Let’s just say that 2016 hasn’t been my best start. I fished Toho, the Classic and the St. Johns River without catching a 3-pound bass. Those are some of the best waters in the country. You’d think a guy would catch at least one over 3 pounds in one of them.
When everything was going the wrong direction, my dad would say that your loonies were off. It’s a mental thing. If something can go wrong, it will when your loonies are off. He’s pretty smart so I’m going to go with that. Besides, I don’t have a better explanation.
It hasn’t been so much that I’ve been making bad decisions as that my execution has been off. It’s the little things that are killing me. It seems like when I should have been pitching and flipping with braid I was using fluorocarbon. And, when I should have been using fluorocarbon I’ve been using braid.
That very thing happened to me in Florida. I was pitching with fluorocarbon. A seriously nice bass grabbed my bait. I lost her. If I’d had braid on, like I should have, I think I’d have landed her. It’s not like I haven’t had my opportunities.
If I were to say what’s wrong, I’d say that it’s a lack of focus. That sounds easy to fix, right? Just concentrate and everything will go back to normal. Your loonies will line up, and your fishing life will be wonderful. It’s just not that easy, though. The only way I know to get through it is to grind things out.
What makes it even tougher is the level of competition. I know you hear all the time that these anglers are really good. But they are. You just can’t make mistakes like I’ve been making and expect to be competitive. If you mess up, you get to take the weekend off and watch the other guys fish.
The tech gurus aren’t making things any easier, either. The thing that gets me about them is their technical skill, and I’m not talking just about with their electronics. They can use Google Earth like it’s an extension of their mind. What takes me three hours to learn about a lake or river takes them a few minutes. They zoom in, look things over, drop a pin or two and then they plot a course.
All the videos that are available help them, too. Their learning curve is so much faster these days. That makes a huge difference.
The short way of saying all of that is that this sport is becoming truly professional. That’s a good thing for the future. We’re going to see changes that a lot of us can’t even imagine right now. It’s an exciting time to be a professional bass angler.
Don’t get me wrong. I’m not complaining. I’ve had a blessed life and fishing career.
Besides, I feel like I’m starting to turn the corner. Things are looking positive. My negative loonies had better take cover because I’m coming after them. On Smith Lake I caught one that weighed over 3 pounds. It came on Saturday, the last day of a shortened event. That’s a good sign. I can’t wait to get started on Winyah Bay.