Bass tournament fishing has more ups and downs than a roller coaster. You might back up your best tournament of the season with your worst event ever. It’s one of the things that makes this crazy sport so unique.
Every angler has good and bad days, big hits and devastating misses. A small change in location, baits and strategy can result in a heavy catch or a bag so light you’re embarrassed to carry it on stage.
When you have a lackluster tournament or struggle to overcome a slump, it’s easy to fall into the trap of being negative, which is the kiss of death. I try to avoid all the contrary stuff on social media about how forward-facing sonar is killing our sport and other things some people don’t like.
Down with the negative, up with the positive
I strive to maintain a positive attitude — the essential ingredient for success in any sport. I prefer to hang with fishing buddies who tend to look on the bright side of things. That includes Hank Cherry, one of my roommates during Elite tournaments.
My dad, a 30-year veteran of our sport, has set a great example for me. Over all those decades, I’ve never heard him complain about one thing when it comes to tournament fishing. Sure, there are things that he doesn’t completely like, but he doesn’t let them bother him.
In this respect, I try to be as much like my dad as I can. I avoid the negativity and focus on the next tournament and the next bite. In my mind, it’s me against the fish. When you have a positive mindset, it makes fishing more fun and more likely to be successful.
By staying on the bright side, I’m able to fully enjoy tournament fishing. As with every other Bassmaster Elite Series pro, I had a dream to make a living doing something I love. We are truly blessed to be where we are.
Learning from bad tournaments
Looking over my Elite season this year, I didn’t perform to the best of my abilities. That being said, I have learned an incredible amount. Even when I had a bad tournament, the positive takeaway is how much knowledge I gained from that experience.
I’ve gotten incredible insights about fishing strategy at every body of water we’ve been to this season. I’ve learned what successful anglers found that I missed and what I could have and should have done. I believe I get better every time I compete in an Elite Series event.
I learned something essential at the Lake Tenkiller Elite event last June. Going into that tournament, I believed forward-facing sonar would dominate. I relied on it during the tournament, but it proved not to be the deal. The tournament ended up being a traditional shallow-water, power-fishing-palooza. That’s my style, and I would have done better if I had gone that route.
That taught me to stick to my guns when things get tough. Look at Bill Lowen. He has fished his shallow-water strengths all year and has had great success. Despite the impact of forward-facing sonar, fishing shallow is still relevant.
Even though the upcoming Elite tournament at the Upper Mississippi River is the last of the season, it’s going to be all about shallow-water power fishing. I’m looking forward to having some fun there and ending the season on a positive note.
