As we compete in the Bassmaster Elite Series, it’s easy to get wrapped up in our own ups and downs and miss some of the other anglers’ storylines. I’m sure it’s true for the fans, too – they see someone like Aaron Martens having an unbelievable year and they focus on him exclusively. Aaron deserves every mention and every bit of press that he’s received, possibly even more, but I also think sometimes other deserving anglers get lost in the glare of the superstars’ spotlight.
The purpose of this blog is to offer up some recognition to one of my peers who had an absolutely incredible comeback story this year, but got very little recognition for his accomplishments. In fact, I may have missed it, but I don’t think anyone has written about Chad Pipkens’ late season surge.
Chad’s season had some dreadful moments. He was 110th at the Sabine River to start the season, and 110th once again at BASSfest on Kentucky Lake. Combined, those two finishes earned him exactly ZERO points towards the Toyota Bassmaster Angler of the Year standings. Largely as a result of those two poor showings, he was in 92nd place in the AOY race with three Elite Series events to go.
While I’m certainly not a quitter, I have to admit that it would’ve been easy for Chad to just give up and go through the motions after five tournaments. He didn’t do that. Instead, he went on an incredible tear, finishing 32nd at the St. Lawrence, fourth at the Upper Chesapeake Bay and third at St. Clair. Along the way he also came in seventh at a Northern Open on Oneida. Now he’s in 32nd place overall headed into the AOY Championship. If he can hold that position, he’ll make his second Bassmaster Classic.
A lot of anglers start off the Elite Series season strong, and then struggle to hang onto their position, or even watch it slip away. Chad is a good lesson for those guys – if you don’t come to play every time out, someone is going to gradually chip away at your lead until you’re no longer the lead dog. The hardest thing in this sport, hands down, is staying on top. There are a hundred guys constantly trying to bring you down.
So how did Chad get to this point? Most of you probably don’t know much about him, except that he’s strong on northern smallmouth lakes and that he has a hair salon for this title sponsor. Hey, if you can get that deal, go for it – I certainly have too much of a receding hairline to challenge him in that space – but I think it’s also important to recognize his skills other than just his great hair. He’s one of those young, lesser-known guys who is slowly becoming a force to be reckoned with. Chad started getting in his groove last year when he won the Northern Open on St. Clair, and the more I’m around him, the more I see that he’s increasingly comfortable in a wide variety of situations.
Other than his angling skills, what strikes me as most important about Chad’s ascendance is the fact that I’ve never heard him complain about anything. There’s a lot of negativity on tour, but as far as I know he’s never said anything less than positive about the venues, the conditions, his own performance or anyone else. When his season looked to be down in the dumps, all he said was “I need to catch them,” and that’s exactly what he did.
The Angler of the Year Championship will be held on Sturgeon Bay near Chad’s home state of Michigan. It’s going to be a smallmouth whackfest, and that’s right in his wheelhouse, so you’d be a fool to bet against him. I’d be far more surprised if he doesn’t catch them than if he makes a Top 12.
I hope that this piece gives Chad a bit more of the fan recognition that he needs. Those of us who fish against him, on the other hand, are plenty aware of his skill set and how quickly he’s becoming a major force. There may be some stumbles along the way, but given the resolve that he’s already shown, I expect him to quickly become a favorite in tournaments all over the country, not just when we head north.