This past week didn’t exactly go my way. I wrote last week that things were looking up, and I thought they were. I had a win and a good finish under my belt so I thought I had every reason to be optimistic.
I felt even better during practice. I had good fish located and believed I could get them to bite. That belief turned out to be true the first day. I had five bass that weighed well over 18 pounds. It put me in 24th place. That wasn’t as high as I would have liked but I was in the hunt.
And then came Day 2. It didn’t happen. I suppose I could go into detail about what I did and didn’t do but it wouldn’t matter. I didn’t catch the big ones. A lot of the other guys did. I had five fish that weighed 13 pounds, 7 ounces. That’s not the way you get it done on the St. Lawrence River in an Elite Series event. I ended up in 63rd place. So much for a Top 20 finish.
We all know what has to happen now. I have to win one or I’ll not make the Classic. Nothing else about my fishing needs to be said.
Despite all that, however, I’m really looking forward to this week. My two oldest kids are flying in and the six of us are going on a week’s vacation. It’s at a lake where we’ll be able to just mess around as a family. We’ll have some outside contact but not much. Beyond that I have no real idea what we’ll do besides have fun and enjoy each other’s company.
I don’t want to sound immodest, or like I’m bragging, but I am pretty darn handy with a spatula and a fork at the grill. I can make one heck of a good hamburger or hotdog and I’ve never had a complaint about my steaks. I’ll be showing off my skills in that department all week long.
It’ll be good for me and for Becky, too. She’s been under a lot of stress, just like me. She could use some down time. Besides, I’ve never heard her complain when I do the cooking.
Sometimes doing nothing is good for you. You know, though, just as I wrote that last sentence I realized it wasn’t true. I’m not doing nothing. (I think that’s bad grammar but it’s not a bad thought so I’m going to leave it that way.) I’m spending time with my family, the ones who love me and who will be there for me through anything.
After the week is over — I’m sure that’ll happen all too soon — it’ll be time to head for Detroit and Lake St. Clair for some more smallmouth fishing competition.
Mike Iaconelli’s column appears weekly on Bassmaster.com. You can also find him on Facebook and Twitter or visit his website, MikeIaconelli.com.
