After the Day 2 weigh-in concluded for the FXR Bassmaster Elite on Lake Guntersville, Gerald Swindle and Easton Fothergill found themselves on the wrong side of the Day 3 cutline. It’s not how they hoped to start their 2026 seasons, but it’s the reality they faced after waking up to no alarm Saturday morning. Coming up short is something that all Elite Series competitors must deal with. These are 101 of the best anglers in the world but only one will leave Goose Pond a winner on Sunday afternoon.
If you tournament bass fish at any level, the fact is you are going to lose a lot more than you’ll win. The mental side of fishing is a major factor in what separates pros like Swindle and Fothergill from the average angler. In this case, what lessons can they take away from a disappointing tournament finish?
Fothergill and Swindle are at very different points in their career, have contrasting fishing strengths and come from opposite sides of the country, but there are common threads to take away from their post-tournament process. These two graciously provided their point of view just hours after a frustrating finish.
Swindle: Decisions and don’t dwell
2026 is year 32 as a full-time professional angler for two-time AOY Gerald Swindle. At this point in his career, he has seen it all, done it all, and probably came back for seconds. Swindle has also spent countless hours on Lake Guntersville, but even with all his experience there are key takeaways.
“After all these years there is still something to learn and take away from every event,” Swindle said. “This week, I’m pinpointing one decision I made on Day 2 after I had caught a small limit, I ended up leaving those fish biting to run around and look for a big bite. I had three hours, but I never got that bigger bite, even with local knowledge on my side. Man, I wish I wish I could make that decision over again.
“I should have rotated through some baits and stayed put for a while, but that’s hard to do when you are only getting seven or eight bites a day. But… I’ve learned after 32-years you can’t dwell on it. Practice for Lake Martin starts Monday and you gotta treat your brain like an Etch-And-Sketch. Make some mental notes and use it to improve, sure, but don’t you dwell on it.”
Swindle’s advice is good medicine for all fishermen. The Team Toyota pro stood in as a co-host on Bassmaster LIVE Mix this morning, which allowed him to watch the leaders and pick up on some nuances he missed on his home fishery.
“Specific to Guntersville this week, it was mostly an area and depth deal that I missed,” Swindle said. “I focused a little too deep, which sounds crazy when we’re talking water temps in the upper 30s. But I watched Cooper Gallant catch ‘em this morning out of pad stems that were covered with a layer of ice on during practice. I never looked at that area again after I saw that ice and I obviously should have. There weren’t any real secrets this time around, it was small, key decisions that made all the difference.”
Swindle explained that most competitors were throwing the same baits and had the same general idea of how to excel on Guntersville, but it came down to small decisions, with late afternoon decisions being paramount as the water warmed slightly and the mood of the fish improved.
Fothergill: Damage control and coverage review
Yes, 2026 is Fothergill’s sophomore season on the Elites, which is hard to believe as the Yamaha Outboards pro has already accomplished so much in his young career. Fothergill is as cerebral of an angler as you’ll come across and even with the success he’s experienced, he knows he still has a lot to learn on both a macro and micro level of tournament fishing.
Because of this, the Toyota Bonus Bucks pro has an entirely different process than Swindle. Easton has an old soul but he’s representative of the youth invasion at the top level of tournament competition.
“I’ve already moved on from Guntersville,” Fothergill said. “We have another tournament starting in just a few days, so I’m already back to baseline and focused on Lake Martin, but I will look back at both events after the Alabama swing is over. I’ll watch Bassmaster LIVE, review some of the coverage and see what intricacies I missed.
“I haven’t watched any LIVE yet, but I know from talking to peers that I should have spent some time in the B.B. Comer section of the river. It’s pretty common knowledge that area is historically good, but I tend to try and avoid fishing in crowds. A lot of big fish ended up being caught in that stretch, and I obviously shouldn’t have ignored it just because it was a community hole. I’m sure I’ll learn even more when I go back and watch the coverage.”
Another take away Fothergill spoke on came in the form of damage control, which is something fans don’t always see from the outside looking in. Easton is wise beyond his years when it comes to catching bass, but his maturity in terms of mindset is just as impressive.
“Fifty-ninth isn’t a great finish by any means but based off my practice you could call this a win,” Fothergill explained. “I literally caught zero bass during the first day (of practice) and felt like I was on nothing Thursday morning. Something I learned from Brandon Palaniuk last year was damage control… I finished just about dead last in the first two events of 2025 and BP took me aside and provided some perspective on salvaging those bombs to earn some valuable AOY points. Just as importantly, learn from the disappointment and move on.”
Disappointment is bound to find you if you tournament bass fish, but how you compartmentalize that adversity is what separates the best from the rest. With the right perspective, there is always room to learn and grow.
Swindle and Fothergill may be at different points in their careers, but their mindset is extremely similar. They’ll be better equipped to excel next week at Lake Martin because of it and their advice can help to make you a better angler, too.
