So how does a lady who has only fished a few club tournaments, has no boat, and knows very few others prepare for a week to fish a professional tournament? After getting checked in and settled into my room for the week the first thing I did was get to know the area. So I drove around from the hotel to all destinations to make sure I wouldn't get lost and be late for anything. Once having explored for a few hours, I chose to spend most of my time watching the water from the banks. I couldn't have help from locals and I wanted to figure things out for myself. Watching from the bank was all I had and I had no problem with practicing like that. I probably could have hung around at the ramp in hopes of a boater wanting a practice partner, but I was way too intimidated at the time. I was doing this for dad and, as far as I knew, I wouldn't see these ladies again unless it was on TV or in a magazine article.
Registration day came and I was so excited. I had two fishing shirts with my BASS patch, my WBT patch, and my name on them, and I thought that fishing couldn't be any better. I can't begin to tell you how privileged I felt to be in the same room with such experienced lady anglers and to go through the tournament preparation with the BASS staff. The word nervous took on a whole new meaning when I heard my name called with a boater from Virginia. I knew that things had just become serious and I was right in the middle of it. So I met my boater and her husband, traded contact information along with our schedule for the next morning, and went back to my room to prepare for some serious fishing.
First Tournament Day
My first day of fishing a professional tour went really well. It was a beautiful day to be fishing and my boater was great. I caught my fish on a T-rigged finesse worm off the bank. I managed our co-angler limit of three fish. They only weighed a little over 3 lbs. but you would have thought I had the winning bag. I crossed the stage at the weigh-in for the first time and now had a new friend from Virginia. I said good-bye and good luck to her and checked the board for the info on my next day's partner. She was from Missouri. We met and set our plans for the next morning. I didn't worry too much about preparing for the fishing because I thought I had things figured out.
Day Two
We had several severe storms move through the area from the time I left the ramp on the first day to the time we launched the second day. I experienced a very rude awakening when I started fishing that second day. I knew nothing about fishing and weather changes. I suffered through the day not knowing what I was doing and watching my boater catch keepers. I didn't know how to slow down and be patient with a weightless worm. That's what it took to catch fish that day and that's what it took to win the tournament. I zeroed the day and went back to the ramp that afternoon to see my husband there to surprise me. What a disappointment the second day was. My boater and I enjoyed getting to know each other, but my fishing was pitiful.
Lessons Learned
I was studying, researching, and practicing as much as I could with my available resources, but I learned at Neely Henry that I had so much more work ahead of me if I wanted to enjoy fishing. I've always been athletic and have always been taught, coached, and even pushed to be the best I can be at whatever I'm involved in. That's the way it was going to be with fishing, recreation or competitive, or I would give it up altogether. I accepted that I knew very little about what I was doing in my fishing and only I could do something about it. I knew how to handle myself on the back of the boat so my boaters didn't have to feel like they were babysitting me all day. But I didn't know enough to be able to make good decisions for my fishing. So I left Neely Henry with the goal of learning all that I could about fishing and weather changes as well as fishing a weightless worm in the grass.
Another lesson that I learned about fishing a professional tour was probably the most important one to be learned. With a professional tour comes a lot of glamour by way of media exposure, recognition by the locals, and everything else in between. It's easy to get caught up in it and think that everyone involved must be living in luxury. But that's nowhere near the truth. The truth is that we are just everyday people involved in the fishing industry for our own personal reasons trying to do our best for our own personal reasons. It didn't take me long to figure this out and to know that these ladies, like myself, are carrying the joys and sorrows of life with them on the road and that the glamour is how it is viewed through a camera lens. When the cameras are off and we are working through our tournament week preparing for competition, we sometimes feel as far from glamorous as we could possibly be. When the cameras are on and we are smiling and talking about our fishing, it is because we know what it took to get there and we are there trying to share the passion of the sport with others hoping that we will make a positive difference in at least one life.
So began what I now know as my professional fishing career. As I have tried to write about this beginning, I have realized the changes that have taken place in my personal life as well as my fishing. Hopefully, as I continue to share some of my experiences you will see those changes as well and be encouraged to work hard at what you are involved in, fishing or otherwise. Our next stop is Texas.
