This is the topic I planned to address last post before I
was sidetracked, so here it is: my formula for success. I believe, and yes this is my opinion, that
this formula will help anyone looking to succeed at anything. As I
explain the formula, keep in mind that each part varies for each person. No two people are alike, some pick up parts
faster than others while others pick up different parts faster than some. My wife reminds me periodically that I only
know one way to do anything, ALL IN. Keep this in mind as focus and determination will affect how quickly you improve.
(e + c) * P
E
Interesting isn’t it!
Here it is again.
( experience + confidence ) * Preparation
Execution
Intrigued? I’ll
explain each part, why it is important and most importantly, how the math relates
to the formula.
Experience
This one is
attainable by anyone, but definitely the most time consuming. Experience is irreplaceable and there is no
substitute or shortcut. The more time
spent improving skills, increasing knowledge and understanding the intricacies,
the more you improve your chance of success.
In fishing, if you’re flipping and pitching skills are poor (accuracy), then
spend a few minutes each day flipping and pitching at targets in the house,
garage or yard. I like to use a 5’6”
casting rod with braid for practice. The
short rod works in the house and braid is much easier to use. As you become more proficient, this skill
will translate to a different setup quickly.
If you struggle deep, spend time reading how to use your electronics
better and spend time on the water using them.
This one is very hard for most anglers as the desire to fish often
wins. To prevent this, leave the rods at
home. Another tip is to remove anything that
relates to other techniques so you are forced to stick with your plan. Attend seminars, fish with other anglers, read
articles (by experts) and experiment.
We all become complacent in our
strengths, but you must reach outside the box to progress. Remember, a chain is only as strong as its
weakest link. This is true as it relates
to yourself or your team. If you have skills
that are raw or lacking, they will slow your progression and actually hurt you
by affecting the second element in the Formula.
Confidence
This part
is perhaps the most difficult to obtain and more importantly, to maintain. Confidence can erode over time, or in an
instant. It is generally gained through
success, but lost in failure. The key
here is to identify failure, because often we lose confidence when we shouldn’t. If you follow the elite tournament pro’s, you’ll
often hear them say, “I had one in the box by 2, but caught 4 in the last hour”,
or “I know I’m in the right area, I just have to wait for the right timing”. I have a couple of examples. First, in a tournament last year with a
friend, I sensed he was growing restless when he went without a bite for over 2
hours (in the morning). I simply said, “Just
be patient, they’re here. We’ll catch
them.” We went on to win that day.
Sometimes our failures can actually
strengthen our confidence. At McConnaughy
this year, on the second day, I was fishing in a steady rain for shallow
largemouth in dirty water. I knew the
bass were there and the forecast was for clearing skies. I committed to the area and tried my
best. It never stopped raining and I
finished fifth. Success? Not hardly, but it didn’t shake my confidence
because I made the best call based on the information I had and it gave me the
best chance to win. If the skies
cleared, it could have changed everything.
This doesn’t mean that I don’t lose
confidence, but rather that I manage the times that it is shaken. You must be confident in your abilities to
catch fish, or whatever it is that you do, because you aren’t competing against
anyone but yourself. In everything, all
you can control is how you react to adversity.
You fish to catch the bass, not be concerned with others. You can’t control what they do.
Preparation
This is the
key ingredient to whatever you are trying to succeed at. There is no substitute for a good plan. Someone once said, “The only bad plan is no
plan”, prophetic words. Quite often, the
better prepared angler will succeed over the more confident and experienced
angler based on this alone. Teams don’t
enter a game without a game plan, a CEO doesn’t enter a board meeting without a
presentation (plan) and good bass anglers don’t enter a tournament without
doing their homework. Homework consists
of many things, but some of my favorites are Google Earth, Topo maps, prior
tournament results (history) and weather information. Time of year (pre/post spawn) and water
conditions are additional factors that must be considered. If you go into a tournament guessing, you’ll
lose valuable time trying to scramble. Develop
a good plan, refine it during practice and execute it during the
tournament. Yes, often you must make
adjustments, but rarely do you have to scrap everything and start over. Be prepared; cover contingency plans for
unexpected conditions. Have an idea
before the unexpected happens so you can recognize it early.
Execution
Mistakes
are often the downfall to finishing second or lower. Missed fish (net mistakes, break offs, etc)
are usually the culprit, but this can also include missing a key characteristic
that prevents making an adjustment, forgetting something or a multitude of
other things. The key here is to limit
the mistakes. Sometimes one or two
mistakes can be managed, but multiple mistakes are much harder to
overcome. This doesn’t mean that you
should give up, but rather refocus as it is harder to succeed. Keep your head down and concentrate; you can
still salvage a respectable day. Blow
your cool, and you may be done.
The Math
Now that
you have the pieces, let’s put them together.
Experience plus Confidence (these are both important), add together to
define your skill as an angler. The more
you have of each, the more it inflates your chances. Together, multiply these against your Preparation
to get your enumerator. Yes, experience
and confidence are big indicators, but lacking preparation exponentially
affects your outcome. Divide this by
your Execution factor (number of mistakes) and you get your chance of success. Notice that I say “Chance of Success”, not
just success. Also, division by zero is
not possible, but I’d argue that by default, we all start with one. We are all human and by nature are not
perfect. Division is important here,
because in any competition, every error significantly reduces your chance to
succeed.
The more you increase this number, the better your chance to
succeed.
All the experience and confidence
multiplied by your preparation and executed flawlessly may not be enough. Recall that I said you can’t control
others. You can maximize your chance of
success and bring in 25 pounds only to see someone else hoist 25 and ½ on the
scales. That is why it is calculated as
a chance. Winning anything is difficult,
especially as the competition gets tougher.
Winning a tournament often is more a factor of everything going just
right, that is why I pray! Do this
enough (maximize your chances) and you’ll win your share.
More importantly, you’ll improve your consistency.
God Bless and Good Fishing!
First, I made my annual fun trip to Cottonmill this weekend. I usually go in June, but ran a little behind this year with my busy schedule. I always enjoy Cottonmill as it gives me a chance to fish vegetation (my favorite). Fish were much smaller than I usually catch there, but that's due to the time of year. In June, the bass are usually in early post-spawn and the bigger fish are up cruising and feeding in the shallow grass. By July, the bigger fish have mostly moved to deeper water and the sanctuary provided there. I however, chose to fish shallow just because I could. I really enjoy flipping a hollow bodied frog to reed pockets. I caught several this way, but did much better swimming a toad and even caught a few flipping into dark holes around the brush piles. I caught a few around 2 to 2 1/2 lbs, but most ran less than 2. I'm already looking forward to next year.
