If you follow the Bassmaster Elite Series, then you know we sometimes compete in back-to-back tournaments with no days off in between. That’s not always a bad thing, but it can present some serious challenges … especially for those competitors who make it into the championship round of the first event.
While most of the field is either driving or settling in at the next venue, the Top 10 are still on the water battling it out. And depending on the distance between the two events, those anglers are likely to lose some sleep and/or some practice time.
I’ve been that guy on more than a few occasions, and I don’t mind. After all, a lot of good can come from it … including added points and a much better paycheck.
The 2023 schedule
This year, the Elite Series features three sets of back-to-back competitions. The first pair were on lakes Okeechobee and Seminole. Next will be Murray and Santee Cooper, then a string of individual events are scheduled. Then we finish the season on Lake Champlain and the St. Lawrence River, back to back.
While some of the competitors like this condensed type of scheduling, many do not.
I much prefer back-to-back events, especially when they are any distance from home. It reduces the amount of travel time and incurred expenses tremendously. And if I’m doing well, I like the opportunity of maintaining the momentum.
Everyone is different, but that’s my logic anyway.
When the season opened on Lake Okeechobee, I got off to a tremendous start — catching a five fish, 28-pound stringer on Day 1. I thought for sure I would advance to Sunday’s final, but things sort of fell apart and I ended up with a mediocre finish. Thinking I would begin the 8-hour drive to Lake Seminole while the Top 10 were competing, instead, I volunteered for the SiteOne sponsor tournament on nearby Lake Istokpoga.
SiteOne served as the title sponsor for the opener on Lake Okeechobee and B.A.S.S. — as they often do — paired some Elite Series anglers with representatives of the company for a half-day competition. I’ve done several of them in the past and they’re always fun. Plus, I had never been on Lake Istokpoga before, and I wanted to check it out.
As it turned out, my two SiteOne partners and I had a tough time. Although we were around fish, we never managed to boat any worth keeping. Still, it was a fun time and I got to experience a new lake, which I’m always up for.
Sights on Seminole
Once the SiteOne event wrapped up, I began the drive north toward Lake Seminole. Fortunately, my home in North Florida is right on the way. So I stopped, did some laundry, caught some shut eye and finished the drive early the next morning.
Was I tired after seven days of hard fishing? You bet I was. But I felt good and I wanted to keep the ball rolling. Practicing for any tournament is important, but having a good familiarity with Lake Seminole, there was a lot I wanted to check.
Formed by the Flint and Chattahoochee Rivers and Spring Creek, it’s essentially a sea of stumps and standing timber. Exploring each of those tributaries takes considerable time, so I tried to plan each day to maximize my search.
Looking back, practice wasn’t great. But I was able to narrow my game plan to three key areas, and that’s where I spent the majority of my time during the competition. One particular area was crowded with other competitors, but I managed to finesse a solid 14-pound stringer behind them. Day 2 went the same, and that carried me into the weekend.
Unfortunately, like Okeechobee, my third-day plan didn’t come together. And, as a result, I fell a few spots in the standings. Not all was lost though. As a consolation, I got serve as a guest commentator on Bassmaster LIVE Mix during the championship round.
The road ahead
Although I made the cut in both of the first two events, my aim was to finish much higher. I don’t like leaving points on the table. Not one! They’re too hard to come by. But there’s a lot of fishing ahead, and the schedule is really promising.
So on to lakes Murray and Santee Cooper, which are — you guessed it — back to back!
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