Before I go any further I want to share with you the fact that it is difficult for us to sometimes leave home for a week at a time. There are those ladies who hold down full-time jobs as I explained earlier. We all have responsibilities that never get discussed and are always lurking in our private lives waiting on us to return from a tournament. So it is hard on our families in many different ways, which, in turn, makes it hard to get in the truck and drive away at times. Family support is a key ingredient for us. I tell you this because I want to share with you a note I received from my husband while I was at this tournament. He has spoken these words many times, but it's always nice to get a surprise note too.
This is what I received: "Just a quick note to say I'm proud of you and I love you more than you'll ever know. I believe so much in what you're doing and I know you're doing what God has called you to do at this time in your life. Go out there and focus on your task at hand. You will do fine I'm sure. Can't wait to see you on Thursday. Love you." I copied this down and carried it in my pocket the whole tournament. It is reassurance like this that helps keep us focused on our fishing and our business.
Walking Across The Stage
I caught my two fish early in the day and knew that I would get to cross the stage at the weigh-in. Any of you that fish tournaments know that the underlying goal for the day is to at least cross the stage for weigh-in with the main goal of being at the top of the standings when all is said and done. Even though I only had the two fish to weigh-in, this day was one that I will always remember. As I stepped up with my fish after being introduced our emcee acknowledged me in front of the crowd as a dominating co-angler this year. To hear those words after so much hard work the last three years was certainly a highlight for me. Fishing changes each day on the water and I know I can go from dominating one day to much less the next, but I hope that, overall, my hard work is dominating in the fishing and growing in the business. I thanked him for his kind words and then read my husband's note so that our fans, friends, and families will always remember how important their support is to us. I left the stage and headed straight for my husband who had taken the time off to be at this tournament. After a kiss and a hug from him, I was approached by some very supportive fans for autographs. Hopefully, I'm making a difference.
I was paired with last year's champion for the second day and it was a real joy to get to fish with her. She is an excellent angler and a professional all the way. She was very kind to me and seemed supportive of my fishing as well. I truly appreciated our day on the water. She is like a fishing machine, and I hope to be that good some day. We fished grass most of the day, which I have already indicated as a great weakness for me in this tournament. I watched as my boater pulled in keeper after keeper so I knew the fish were there. I didn't have much in my gear bag similar to what she was fishing so I decided to rely on the confidence that I had with my Texas-rig. I was able to pick up three keepers with it. I would try to pick something up in the grass, work it through the grass, and get the bites right at the edge of the grass. I did this all day bringing about 15 or more fish to the boat. Short and frustrating were the keywords for this tournament.
My second chance on Neely-Henry didn't turn out like I had hoped. I did weigh-in a total of five fish for 4 lbs. 13 oz. overall. I did find a confidence bait even though it didn't produce the big fish. Once again, I fished with some great anglers and learned a lot from them. I was recognized as someone dominating in the sport, and I had the assurance of support from fans, friends, and family. I really can't say I had a bad tournament. I fished, I learned, and I grew. The irony of it all is that I finished 33rd overall just like I did in 2006.
