I would like to talk about one of my best tournament seasons. I was really determined to have a great year. Last year I spent a lot of time in the off season reading articles and watching fishing videos. There is so much info out there, you just need to spend time to look it up. I’m not talking about lakes’ fishing reports. They do help, but if you like throwing crankbaits look up all the info you can about the technique and watch videos. I have a notebook that I write down anything that I like or think will help me catch more fish. I have been doing that for the last two years. Then I put it next to my bed, and read it off and on during the season.
Also I decided to get in shape this season by working out. I need to be in better condition during the cold and hot weather we have in Kansas. We fish for 8 hours in a tournament; you need to focus and be ready when ever that big bass may hit. I noticed if you are eating and working out, you don’t get as tired or worn out. I cannot say how many event this year that I caught a bass in the last hour, and that made a big difference.
This season I won Angler of the Year in Flint Hills Bass Club. All the offseason work paid off. We scheduled 7 events this season which you could throw out your lower placings or if you missed an event. I looked at this season as one big tournament, 7 days. I needed to catch 5 fish that weigh over 10 pounds each day. So, I needed a total of 35 fish. It doesn’t seem that hard. But, if you have ever fished a tournament, weather and other things always become a factor. This year, I was able to catch 25 fish with an average weight of 13.61lbs for 5 events. I had to miss one event for the boys to represent Kansas in Tennessee at Carroll County lake for B.A.S.S. National Youth Team Series. The other was cancelled due to weather in which we couldn’t make it up due to other events. I never placed lower then 3rd place in the 5 events.
This year, I also caught Big Bass of the Year. It was a 21 3/8 inch largemouth. The day it was caught, it was my first fish of the day at 10 am. In the next 15 minutes I had a limit. I was able to get big bass in 3 events and also catch four fish over 20 inches in the first three events of the season.
It was an incredible year. I would like to thank everyone that helped me this year. All the non-boaters that helped kept me fishing hard and make on water decisions. To my boys that push and help me pre-fish tournaments. Without my boys loving fishing, I could never spend as much time on the water as I do. Then to my loving, caring wife that believes in me and has always been so supportive.