It’s been nearly a year since the beginning of my rookie Elite season, and I remember I was nervous as all get out. I didn’t know if I would fare well, or if I would be dead last. I was just hoping to survive.
I was especially nervous about the Florida Swing, but the Texas events worried me because whenever I get around that timber, the running hazards stress me out.
Placing fourth in my first Elite event at Toledo Bend Reservoir was a big mental victory, but it was probably too much, because I finished 87th the next week at Lake Fork. All the confidence I gained was shot. Driving home from Texas, I realized I had ruined my chances for Bassmaster Angler of the Year and Rookie of the Year, so it would be an uphill battle rest of the season.
The way the season ended, with three consecutive Top 10s, including two second-place finishes, I definitely overcame the uphill battle. Along the way, I gained spots in the AOY standings and rebuilt my confidence.
Ending strong with a second place at the St. Lawrence River might have looked good, but I was a little frustrated. I’m a competitor, and I realized I probably should have won that St. Lawrence event. If I had done a little better there, and if I hadn’t bombed at Fork, I would have been in serious contention for AOY.
If there’s one lesson that I took away from my rookie season it’s this: Every guy on the Elite Series is a stone-cold killer. No one’s there to make friends. They’re there to catch fish however they can.
That gives me a lot of motivation as I head into my second Elite season. Guys at this level are top competitors, so every day I have to catch them to the best of my ability.
That’s going to take a lot of mental discipline because I feel like the 2024 schedule was a little better for how I like to fish. This year’s schedule has more tidal waters and bank beating, and I’m more of an offshore ledge fisherman.
I like to find spots with groups of fish, but it looks like this year will probably see more junk fishing. I can do that if I have to, but I’m mentally preparing myself to stay strong, maintain my focus and try to put myself in a position to win.
I’m not looking past the first two Elite events in Florida, but I’m super excited about my first Bassmaster Classic. I’m excited to be there, to walk across that stage and experience the biggest event in bass fishing.
I’ve attended Classics as a fan, and last year I had to work the Bassmaster Classic Outdoors Expo. Now I get to feel what it’s like to compete in this event.
Going to Classics as a kid, and watching guys win the Classic, made me want to become a professional fisherman. Maybe I can take this enthusiasm to Fort Worth and make something big happen.
