The Elite on the Sacramento River, April 2015
This tournament is on my favorites list for purely sentimental reasons. The truth is that I didnât execute well and should have fished better. Nevertheless, itâs one of my all-time favorites.
Basically, it was in my backyard. I got to fish in front of my friends, some of them stretching back 20 years or more, and I got to sleep in my own bed. The weather was good, and I didnât experience any problems or hassles. The whole thing was relaxing. Thatâs a rarity in this business.
I know that some fans think this is an occupation where you fish for a living and that all is wonderful. They confuse it with their recreational fishing or with their club tournaments. Thatâs a bad move. Fishing for fun is fun.
Itâs a different ballgame when you have to catch them in order to eat, and then deal with sponsors and with the media. Itâs long hours and pressure from every direction. And none of what I just said takes into account the time away from your family and the problems associated with constant travel.
An experience like I had on the Sacramento River and the California Delta only comes along every so often. Despite my failure to execute itâll always be one I remember with a smile.