Tough event at Cayuga

The A.R.E. Truck Caps Bassmaster Elite at Cayuga Lake was a tough event for me.

OK, so last week was a tough event for me. Thursday wasn’t too bad. I managed to catch a few but Friday was the killer. Basically, I was fishing an area that just didn’t give me the fish I needed to stay in contention. Some of the other guys were fishing the same general place. They had better weights than I did. I’m not sure what the deal was other than I just didn’t catch them.

There really isn’t much to say beyond that. This is a business where you produce or you go home. I went home last week.

But hey, that’s bass fishing. I still had a good time in New York and I’m really looking forward to going there again to give it another shot. And, I’m also looking forward to fishing the Toyota Bassmaster Angler of the Year Championship in about three weeks.

I’ve never fished Bays de Noc so I can’t give you any particular insight into what’s going to happen up there or how things might shake out in the end. I can tell you, however, that it’ll be exciting.

You’re going to see the Top 50 anglers of 2014 from B.A.S.S. battling it out in a no holds barred tournament where there’s plenty on the line besides fish. There are several Classic spots still achievable and, of course, the AOY title is still an unknown.

That brings me to one of my favorite subjects.

There’s nothing more important in competitive bass fishing than keeping a positive mental attitude. That’s true in all of life. Can’t, can’t do anything. This is a fishing column, though, so we’ll stay with that for now.

Fishing always has its up and downs. Some days it seems like you can do no wrong. Other days it seems like you can do no right. Even more confusing, lots of times you don’t know what you’re doing one way or the other.

Regardless, the great competitors keep their heads down and their spirits up. They believe that they’ll catch the weight they need. Every cast is a fresh opportunity. That’s what we all have to do if we’re going to be successful.

But it’s just as important to stay positive if you’re a weekend recreational angler. As a weekender you don’t need to catch them to eat and support your family so why not just enjoy the day? Try not to get down about the bite. Stay positive about the great day you’re having with your friends or your family.

Let’s all be glad we have the opportunity to go fishing and let’s be positive about what’s going to happen when we do go.

The last thing I want to do, and it certainly isn’t the least important, is to give my congratulations to all the guys who are in contention for the AOY title this year. You had a good season and deserve to be where you. That’s especially true for Greg Hackney, Aaron Martens and Todd Faircloth. I suppose they’re the most likely guys to win the title, but don’t be surprised if someone else makes a move on them.

Chris Lane’s column appears weekly on Bassmaster.com. You can also find him on Twitter and Facebook or visit his website, www.chrislanefishing.com.