My name is Trevor Romans and I will be competing as a rookie in the 2014 Bassmaster Elite Series this year.
To see that finally written, maybe the reality will finally set in. Up to now, I feel I have just been preparing for another tournament season, but it’s not just “another” season. This is the highest level of professional fishing and with the largest Elite field ever assembled it could easily be considered one of, if not the most competitive field ever.
“Why would you want to compete against the best in the world, on lakes they’ve competed on for years and you’ve never seen?”
I’ve been asked this by the media lately. The tone of the question felt like they were actually asking,
“Are you crazy?”
To be quite honest, I never thought of it in those terms when making the decision to do this or not. This year for me is a culmination of 33 years of competitive tournament fishing that began at age 12, but I started fishing even earlier than that (and I have the 8 mm tapes to prove it). Fishing is a way of life for me. I’m not only a participant, but I’m a fan and I just couldn’t let this opportunity of a lifetime pass me by.
I am very fortunate to have the support of a great wife along with the rest of my family, friends, sponsors and my employer. I can also say that a lot of prayers were said along the way to make sure I felt comfortable I was making the right decision. Once the decision was made to move forward, I focused on sponsorship and that’s something I have not pursued aggressively in the past, but I wouldn’t be able to compete without it. I was very fortunate to secure some sponsorship with great people, companies, and products, most of which are locally owned and operated here in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. I can’t thank them enough for all their support! Now that all the pieces are in place, it all comes back to one thing. Me against the fish.
The one thing to remember is that in competitive fishing the goal is the same now as when I was 12. Catch the five biggest fish you can that day, on that lake, under those conditions. I know that sounds easy but anyone who does this knows how difficult that can be at times. This Elite field has some of the greatest anglers of all time, but I have no control over what they do. I also know that they are going to catch them day in and day out so I have no room for error.
This will undoubtedly be my most challenging year of fishing, and I look forward to every minute of it. I’m very blessed and fortunate to be a part of this year’s Bassmaster Elite Series because I feel it’s going to be one of the best ever. I know there are a lot of other guys out there, just like me, who would love the opportunity to compete at this level and are very capable of doing so. I can tell you that if I can do it, you can as well. I’ll even bet you can get there in less than 33 years.
Dream it. Believe it. Live it.
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