Positive changes in my life over the past year have put me in a good state of mind as I prepare for my third year of fishing the Bassmaster Elite Series. Moving from Maine to Missouri ranks as the biggest change. I now live near Lake of the Ozarks.
When I lived in Maine, driving to most Elite tournaments would have required a 25- to 30-hour ordeal. I had no choice but to pack my truck, boat and truck camper with the tackle I needed for all nine Elite events. Now that I’m more centrally located, I’ll be able to pack for one or two tournaments and return home to resupply and gather my wits.
Winter comes early in Maine, and the snow typically doesn’t melt until spring. My boat and tackle went into hibernation when I lived there. When I headed south to fish an early season Open or Elite tournament, it seemed like I was always driving in a blizzard.
Southern Elite pros had a huge advantage on me when I lived in Maine because they could fish all winter to stay sharp. As a Missourian, I can get on the water 12 months of the year and even things out.
Another welcome change in my life is that my parents retired and moved to Missouri so we could be close. They couldn’t make it to my tournaments when they lived in Maine. Now they’ll be able to get to some of them.
My diesel addiction
Before my parents retired, they owned a residential fence company that had several Ford F250 pickups to haul materials. I grew up around trucks and couldn’t wait to have one of my own so I could make cool modifications to it. I got my first truck, a 1997 Ram powered by a 2500 Cummins diesel, when I was 14.
Maine’s truck regulations prevented me from doing the extreme customizing I’d been dreaming about. Missouri’s less restrictive laws have set me free. I’ve had loads of fun working on three diesel pickups this winter.
One of them is my tournament truck, a 2023 Ford F250 Platinum. I lowered the axles so I could go from 33- to 38-inch tires. That doesn’t sound like much, but the difference looks dramatic. I can’t go too overboard, because I need to keep my trailer hitch low enough to tow my Skeeter FXR.
I also intend to powder-coat the suspension black and silver. I didn’t have enough time to get that done before the first Elite tournaments. To generate more power from the 6.7 Powerstroke engine, I added a nine-blade turbo and 40 hp injectors.
I’m also working on a 2021 Chevy 2500 diesel and a 2007 Chevy 2500 Duramax diesel. The Duramax is for my girlfriend, Karli Mitchell. I met her last year while fishing an Elite tournament at Lake Fork. She’s a little girly, but her hobbies are very manly.
Our relationship has progressed to the point that we now live together. She’ll be traveling to some of the tournaments with me, and she’s learning how to back the boat into the water.
Getting more comfortable
I’m fortunate to have had a couple of good seasons fishing the Elite Series, and I’ve gotten more comfortable with the challenge. I was so stressed out in my rookie season, I wanted to know the name of every bass I caught in practice.
Last year was completely different. I just went fishing and did what feels good. I’ve learned so much while fishing Open and Elite tournaments, and I know what to look for. I don’t do much research over the winter and try not to plan what to do before I get to whatever lake or river we’re fishing.
The most important thing I’ve learned is to avoid listening to people about how and where to fish. I like to go against the grain and do my own thing. I usually end up doing something other than what is supposed to work.
