Being part of a team in bass fishing is a common thing. I am willing to bet that your first thought when I said “team” was two guys fishing in a boat together, trying to win as a team. While that may be one aspect of bass fishing, the “team” I am referring to is far more important, and this is how fishing in the Opens is actually a “team sport” for me.
Fishing in all nine Bassmaster Opens events this season involves more than just showing up and catching fish. So much goes into fishing these tournaments behind the scenes: paperwork, purchasing fishing licenses, handling travel arrangements and lodging, managing, packing lunches, making dinner, managing social media and more. With the 2020 and 2021 seasons under my belt, I couldn’t be doing what I am doing without my teammate.
The teammate I am referring to, and I rely on heavily, is my wife Rachael. I believe we make the perfect team. She puts her all into being by my side, supporting me and handling everything behind the scenes so I can do what I do best — go out and fish, sun up to sun down.
As a team, we are fairly new to this level of competitive fishing. We have learned quickly what it takes to get your name out there and how hard you have to work to promote yourself. I am not a technologically savvy person, and I know very little about social media. That is where the better half of my team comes into play. You will find Rachael by my side or walking around the boat launch every day of the tournament, juggling a camera, a GoPro and her phone. She’s doing what she does best – making sure my family, friends, fans and sponsors know what is going on with me, how I am doing and what products I am using.
As I said, we are new to this. There is so much for us to learn, so much room to advance. I have no doubt that as a team, combining our individual strengths, we can reach our goals. Our immediate goals? Continuing to move up the leaderboard. Long term goals? Making it to the Classic, the Elites, growing our brand and building sponsor relationships.
Oh, and if I can offer a few words of advice to younger anglers looking to pursue this career path. Be upfront when you meet a woman. Be sure she understands your passion for fishing is really more like an obsession. Make sure you find a woman who will support your dreams — no matter how crazy they seem — and who is willing to travel the country with you and who will be the better half of your team.