Editor’s note: This column was written before Martin’s Bassmaster Opens win in Florida.
I have to say, I’m very excited about the new Bassmaster Elite Series season. That’s probably because I’ve never felt better prepared.
I treat every season as a new beginning, mentally and physically. I try to put everything in order around me, but I went even further this year.
I spent the last 40 days going through my tackle and culling out a lot of items I don’t need. I tried to simplify my tackle storage process by organizing the stuff I need to keep in my new Bass Mafia tackleboxes.
I sold a lot of the tackle I didn’t need and that will help with entry fees, but I also donated a lot to high school fishing groups and gave away a lot to fans and neighborhood kids.
I also gave some to my mechanic. He’s always talking about fishing, so I gave him a big box of tackle and lures for him and his kids.
It’s a nice feeling when you get to help other people enjoy the sport of fishing while getting yourself better organized. I always keep my boat well organized, but my garage had gotten over-stacked. I didn’t want to deal with a messy garage anymore, so this was a very productive effort.
Along with this organizational effort, I’m thrilled to have my new boat and motor rigged and ready to compete. I’ve been fishing tournaments for over 25 years, and I’ve always liked my boats. This year especially, this is the best I’ve felt about a setup with my entire package.
My Skeeter FXR21 with a Yamaha is just an awesome rig, and my Garmin Force trolling motor is just bulletproof. My boat is fully powered by Dakota Lithium batteries, and I’m also running the new Garmin Ultra 2 graphs. This year, I’ve added Beat Down Outdoors graph mounts.
Typically, you kind of set up your graph mounts on your boat and forget about them, but these Beat Down Outdoors mounts allow me a lot of positioning versatility. The biggest thing for me is the ability to raise my bow graphs up to 4 feet.
That brings the screens much closer to my face so I can see them better. It’s kind of like some anglers using these giant screens — the raised mount gives me a better view so I’m not straining my neck as much by looking down at the deck.
I’ve also switched to Lew’s for rods and reels, and I couldn’t be happier. What I like most is the ability to fine tune my techniques with specific rod actions. Lew’s has so many different rod actions, I now have complete freedom to match the exact rod to the exact presentation I need to make.
I liken this to playing golf. If I have only the standard rod actions, it’s like playing a full round of gold with only five clubs. With Lew’s, I can now play with a full bag of clubs.
Now that I have my garage neatly organized, my tackle selection pared down to what I actually need, my boat rigged and ready and a diverse rod arsenal, I’m ready to start the new season. I now feel like I have an advance, both physically and mentally.
