Matt Arey and Taylor Smith are fishing in the same cove, less than 100 yards apart, focused on entirely different types of cover.
They represent two different levels of competitor — one with multiple tour wins who needs a major championship to secure his place in the sport, and another who is more or less starting out.
Every angler has a story and would mean something different to the sport if he were to win. It’s still a wide open horse race, with lots of anglers in the hunt — even if they don’t know tht.
As I typed, Smith caught a bass. His fans –sitting in a pontoon boat — let out a war whoop that woke me from my typing focus.