We took the holiday weekend off. We spent it with Becky’s family. We did a little eating, spent some time together and reflected on how great it is to be living in the United States of America.
Starting Monday morning (today) I’ll be getting ready to do battle with James River bass. A fellow asked me today why I fish the Northern Open tournaments. I thought it was an interesting question. Here’s my answer:
First, I fish them because they’re held on waters that I fished early in my career, before I turned pro. It’s a nostalgia thing. I just like to compete on the old lakes and rivers. They hold a lot of memories for me. It’s also nice to see some of my old friends, rivals and competitors.
The second, and maybe more important, reason I fish the Northern Opens is because I need to fish competitively to stay sharp. Downtime is not good for me. We have a long summer break. I know a lot of the guys really like that. They say it adds to their performance.
It might do that for them but it doesn’t do that for me.
When I say I need to fish competitively I’m talking about events that are tough and loaded with great anglers. The Opens are just that. There’ll be something like 190 boats at the James River. I guarantee you that at least 20 of those boats will be manned by local anglers who know the river as well as they know their boats. Some of them have decades of experience on the very waters we’ll be fishing.
At the same time, they know bass. They aren’t anglers who have a few good spots marked on their GPS units. They know how bass behave — or at least how they’re suppose to behave — as well as how to make adjustments when conditions change.
And, they don’t fold under pressure. They’ve fished big tournaments before. They know what to do and what not to do if they’re in the running to win.
Add that group to another group of semi-pros who are looking to move up and then add a final group of top Elite guys, and you’ll see why I rate the competition in the Opens as being every bit as tough as it is at the Elite level. A good tournament angler is a good tournament angler. Where he fishes or with which tour is of no importance.
The final reason I fish these events is because they’re another route to the Classic. Just a couple of years ago when I was out of a Classic spot through the Elite Series, I was fortunate enough to win on Lake Erie. That saved my butt.
This year I’m in better shape but there are still three tournaments to go. Who knows what the future holds? It’s best to take every opportunity afforded you in this business. I love the EXPO. It’s the best consumer fishing tackle show I’ve ever seen. But, I don’t want to work it. I want to be out there fishing.
Mike Iaconelli’s column appears weekly on Bassmaster.com. You can also find him on Facebook and Twitter or visit his website, mikeiaconelli.com.
