CLARENDON COUNTY, S.C. — The 2021 Bassmaster Elite Series ended in mid-July, making for a much longer offseason than usual. But it was a much needed break for Arkansas pro Stetson Blaylock, who used that time to reflect, plan and rediscover his love for the sport.
“We had a really long offseason last year,” Blaylock said. “I don’t fish a lot in the offseason. It gives me a lot of time to think and prepare. I’m not one of these guys that sits out in my boat and reties tackle and spools up rods three months in advance. I don’t overthink the way that I approach this sport. One thing it did do was give me time to fall in love with tournament fishing again. I took so much time off that by the time this season got here I was fired up and ready to go.”
With his renewed passion, Blaylock has started the 2022 season strong by making all three cuts. He finished eighth at the St. Johns River, 17th at the Harris Chain of Lakes and in 18th place at the Guaranteed Rate Bassmaster Elite Series at Santee Cooper Lakes.
Those three finishes have the Elite Series champion in third place in the Progressive Bassmaster Angler of the Year standings with 257 points. Despite catching a 20-pound bag on the final day, he also narrowly missed winning the Academy Sports + Outdoors Bassmaster Classic presented by Huk, ultimately falling to winner Jason Christie and second-place Kyle Welcher by ounces.
“Expectations are always high,” Blaylock said. “I want to make the Classic every year. The further along in my career I’ve gone, the more I start thinking about winning the Classic and winning Angler of the Year. Raising the bar a little bit. Going to Florida, it is always that time when it can go either way. Coming out of there with a Top 20 and a Top 10 is huge for me and here at Santee Cooper Lakes we have another cut made.”
Blaylock has learned the importance of simply finding a limit and not spinning out when things aren’t going his way early in the morning. That mindset helped him stay on course at Santee Cooper Lakes.
“Mentally, coming off a near miss at the Classic, it is all coming together on tournament days.” Blaylock said. “The biggest key to this sport is not letting yourself get down at 10:30 when you don’t have a bass and knowing you only have to catch five. It is a comfort thing knowing that, no matter what, if I end the day with a limit I might have enough to hang in there. That is what has happened this week.”
With an impressive start to the season, 2022 is shaping up similarly to the 2019 Elite Series season, a season in which Blaylock claimed his first blue trophy at Winyah Bay and finished runner-up in the Angler of the Year race to Scott Canterbury.
That season, Blaylock secured Top 10s in three of the first four events of the season, including his victory. But one missed cut was the difference between winning AOY and finishing second, something Blaylock remembers vividly.
“Starting off strong gives you some room to work with too,” he said. “I had the winning AOY bass in my hand that season. I had four that particular day and missed the cut by two spots. If I make the cut there and move up a couple spots, I win. In my mind I should have won that one.”
In the eyes of others, the natural next step for redemption from his close finish at the Classic is to win the Angler of the Year title. But in his mind, the Classic doesn’t add anymore motivation. Blaylock wants to take each tournament as it comes and do his best every second of every day.
“‘Go win AOY.’ I’ve heard it 100 times since the Classic,” he said. “I’m going to try like I have every other year and go at it the same exact way I have every other year. One of these days it will come together. You get close and if you keep getting close you eventually make that mark. Just like winning my first Elite tournament. I think there is a lot of mental stress and strain thinking this is the year you have to do it and I’m not going to let that happen.”
Looking ahead, Blaylock said he is looking forward to the Guaranteed Rate Bassmaster Elite Series at Lake Chickamauga but knows he has to take each tournament one at a time.
“The next tournament for me is one I’m looking forward to,” he said. “It’s April on the Tennessee River, and I have done well on Chickamauga in the past. We have Fork coming up, and I have spent a lot of time there. I want to step it up there a little bit. Oahe is going to be the tournament where, can I get on the right deal? How do we come out of that one? If we come out with a good tournament, I think we’ll be right there when it is all said and done.”
Blaylock has also been coping with the loss of his father-in-law, who has been one of Blaylock’s biggest supporters throughout his career.
“It is still hard when we get off the water and go home and expect to have that tournament conversation,” he said. “I know everything happens for a reason and I know he is looking down on me for sure. I appreciate everyone’s support. We’ve had a lot of love and prayers and it means a lot.”