This year was one of my best seasons on the Progressive Bassmaster Elite Series, even though the schedule didn’t look like one that would favor a run at Bassmaster Angler of the Year. Don’t get me wrong, AOY is always in the picture, but this year wasn’t a fastball right over the plate.
No Florida and no Texas. Normally, those are events where I make hay. I normally have at least one Top 10 to get the year rolling.
Also, we had no spawning tournaments at places you could really sight fish to the level I prefer. I really like several of the places we fished, but this schedule just didn’t look like one where I’d make seven out of nine cuts and notch three Top 10s and a couple of top 20s.
By the end of the season, I had a good shot to win Angler of the Year going into the final tournament at the St. Lawrence River. I went for it, but it didn’t pan out. I knew I had to win the tournament to win AOY, so I was not wrong in my approach.
I will say it was frustrating to keep going for it and coming up short. Whether that was in tournaments, AOY, the Bassmaster Classic — I fished all-out whenever I got there. But it didn’t work out.
It could have been the craziest year ever if just a couple things had gone differently. It seemed like this season was up and down, but besides missing the cut at the St. Lawrence, the only other real down was Lake Murray, where I finished 59th.
I thought I would have a good shot at winning that tournament, because I found the winning fish on some herring stuff and some offshore grass. But there were still bass on the bank. So, worst-case scenario, just go to the bank and catch 18 to 19 pounds and save the day.
I was just hardheaded the first day. I caught ‘em the second day, but for whatever reason, I just couldn’t get my big fish to fire on the first day.
It just wasn’t right, and I didn’t go to the bank until it was too late. It felt like it was a cop-out because I wasn’t gonna win that way, but you cannot win the tournament unless you’re there on the final day.
The Bassmaster Classic also played a big part in how I look at this season. It made it better and worse at the same time.
I finished seventh, so that helped make the year even better, but anytime you go into the final day of the Bassmaster Classic in second place and 2 pounds off the lead, and you don’t win, that’s disappointing. The only thing that matters at the Classic is winning.
As far as memories from this season, I’ll probably never forget the 7-pound, 5-ounce largemouth I caught at the Bassmaster Classic. The 6-5 I caught on Day 3 at Champlain is also up there.
Looking back at my season, I’d have to say the most consistent detail was just kinda going for it and fishing my gut. Even if I didn’t practice an area, if it felt right, I’d fish it.
A couple of times throughout the year, one bank or one thing looked good, and I’d wheel over there and catch a good fish. For example, at the Pasquotank River, I drove by a certain tree for two days and on the third day, something told me to go fish it. I made one cast at that tree and caught a 6-pounder.
At the Arkansas River, something was just nagging at me to go into a certain area where a creek came in. I was going down the bank with a spinnerbait, and I saw a subtle movement that looked like the way a bass moves. I made a mental note, and when I turned around and came back through that area, I threw a SPRO wacky snack at that spot and caught a big one on a bed.
Things like that just came together.
Overall, this season gave me a lot of momentum for next year, but to be perfectly honest, I’d like to win Angler of the Year so I can be done fishing for Angler of the Year. There are so many times you fish for points that it makes it impossible to win.
In my opinion, AOY is the biggest title in bass fishing. Being consistent for a whole year is a bigger deal for me than being the best guy for four days.
For your career, winning the Classic is the best thing that can happen to you, but I want to win Angler of the Year so I can just fish to win. You can’t win everything there is to win if you don’t win Angler of the Year.
