A few weeks ago I was at a dinner meeting and two acquaintances were discussing their college degrees. Part of the discussion especially caught my attention.
One of the two people held a Bachelor of Science degree in Engineering; the other had a Bachelor of Arts in English. What I found interesting was that the engineering major said certain facets of his job required him to be really creative and challenged him to think in non-traditional ways - and didn't that mean he was practicing art more than science?
The English major said that he sometimes works with facts and long-standing rules, and he feels like his job is mostly science.
It probably won't surprise you that while I was listening to the conversation, I related it to fishing. I asked myself whether fishing should be considered primarily art or science.
Well, the best answer I could come up with is that fishing is probably about equal parts art and science. Fishing is art because it involves creativity and craftsmanship. And it's science, because if we're fishing right we observe and identify and experiment - all those things scientists are supposed to do.
As I was thinking about the art and science thing, I thought about how good it is when everything falls into place. You go into a big tournament and know that you've prepared as well as you can prepare, you've done your homework, you've studied the patterns, you've researched the lake or river and feel that you know the facts. You've done your scientific work, in other words. Then you get to the water, and everything begins to feel right. You sense that the fish are around you, you choose the right area and the right bait, and you just know you're going to whack them. That's art. Fine art, in fact.
Those are almost perfect fishing days.
There were good days, but not enough 'perfect' ones
Of course, as I started thinking about those almost perfect days, I got to reflecting on how many of them I had this year during the Elite Series season. And the answer is that I didn't have enough of those really good days. And I didn't have any tournaments where everything fell into place from start to finish.
Oh, there were good days. I led the Bassmaster Classic after the first day. Then after a tough second day, I still found myself within one big bite of winning.
That happened a few other times this season. I had good days and I was on the fish, but I couldn't get the big bite I needed to give myself a chance to win. By the end of the season, though, I'd qualified for my fourth Classic in a row. Not a whole lot of anglers do that. I also found myself in the money most of the time.
But that's still not good enough. I want better than that.
So I have to ask myself why I didn't find myself near the top of the board more often. And when I ask that question, I always come to the same conclusion: I wasn't quite as prepared as I needed to be.
I have to be careful how I say that, because I don't want you to think I went into tournaments without preparing and practicing. I did that. But if you're going to finish in the Top 10 or the Top 20, and occasionally win a big tournament, you've got to be at the top of your mental game the whole time.
The major lesson about tournament fishing is you have to give more to receive more. You can't part-time it. You have to live it. You don't have time to let yourself get out of focus.
And speaking of never losing focus, did you notice who just made a late comeback and won the Elite Series Angler-of-the-Year award. Kevin VanDam. Talk about never losing focus.
We have great, and I mean great, anglers on the Elite Series tour. These guys can catch them. But when the season came to the final few hours, who was it battling for angler-of-the-year? Skeet Reese and KVD, two anglers that seldom have bad days, much less bad tournaments.
Questions you and I should ask ourselves
Several months ago, I mentioned a few questions that we, as competitive anglers, should ask ourselves before we go into a tournament. And you'll notice that they don't have anything to do with what rods or what bait I'm fishing with or what areas I choose to work.
These questions are different, but they're probably more important. You have to ask these questions before you put your boat on the water to practice:
- Have I mentally and physically prepared for the tournament?
- Am I over-scheduled?
- Do I have enough energy and stamina to fish well all day?
- Am I properly motivated?
I would remind anyone trying to win a tournament that preparation includes the mental and physical aspects of fishing. It's always sharp preparation and focus that lead to a good tournament. And I can assure you that if you or I are over-scheduled, tired and/or not motivated, we might as well pack up our gear and go home.
I have to admit that too many times this year I couldn't answer yes to all the above questions.
I own a business that requires my attention almost every day. That's tough to overcome. But it's not an excuse, because I know that if I'm going to finish in the Top 10 at Elite Series events, I've got to make sure I've put my business out of my mind before I get on the water.
I say this because I know I'm no different than most tournament anglers in the country. Most anglers have other obligations. Putting work out of your head while your fishing is hard to do. But it can be done.
Next year, I aim to do a better job.
