equals double-AA, Week-end series/BFL’s equals triple-AAA, and lastly EverStarts, Opens, and Tour levels equals the majors. Finally, we can make the comparison if the World Series is comparable to the Bass Master Classic or Forrest Wood Cup.
Where on the comparison levels are you? Where is it you want to be? What is it that is preventing you from getting there? Is it skill? Is it money? Or is it commitment? Likely, you believe a combination of these at some level. Earlier, I counted three recognizable professional anglers in Rick Clunn, Michael Iaconelli, and Randall Tharp. Rick has been there winning it all including the classic four times. He is mostly thought of for his Zen like ideological style. What most do not know about him is you can find him not a fancy hotel the during practice and tournament competitions but, instead at campgrounds sleeping in his truck. Michael Iaconelli too has won the a classic, however, he quickly retells how he prowled shopping centers at night searching for an electrical outlet to charge his boats batteries for the next day. Randall Tharp is a poster boy for those of us who dream. Not long ago in 2007 he was the owner of a construction company. He admittedly always loved bass fishing but in a remarkable short amount of time he went from common hammer swinger to the heights of the Forrest Wood Cup. Consider this all three were born here in the United States; Takahiro Omori born in Japan began to dream and visualize of his hero’s back in 1985 as a teenager. It was that dream that inspired him to come over to America with not only no place to live or no money but, consider this no command of the language and never having been on a single American body of water. It was not only a dream that gave him inspiration during numerous lonesome nights sleeping in the back of a truck in campgrounds across America. It's a dream that became realism on August 1, 2004, when Takahiro Omori won the CITGO Bassmaster Classic on Lake Wylie in North Carolina forever becoming the first Japanese pro to win professional bass fishing's most esteemed title. Bar it did not happen precisely as Omori had visualized about in his late-night dreams. Even after his victory he thought back to his visit to Rick Clunn’s home where he previously held one of Rick’s classic trophies over his head to feel what was to come. It was then that exhaustion overcame him. He pulled off the road to the shoulder to finally sleep his dream had come to fruition. I once said he had a simple goal at a press conference the following--"In America, I had no house, no money, no family, no friends, no communication, but I didn't care, I just wanted to fish."
What each of these men have in common is the decision they made. What is your dream? I hear another of my father’s sayings—never back up more than necessary, go forward.
Before I even start there will be those of you who are reading this thinking-I will never be able to stop doing what I do now to being able to fish my dream; so be it. In this moment I am going be philosophical. I will jump off track a moment to share that I grew up pretty much without any father figure in a single parent home; however, later in life I was able to re-establish a relationship with my father. One of the few words of wisdom he was able to pass on to me was the saying, “If you do the same old thing, you get the same old result.” Consider that in the back of your mind while reading this article.
We as tournament guys tend to hang out with other people who share our passion for competition or fishing for cash. However, there are always those times when someone outside of our circle offers the question; what is the difference between a pro and amateur fisherman? The answer is not always simple. In fact, it can be complicated. The pat definition for competition is simple; you pay the professional entry fee you are a professional. But, does that make you a Rick Clunn, a Michael Iaconelli, or a Randall Tharp—likely not. I have found a simple way to get non competitors to understand where on the ladder I am by comparing fishing to baseball. Everyone can readily recognize the different levels of baseball players—amateur levels from t-ball to college, however, few recognize there are many professional levels such as; single-A, double-AA, triple- AAA, and lastly the major leagues. Let’s make comparisons: Club level tournaments equals single-A, Federation level tournament equals double-AA, Week-end series/BFL’s equals triple-AAA, and lastly EverStarts, Opens, and Tour levels equals the majors. Finally, we can make the comparison if the World Series is comparable to the Bass Master Classic or Forrest Wood Cup.
Where on the comparison levels are you? Where is it you want to be? What is it that is preventing you from getting there? Is it skill? Is it money? Or is it commitment? Likely, you believe a combination of these at some level. Earlier, I counted three recognizable professional anglers in Rick Clunn, Michael Iaconelli, and Randall Tharp. Rick has been there winning it all including the classic four times. He is mostly thought of for his Zen like ideological style. What most do not know about him is you can find him not a fancy hotel the during practice and tournament competitions but, instead at campgrounds sleeping in his truck. Michael Iaconelli too has won the a classic, however, he quickly retells how he prowled shopping centers at night searching for an electrical outlet to charge his boats batteries for the next day. Randall Tharp is a poster boy for those of us who dream. Not long ago in 2007 he was the owner of a construction company. He admittedly always loved bass fishing but in a remarkable short amount of time he went from common hammer swinger to the heights of the Forrest Wood Cup. Consider this all three were born here in the United States; Takahiro Omori born in Japan began to dream and visualize of his hero’s back in 1985 as a teenager. It was that dream that inspired him to come over to America with not only no place to live or no money but, consider this no command of the language and never having been on a single American body of water. It was not only a dream that gave him inspiration during numerous lonesome nights sleeping in the back of a truck in campgrounds across America. It's a dream that became realism on August 1, 2004, when Takahiro Omori won the CITGO Bassmaster Classic on Lake Wylie in North Carolina forever becoming the first Japanese pro to win professional bass fishing's most esteemed title. Bar it did not happen precisely as Omori had visualized about in his late-night dreams. Even after his victory he thought back to his visit to Rick Clunn’s home where he previously held one of Rick’s classic trophies over his head to feel what was to come. It was then that exhaustion overcame him. He pulled off the road to the shoulder to finally sleep his dream had come to fruition. I once said he had a simple goal at a press conference the following--"In America, I had no house, no money, no family, no friends, no communication, but I didn't care, I just wanted to fish."
What each of these men have in common is the decision they made. What is your dream? I hear another of my father’s sayings—never back up more than necessary, go forward.
Just a Matter of Time-6
I have been accused of being extreme by my wife. I suppose she is right again. Please don’t anyone tell her. As the year is coming to a close the Christmas holiday is fast approaching I want to wish all of you a Merry Christmas. However, while I have for the first time in years completed all my shopping for Christmas; I can’t stop making lists in my head. No, this list is not for Christmas it’s for the upcoming FLW tournament on Okeechobee just weeks ahead. In the Army there’s a saying about the “Five P’s”, --prior planning prevents poor performance. Yes, it’s another one of the cliché’ phrases that abound in military. I subscribe to it; rather than another popular acronym -SNAFU. Am I obsessive about preparation- more than likely? Last night as I was tossing and turning thinking about what I “needed” for the next tournament it occurred to me I had found what to write about today. What is really needed to compete once you have made that decision you want to fish at any higher level?
We are constantly exposed to pictures, videos, and televised coverage of the big tournaments and the anglers who compete in them. We are deluged by a multitude of media advertising from boat manufactures, trucks, rods, reels, soft and hard baits, lines, and terminal tackle. Typically, we see the top guys in twenty foot name brand boats, towed by big SUV’s or pickup trucks wrapped in colorful vinyl sponsor advertisement. The boats are loaded with topline tackle, electronics, and the angler is wearing a jersey to match whatever sponsors they are supported by. Naturally, it is a normal reaction to emulate success or what is perceived as success.
If you look past those competitors I have just mentioned you will also see many other competitors fishing the same tournament. If you look hard enough you will see the “meat and potatoes” also. There are other guys there who do not sport the same “look” as I previously described, but no less they are there to compete and win—money and fame. Those meat and potatoes guys still ponied up the same entry fee. The difference is that by either choice or circumstance they do not have the financial ability to match up resources others have. In every tournament I know there are guys with the financial ability to pay to play the game; they may not have the matching talent but they do have the bucks. I have seen it from the club tournaments up into the tour levels. I can tell you that the Elite series is the exception to the others—no doubt the real McCoy.
The reality is many of the competitors’ that fish in EverStarts, WON, Opens or Tour events fish with less than the resources than you may realize. Not every boat is new, not ever engine is a 250 horsepower, not every truck just came off the show room floor, and not ever guy is throwing $25.00 bait. In fact, many of those guys fish boats that are older, with less than maximum horse power rating, driving trucks with hundreds of thousands of miles on them, and many times using equipment they have had for years. These same guys share hotel rooms, campgrounds, and even sleep in their trucks. They eat on tight budgets, often out of coolers from home. Peanut butter is a stable fare.
As I was going over my list of things to get today I found most of it on the list I have or could fish with something comparable that is on the boat now. In fact, I am convinced during the next tournament I will only have two or perhaps three rods on deck on take-off. Moreover, I am also confident I could strip 95% of the tackle out of my boat-- of course I won’t because of the five P’s.
I have to admit I have more rods than I can fit in my boat. Many of those rods duplicate or triplicate up on technique applications. I have enough plastics to form up four new tires. While I think my hard bait selection is less than many others I rarely use ten percent of those in a month let alone in a single day. I have enough terminal tackle to outfit the entire field on take-off.
Yes, I readily admit I have seen guys keep an extra trolling motor in the spare rod box. What is more they have a brand new boat usually. I can vividly remember when I first started fishing tournaments my boat was almost two decades old; one morning at take-off I recall a guy in a brand new Gambler saying who are you going to beat in that junk? I just calmly said, “I can’t remember ever catching a fish on plane.” Later at weigh-in I was comforted to see the same guy with two fish compared to my limit.
For the most part those guys with the best equipment worked hard for those advantages. They deserve every advantage that success brings with it. These same guys struggled to just make the check cut more times than not in the past. The good news is everyone in the field knows who is struggling to make a check, and more often than not tries to help them survive. No-one wants to see someone else fail or drop out, it reminds us of our own vulnerability. Remember your co-angler who is coming on your boat carrying maybe five or six rods, and one tackle bag. If they can make it with that why can’t you step up and compete with you have now? Are you going to match up head to head with the top guys’ boat for boat or rod for rod, no—but consider what is most important? I invite you to look at last year’s rookie of the year Ott Defoe. Look back to December of 2009; he mentions in his blog that big things are on the way. Granted, it is nice to have a boat sponsor deal, but most of those deals are not free boats. I know several people who have been offered deep discounts on rigs but, who still opt to run an older boat because it is still a bunch of money even with sponsor help. I invite you look back to several tournaments this last year where top pro’s ran borrowed aluminum boats to compete with. Yes, the conditions where they fished prevented the big fiberglass boats from being used; but if they can compete and win out of an aluminum boat why can’t you do as well or at least compete with your boat? I would be willing to bet that if you took Ott’s new Z-9 and gave him an older Z-7 he would still have won rookie of the year. Equipment is nice no doubt, but in the end I never saw a fish get caught without an angler.
In January I will be pulling out of my driveway behind the wheel of a 2004 F-150 with 328,000 miles on the odometer. My truck never caught a fish either, but right now I don’t want a new one with a payment—another Dobyn’s rod yes!
Which brings me back to the topic: What do you really need? I would be willing to wager you probably already have everything you need now-except maybe money and commitment. Many before you have started without much money, but they had plenty of commitment.
We are constantly exposed to pictures, videos, and televised coverage of the big tournaments and the anglers who compete in them. We are deluged by a multitude of media advertising from boat manufactures, trucks, rods, reels, soft and hard baits, lines, and terminal tackle. Typically, we see the top guys in twenty foot name brand boats, towed by big SUV’s or pickup trucks wrapped in colorful vinyl sponsor advertisement. The boats are loaded with topline tackle, electronics, and the angler is wearing a jersey to match whatever sponsors they are supported by. Naturally, it is a normal reaction to emulate success or what is perceived as success.
If you look past those competitors I have just mentioned you will also see many other competitors fishing the same tournament. If you look hard enough you will see the “meat and potatoes” also. There are other guys there who do not sport the same “look” as I previously described, but no less they are there to compete and win—money and fame. Those meat and potatoes guys still ponied up the same entry fee. The difference is that by either choice or circumstance they do not have the financial ability to match up resources others have. In every tournament I know there are guys with the financial ability to pay to play the game; they may not have the matching talent but they do have the bucks. I have seen it from the club tournaments up into the tour levels. I can tell you that the Elite series is the exception to the others—no doubt the real McCoy.
The reality is many of the competitors’ that fish in EverStarts, WON, Opens or Tour events fish with less than the resources than you may realize. Not every boat is new, not ever engine is a 250 horsepower, not every truck just came off the show room floor, and not ever guy is throwing $25.00 bait. In fact, many of those guys fish boats that are older, with less than maximum horse power rating, driving trucks with hundreds of thousands of miles on them, and many times using equipment they have had for years. These same guys share hotel rooms, campgrounds, and even sleep in their trucks. They eat on tight budgets, often out of coolers from home. Peanut butter is a stable fare.
As I was going over my list of things to get today I found most of it on the list I have or could fish with something comparable that is on the boat now. In fact, I am convinced during the next tournament I will only have two or perhaps three rods on deck on take-off. Moreover, I am also confident I could strip 95% of the tackle out of my boat-- of course I won’t because of the five P’s.
I have to admit I have more rods than I can fit in my boat. Many of those rods duplicate or triplicate up on technique applications. I have enough plastics to form up four new tires. While I think my hard bait selection is less than many others I rarely use ten percent of those in a month let alone in a single day. I have enough terminal tackle to outfit the entire field on take-off.
Yes, I readily admit I have seen guys keep an extra trolling motor in the spare rod box. What is more they have a brand new boat usually. I can vividly remember when I first started fishing tournaments my boat was almost two decades old; one morning at take-off I recall a guy in a brand new Gambler saying who are you going to beat in that junk? I just calmly said, “I can’t remember ever catching a fish on plane.” Later at weigh-in I was comforted to see the same guy with two fish compared to my limit.
For the most part those guys with the best equipment worked hard for those advantages. They deserve every advantage that success brings with it. These same guys struggled to just make the check cut more times than not in the past. The good news is everyone in the field knows who is struggling to make a check, and more often than not tries to help them survive. No-one wants to see someone else fail or drop out, it reminds us of our own vulnerability. Remember your co-angler who is coming on your boat carrying maybe five or six rods, and one tackle bag. If they can make it with that why can’t you step up and compete with you have now? Are you going to match up head to head with the top guys’ boat for boat or rod for rod, no—but consider what is most important? I invite you to look at last year’s rookie of the year Ott Defoe. Look back to December of 2009; he mentions in his blog that big things are on the way. Granted, it is nice to have a boat sponsor deal, but most of those deals are not free boats. I know several people who have been offered deep discounts on rigs but, who still opt to run an older boat because it is still a bunch of money even with sponsor help. I invite you look back to several tournaments this last year where top pro’s ran borrowed aluminum boats to compete with. Yes, the conditions where they fished prevented the big fiberglass boats from being used; but if they can compete and win out of an aluminum boat why can’t you do as well or at least compete with your boat? I would be willing to bet that if you took Ott’s new Z-9 and gave him an older Z-7 he would still have won rookie of the year. Equipment is nice no doubt, but in the end I never saw a fish get caught without an angler.
In January I will be pulling out of my driveway behind the wheel of a 2004 F-150 with 328,000 miles on the odometer. My truck never caught a fish either, but right now I don’t want a new one with a payment—another Dobyn’s rod yes!
Which brings me back to the topic: What do you really need? I would be willing to wager you probably already have everything you need now-except maybe money and commitment. Many before you have started without much money, but they had plenty of commitment.
Just a Matter of Time-7
I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas with family and friends. Days before Christmas I found myself reflecting on past holidays thinking of the excitement not only of Christmas day but, the night before more importantly. I remember when I was little the high expectations and excitement of the gifts of the following morning that Santa would bring. As I grew up I watched that excitement pass on to my children as they grew up. Now that Christmas is passed by and the New Year’s holiday weekend approaches I feel that same excitement nonetheless these feelings of excitement are not for traditional holidays but, the approach of the start of the tournament season.
Although I have been competing in tournaments for some time now; I am still as a little child excited at the mere thought of upcoming competitions. This week my family traveled to Miami to spend the New Year’s with my wife’s relatives. All during the trip my mind kept wandering off not to thoughts of Miami but instead to Lake Okeechobee as I travelled the Florida turnpike. As I neared the exit for Highway 70 at Fort Pierce it was all I could do to maintain the correct course to Miami. Admittedly, this morning as I sat by my in-laws poolside I listened to the familiar sounds of mud ducks in the lake behind their house—I could just close my eyes imagining standing on the bow of my boat fishing the North shore of Lake Okeechobee.
While some may only ponder the technical aspect of tournament bass fishing I embraced the mental aspect of it as requisite. I have had plenty of time to prepare this winter for the onset of this year’s travels to tournaments. I just recently last week completed a thorough inventory of my boat equipment, tackle, and a sundry other items I require when fishing. The replacement of a missing physical item is relatively simple purchase; however, mental preparation is far more complex.
In the first of these articles “Gunny” responded of his thoughts of “Just a Matter of time.” With the following response; “I think that is a great way to look at it. Being just a local tournament angler and doing an occassional guide trip, I think of "Just a Matter of Time" as being a defining moment in the present, not looking to the future. I find myself instead of thinking how to win the tournament, how to just get a limit and move on from there, which sometimes ends up being the entire day, never getting to move on to the future.”
I have taken his response to heart adapting a slogan motto from Gary Dobyn’s line of fishing rods—don’t fish chicken, fish to win. Especially for this upcoming even on Lake Okeechobee where January bags are always hefty. This is not going to be one of those events to just get five and look for a kicker to round out your sack. It will be a slugfest, a battle, it will be a war! It will not be won with daily limits of ho hum weights. Mindful of this I will be swinging for the fences because I know I need sacks of kickers not just one for each day. That’s the easy part. The hard part is similar to my trip yesterday to Miami not becoming influenced to stray back to a familiar path. I have fished hundreds if not thousands of times on Okeechobee while this is an advantage; it can also be a negative influence. Time and time again we see local guys on home lakes get stuck in the rut of past glory to be passed by another angler who has never or seldom fished the same water. To win I need to find patterns and locations not past memories. While indeed I will rely on past information and results I will need to fish each day on results not hopes of past success. Focus has to be on winning not just placing.
What will be your focus this year? Is it the moment, the future, or both?
Although I have been competing in tournaments for some time now; I am still as a little child excited at the mere thought of upcoming competitions. This week my family traveled to Miami to spend the New Year’s with my wife’s relatives. All during the trip my mind kept wandering off not to thoughts of Miami but instead to Lake Okeechobee as I travelled the Florida turnpike. As I neared the exit for Highway 70 at Fort Pierce it was all I could do to maintain the correct course to Miami. Admittedly, this morning as I sat by my in-laws poolside I listened to the familiar sounds of mud ducks in the lake behind their house—I could just close my eyes imagining standing on the bow of my boat fishing the North shore of Lake Okeechobee.
While some may only ponder the technical aspect of tournament bass fishing I embraced the mental aspect of it as requisite. I have had plenty of time to prepare this winter for the onset of this year’s travels to tournaments. I just recently last week completed a thorough inventory of my boat equipment, tackle, and a sundry other items I require when fishing. The replacement of a missing physical item is relatively simple purchase; however, mental preparation is far more complex.
In the first of these articles “Gunny” responded of his thoughts of “Just a Matter of time.” With the following response; “I think that is a great way to look at it. Being just a local tournament angler and doing an occassional guide trip, I think of "Just a Matter of Time" as being a defining moment in the present, not looking to the future. I find myself instead of thinking how to win the tournament, how to just get a limit and move on from there, which sometimes ends up being the entire day, never getting to move on to the future.”
I have taken his response to heart adapting a slogan motto from Gary Dobyn’s line of fishing rods—don’t fish chicken, fish to win. Especially for this upcoming even on Lake Okeechobee where January bags are always hefty. This is not going to be one of those events to just get five and look for a kicker to round out your sack. It will be a slugfest, a battle, it will be a war! It will not be won with daily limits of ho hum weights. Mindful of this I will be swinging for the fences because I know I need sacks of kickers not just one for each day. That’s the easy part. The hard part is similar to my trip yesterday to Miami not becoming influenced to stray back to a familiar path. I have fished hundreds if not thousands of times on Okeechobee while this is an advantage; it can also be a negative influence. Time and time again we see local guys on home lakes get stuck in the rut of past glory to be passed by another angler who has never or seldom fished the same water. To win I need to find patterns and locations not past memories. While indeed I will rely on past information and results I will need to fish each day on results not hopes of past success. Focus has to be on winning not just placing.
What will be your focus this year? Is it the moment, the future, or both?
