Being consistent, however, puts you in position to be victorious.
Just ask John Crews, who has had volumes of success as a charter member of the Elite Series, despite having only one victory in 14 seasons on the tour (the Duel on the Delta in 2010 in California.)
Bassmaster.com reporter Andrew Canulette caught up with Crews to discuss his career, and how both he and the Elite Series itself have evolved over time.
Crews: Itâs gone through a couple phases. There was that initial phase when there were 11 events, and we also had some no entry-fee Major events in addition to the Classic. Fifteen events, and If you could consistently catch them, there was a good living to be made from tournament winnings. It was probably the best weâve ever had it ⦠Then in 2008, that recession hit and there were a lot of sponsors that pulled back and that trickled up to the tournaments. I think it was a righting of the ship ⦠The last five years there were a few growing pains. ⦠It took a little bit of transition time to figure it all out. Everything is digital these days and the way the tournaments are covered, the videos, the fish catches, the content â itâs all changing, and itâs for the better. And with the smaller field and some new faces, thereâs a lot of new energy in the series. I think itâs going to be really special the next few years. And if you look, the average age in the series dropped about five years. I used to be one of the young guys, but not anymore.
Crews: The first tournament of the series was on (Lake) Amistad and everyone in the field just absolutely blasted them. That lake was at its total peak. It was the biggest bass I had ever fished for in the United States. It was awesome ⦠I had some really good events that year, and a few decent events mixed too. I had multiple Top 12s. I did well, and it set the scene for me ⦠I didnât have any expectations on how I should do. I just wanted to do the best I could and enjoy the moment.
Crews: The win (in 2010 on the California Delta) was unbelievable. I love making Top 12s and putting myself in position to win events, but the win was special. Everything lined up perfectly that day for me to win the trophy ⦠I won by 1 ounce (over Skeet Reese.) It was definitely exciting.
Crews: I had two years where I missed the Classic consecutively (2009 and 2010). Since 2006, thatâs the only time Iâve missed it two years in a row. It was a low point in my performances, but I wasnât too depressed. I was fishing good, but my tournament finishes didnât show it. I wasnât losing a bunch of fish or doing stupid stuff. I was just stuck in a rut of catching little ones. It was the weirdest deal. It seemed like it lasted a year and a half. It spilled over into two seasons worth of point standings. It was frustrating, but it was a fluky situation.
Crews: For me, itâs a double-edged sword. Iâm consistent, but I donât win a lot of events. I feel like Iâm a very versatile angler. I like to deep crank and I like to drop shot. I like to do a little bit of everything, really, from a technique perspective and that allows me to stay consistent and catch fish. But at the same time, sometimes it hurts me because I donât zero in the one technique it might take to win an event. Itâs a good and bad thing.
Crews: Early in my career, I fished everything; Opens, Elites. It was probably 18 or 20 tournaments a year. After a while, I purposely pulled back. I wanted to make sure I continued to enjoy the events for a long time. Now, I only fish the Elite Series and whichever tournaments that qualifies me for. I may fish a one-day fundraiser or something like that here or there, but itâs not nearly as many days on the water now as it used to be … I donât ever want to get to a tournament when I put the trolling motor down and think Iâd rather be someplace else.
Crews: Itâs gone pretty well. Iâve done well, except at Lake Lanier where I placed 58th of 75 competing anglers. I didnât zero it in good enough in that tournament ⦠As for the rest of the tournaments; I want to kick ass in all of them. Thereâs not one Iâm looking at that Iâm really worried about. Iâm excited about all of them. I think theyâre going to be fun.