Gerald Swindle, our current Toyota Angler Of the Year leader, always says funny things. Sometimes he rolls out the best humor when things aren’t going well. That was the case on Thursday, when at noon he had just two bass in his livewell for 6 pounds 3 ounces. He hadn’t caught a fish in more than five hours. And he was clearly frustrated, likely feeling the pressure of leading AOY. He knew if he stumbled on Day 1, the guys behind him in the rankings could make up a lot of ground. Then he had a couple of misses in a row. He looked over at Steve Bowman and I and said, “I feel like an ole pot grower who only has three plants. One goes missing and it’s catastrophic.”
Well about an hour later Swindle’s fortunes began to change. He went fishing in several spots where he hadn’t practiced and ended the day with 16 pounds 3 ounces. On Friday and Saturday Swindle put together two more strong days. He now finds himself making another top 12. Whatever happens on Sunday, he’ll go into La Crosse still leading AOY. I have a feeling that humor helps the Alabama angler make it through the tough stretches.