2014 Season Wrapup

Thank you to MOMAN Lures, Okuma Fishing and McKinney Custom Tackle.  

     Well, 2014 is in the books.  I'd like to say it was wildly successful, but that would be a stretch.  However, I can say it was still a good year and there are several positives.  Overall, I finished 56th in points in the Bassmaster Central Division this year.  This is out of over 200 anglers that participated, so I was roughly in the 25th percentile.  Absolutely NOT where I wanted (and nothing like 2013), but it's still a good start for my first year in the Pro Division.

Waiting in bag line

     So, what was good about it?  Let me start by listing what was bad.  First, my year started with a boat issue.  Four holes in my gas tank at Amistad left me in a frazzled state.  I won't revisit how that happened, but none the less, it happened.  I was able to get a temp fix, followed by a permanent one after the first event.  However, it haunted me all year.  Couple this with a small tank (32 gallons) and I found myself wondering if I had enough gas at every event.  It definitely affected how I fished, by influencing where I went.  I never felt comfortable making long runs, since the thought of getting back nagged me all day.  Secondly, on the water decision making cost me.  I made good decisions on the water at every event, just always too late in the day.  I was too stubborn trying to make something work, that I didn't give myself enough time.

    Now what was good.  My preparation was spot on and my practices were great.  I quickly found fish at every event and put together a solid game plan.  I carefully managed bites to only catch a few early in practice (to gauge size) and then to shake off in the official practice.  I was even able to change tactics as the event unfolded, just always too late (as mentioned earlier).  Bottom line, my preparation was good, my execution not so.

   How do I adjust next year?  I tweak the plan.  First off, I sold my boat.  I am in the process of getting a new one, a must to eliminate the gas situation.  Secondly, I'm adjusting my practice slightly.  I plan to do a lot more driving next year, planning my daily runs to include my planned strategy as well as (more importantly) new areas that are similar to what I found fish on.  Lastly, I am changing my strategy.  Too often I went after the better than average fish first instead of concentrating on the limit fish.  I have to reverse this as not filling your limit is crushing.  Yes, if I had caught a limit of the fish I targeted, I would have been in a different position.  However, I didn't and that was costly.
   So, what's next?  I want to expand to fish the Southern Division as well as the Central Division.  If you look at the most successful anglers on the circuit you find two common links. 
   * First, they fish multiple divisions.  The more tournaments fished allow an angler the ability to adapt quicker and be successful faster.  As a good friend put it, the first couple of years is like going to college.  There is a learning curve every time you step up a level.  The Bassmaster Opens are nothing like most large regional tournaments.  The competition is stiff with not only the areas best sticks, but also multiple Bassmaster Elite anglers including legends of the sport.  Add to that the intense pressure a fishery gets with that many quality anglers over a week of practice and the bite is tough. 
   * Second, funding is critical.  Most of the truly successful anglers have sponsors that provide entry fee and expense support.  This support may be self generated by owning a business, family support or representative (sponsored by an organization).  Some even have more than one of the types of support.  Bottom line, this level of competition is expensive and the better funded anglers usually outperform the less funded.  Equipment matters and so does the mentality associated with it. 

So that's about it.  A good start and a solid foundation to build on. 


Until the next time, good fishing and God Bless!