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Even though it’s blistering cold here in Minnesota right now, the attached photo of me sitting on a beach barefoot brings forth a ton of warm thoughts as I reflect back on an incredible year full of highs, lows and learning experiences.
With my year as the Carhartt Bassmater College Series Champion coming to a close, I took the time to think back on how this year and the events that took place will likely mold me into the person that I will be in the future.
After winning the Classic Bracket and securing a spot in the 2016 Bassmaster Classic and all nine of the 2016 Bassmaster Opens, it's safe to say that my life completely changed.
I took an entire year off of school to pursue this "fishing dream" that millions of people wished they could pursue. I got to meet my childhood superstars, and fish in the “Super Bowl of Bass Fishing” against them.
To say competing in the Bassmaster Classic was a dream come true would be a complete understatement. I'm extremely fortunate and blessed by the Lord to have had this opportunity and to catch a glimpse of the insurmountable love and blessings He shows His children.
There were so many highs during the year that if I were to list them all, this article would go on forever, so I chose only a few to share, which I truly cherished.
Where to begin? How about Lake Toho? Fishing in Florida was an entirely different world than I had ever encountered. The first Bassmaster Open was down there, and it was the first big tournament of my life.
I remember distinctly during practice, as I was rounding the corner of some reeds, I noticed a boat that was fishing toward me. It was a black Ranger with a big red "Rat-L-Trap" logo on it. I thought to myself, "Could that be who I think it is?"
As the other angler approached, I dropped my Power-Poles and removed the sun protection buff from my face so that I could speak clearly to him.
I asked, "Are you Mark Daniels Jr.?"
And he replied, "I am."
I then said, "Dude! I'm a huge fan! My name is Trevor Lo!"
He then said, "Trevor Lo? The college kid? Dude, I'm a fan!"
My jaw hit the deck of my boat. I had no clue any of these big sluggers had any idea who I was. It was quite the humbling encounter to say the least.
Another very distinct memory from this past year was when I was invited by Dynamic Sponsorships to work a media event for Carhartt and Toyota.
For those of you who don't know, that meant I got the opportunity to spend a week working alongside some of the biggest names in the industry. To see my name in the itinerary booklet under the "Pros" list, next to KVD, Gerald Swindle, Terry “Big Show” Scroggins, Jacob Powroznik and the Lee Brothers was unbelievable. I got to spend an entire week with all of them, working hard and sharing meals together, as well as bunking with the Lee boys. Incredible, just incredible.
Heck, I even got to eat a sandwich in the driver's seat of KVD's boat during the event.
On another note, I want to be as real as I can with you all.
This past year was not all “highs.” In fact, none of my finishes were high to be honest. I didn't even make the Top 100 in any of the Opens I fished. That was arguably the biggest struggle I faced throughout the entire year.
Going from one disastrous finish in Florida, and then zeroing at the Classic was not something I had planned to face.
As much as I can say, "Hey, at least I got to fish in the Classic,” it still haunts me to this day. I have dreams about it. Dreams where I'm back at the Classic with a giant bag of fish but I can't find the weigh-in, or I'm late for check-in, or the fish in my bag turn out to be walleye instead of bass when I'm on the Classic stage in Tulsa.
You might think it's funny, but it’s something that subconsciously haunts me every now and then.
This sport is mental. If you don't have the mental fortitude to overcome these things, they will wear you down and they will affect your performance and tournament finishes. That's the biggest thing I've learned this year. The guys competing in the Bassmaster Elite Series are there for a reason. They're the guys that can shake off a bad tournament finish and show up next week and clean house.
If you can't do that, you're probably not wired to be a successful tournament angler. That's the hard truth, and was made very clear to me the past 12 months. I got my teeth kicked in this year, but I know that it's only going to make me a better angler in the future.
But then again, it's not only the poor finishes that can affect your mental game. There are so many outside factors you need to take care of in order to be able to focus on executing your well thought out plan for the current tournament you're competing in. These outside factors can vary from mechanical issues, to financial struggles, or even the theft of your fishing equipment – which sadly happened to me this year.
This past year has been a roller coaster ride, but I've learned to take whatever was given to me and learn from it as best as possible in order to better myself as an individual and as an angler.
At the end of the day, it's not about where you start, but rather, where you finish that defines you.
So however you spend the holidays, I hope this small little insight into my life will help you reflect back on your own life, and make the changes or adjustments needed to constantly keep getting better in whatever areas you need or want to.
Merry Christmas and have a Happy New Year, I hope to see you in 2017!
