With the 2022 Bassmaster Elite Series season winding down this month, I can say my rookie year has been a lot of fun. I definitely had a little slower start than I wanted, but the experience has been a good one. It has motivated me to continue my growth.
Honestly everybody has been great. They’ve all helped me out however they could. Everyone says you’re going to be like your friends are, and I’m thankful for the friendships I’ve formed on the Elite Series. These guys have helped me get better at my job.
The first couple of events on the St. Johns River and the Harris Chain showed me the steep learning curve. Each time, I was right there in position to get a check. I was just one bite out of the cut, but I’d lose a fish or not get the bite.
I knew I was putting myself in the right position, but I just needed to have a little more figured out each time.
My big thing this year, what I’ve been trying to figure out, is the best way to practice. Going into each event, I had been trying a different style of practice. Now I’ve come to realize that the right way to go about it is to figure out what you’re best at, instead of trying to figure out all the different ways to catch ‘em.
With that being said, I feel like Santee Cooper was the event that surprised me the most. I had a pretty tough practice. I caught some good ones, but not anything crazy, and everybody started catching giant bags. I was like, “Holy cow, where did that come from?”
That was just one of those events where I missed the boat. I did the right deal just a little bit but not enough to know how good it was.
On the positive side, finishing second at Pickwick gave me a much-needed boost. That told me that I can hang with this group of anglers and that I’m where I need to be.
Overall, if I had to grade my performance so far this year, I’d probably give myself a four on a scale of one to 10. I’m always going to be a little rougher on myself because I have high expectations, and honestly, that’s what drives me.
This is an important point in the season for me, and I have to maintain my focus. I’m right on the Classic bubble, so these last two events will have a big impact on how my year ends.
A big part of this will be the open-mined approach that I have come to appreciate. I’ve seen a lot of new places this year, and I’ve learned that it’s most productive to avoid preconceived ideas.
I’ll follow that mindset for these final two events, but I have to say, I like the thought of how Oahe could be. I like the thought of chasing those big smallmouth out there off the bank.
I’ve been to the Mississippi River before, and I think this tournament is going to depend on how much water we have moving through the whole system. This is a great fishery with a lot of fish in it, but I know it can be tough whenever it’s really hard to get around.
The Mississippi River is one of those places where you can do really well if you get around them, but sometimes, it’s tough to get around them. I’ll do my best to put myself in the right position because this is my last chance to secure my Classic spot and maybe even move up in the Falcon Rods Bassmaster Rookie of the Year standings.
Even though I’m in second, I know I’m several points out of it. The guy ahead of me will have to have something crazy happen, but it’s not out of reach.
I’m just going to go fishing and catch all I can at each event, and the cards will lay where they will. All I’m really worried about is getting inside that Classic cut, so I’ll do my best to have good tournaments.
