I finally fished my first tournament, on Lake Winnipesaukee today. The NH Bass Casters held their next-to-last midweek tournament there today, for a field of 30 anglers. My goal was to not get skunked, and luckily I did just that, bringing in one fish weighing 1-13. Yeah, not great, but I wasn't like the one guy who didn't catch a thing. The winner was a guy who, according to a few, always seems to bring in big bags. He came in with over 17 lbs of fish, with a lunker over 6 lbs. That beat out two fairly well known area pros who were on hand to compete.
As for my day, well, let's just say I've fished better. My biggest problem was being at the mercy of the guy at the front of the boat. Don't get me wrong, he was an incredibly nice guy, and I could not have been paired with a better host. But his fishing style was as opposite of mine as I could imagine. He essentially cranked a spinnerbait all day long, while I opted for soft plastics and jigs. His approach worked, as he brought in four fish, around 8 lbs, I'm guessing. The hardest part of fishing with someone who likes to fish fast was trying to keep my patience. I was never able to feel comfortable, since I like to be thorough and slow. Again, the exact opposite of spinnerbaits and cranks, which I tried many times throughout the day. But I think this teaches me that, as with other aspects of fishing success often depends upon one's ability to fish within a set of limitations.
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
My Season
I've done a lot of talking about the seasons of other anglers, so it's only fair that I talk a bit about my own accomplishments this season. I've only been fishing for three years, except the few times I went as a kid with my father. The learning curve, I suppose, is a bit different, but I guess I am subject to the same judgments as any. So I guess honesty is in order! Did I catch a lot of fish? To me, yeah! It was a big, big improvement over last year, due mostly to my trip to Oneida as a Marshall at the B.A.S.S. event. Watching the two pros I was paired with--John Murray and Brent Chapman--provided me with enough inspiration and instruction to help me catch more fish than I did last year. I can't say exactly what I learned other than a sense of patience and perseverence, but I do know that my skills improved. My best day was three fish on a local pond (in Hampstead, NH), each about 2 1/12- 3 lbs, and my worst was an obvious zero, though I feel like I learned from nearly every day I was out. Of note is my latest day on the water, which was today. I travelled farther than I should have in my tiny, electric-powered boat and was fortunate to have met someone on my way back who was kind enough to tow me the rest of the way. I hadn't caught a fish to that point, but as he was pulling in to the ramp I decided to cast out a few times. I caught a decent fish on my fifth cast, my only of the day. Just goes to show that the least likely of circumstances sometimes produce.
AOY
The B.A.S.S. Postseason provided a lot of drama, as anticipated, but to me what was most revealing was a comment made by Kevin Van Dam, who seemed all but defeated after the first event on the Alabama River. To paraphrase, he said it was a pretty tough task to overcome his bad first day there on a two-day event. Going into the final event on Lake Jordan, it seemed like Skeet Reese had as comfortable a lead as could be imagined in such circumstances--he had to finish in the top three to win the AOY. Yet it seems that he fell victim to exactly the circumstances that KVD described after the Trophy Chase, and it begs the question, was this the best possible format to determine the Angler of the Year? Nearly, in my opinion. The one change that I think could, and probably should be made is to change the two postseason events from two two-day events to two three-day events. KVD's comment says it all--the curve is far too short to recover from, and while such an outlook may seem too "forgiving" it is, in fact, a greater test of skill and endurance. Rick Clunn has some interesting views on the role that luck plays in bass tournaments, and they bear repeating here. In his mind, the longer the format of the tournament, on the scale of 1-4 days, the lesser role luck plays in determining a winner. His logic is sound and straightforward: fish will get more accustomed to lures, anglers have a better chance of figuring out patterns, thereby giving the edge to the guys who have best "figured out" a lake, and as conditions change the anglers are forced to change with them. Given that the two postseason events were not only short in duration but on two different bodies of water one can only assume that luck played a greater role in determining the final standings than some of the final 12 anglers would have liked. As professionals, they will likely not say a thing to complain about the format. Yet as competitors I am willing to bet a little money that if given the chance they would eagerly voice a few opinions and suggestions about the matter.
Consider the latest blog entry from Alton Jones on the Bassmaster web-site. He writes that his immediate feelings after the postseason were that his season was only fair at best, but that he later felt better about how things played out. Of all the anglers in the postseason, he was among those whose final standing changed little--he went from 3rd to 6th. While that's hardly anything to be happy about, it is worth noting that there are six other guys, including one or two who fished very well during the postseason, who would be happy to have ended up where Alton did. This, to me, is as much a testament to skill as it is luck, since Alton clearly didn't fish well enough to win AOY but did fish well enough to finish in the middle of a very talented field. Add to that the fact that both events were only two days long, on two different bodies of water and it makes his achievement all the more impressive, as well as that of the other five anglers who finished ahead of him.
In the end, it seems that the best angler really was the one who won. KVD figured out a way to come back from a tough but short tournament and led each of the two days on Lake Jordan. Perhaps the matter of the other anglers "helping" him defeat Skeet should be addressed too. That might be another topic for another post.
Consider the latest blog entry from Alton Jones on the Bassmaster web-site. He writes that his immediate feelings after the postseason were that his season was only fair at best, but that he later felt better about how things played out. Of all the anglers in the postseason, he was among those whose final standing changed little--he went from 3rd to 6th. While that's hardly anything to be happy about, it is worth noting that there are six other guys, including one or two who fished very well during the postseason, who would be happy to have ended up where Alton did. This, to me, is as much a testament to skill as it is luck, since Alton clearly didn't fish well enough to win AOY but did fish well enough to finish in the middle of a very talented field. Add to that the fact that both events were only two days long, on two different bodies of water and it makes his achievement all the more impressive, as well as that of the other five anglers who finished ahead of him.
In the end, it seems that the best angler really was the one who won. KVD figured out a way to come back from a tough but short tournament and led each of the two days on Lake Jordan. Perhaps the matter of the other anglers "helping" him defeat Skeet should be addressed too. That might be another topic for another post.
Wednesday, September 9, 2009
AOY Debate
Saturday marks the beginning of the first B.A.S.S. postseason, with two two-day tournaments featuring the top 12 anglers from the Elite Series regular season. Now is the time for debates and bets on who will win. My picks are:
Skeet Reese. He's been on a mission, fishing as consistently as anyone on the tour, and at a time when it seemed like a lot of anglers were beaten by the tough fishing at Oneida he found a way to take the slimmest of leads in regular season points over KVD. Granted, that lead meant nothing in terms of taking the top post-season spot, since KVD's win at Smith Mountain gave him the #1 spot.
Alton Jones. Aside from Skeet, I think he's the most consistent angler on the tour. KVD is a winning machine, but for my tastes (and, yes, I am probably the only person in the world who thinks this) he takes a few too many risks with his run-and-gun style. That said, my number three pick is . . .
KVD. Hard not to put him in the top three, never mind winning the thing. And I have no idea how either of the fisheries suit his fishing style (though I imagine rivers are not his strong point). Nonetheless, he knows how to win, period.
Randy Howell. He flat-out killed the competition on day one at Oneida, which included a five pound beast from Peter T. He's my pick to make a serious run at the top three next year.
Kelly Jordan. Again, consistency. And he's in the right spot in the standings to stay near the top.
Michael Iaconelli. This guy has been so close to winning tournaments this year that I imagine it's killing him, especially when you consider he was "this close" to winning the Forrest Wood Cup, worth $500,000. Like Skeet, he seems to be on a mission, but he's contending with a seriously tough field and a lower than expected finish to the season.
Tommy Biffle. He won earlier this year, and he's still ina good position to win it all.
Todd Faircloth. Last year's runner up is also in a good spot, but he seems to have flattened out recently.
Gary Klein, Cliff Pace, Mark Menendez, and Gerald Swindle, in that order, are my picks to round out the field.
Funny thing about this post-season is that it seems to be redefining what the "best" and "worst" are. To think that the worst of these 12 anglers is a bad angler is obviously silly, but when viewed in this context it does remind one of just how hard it is to be at the very top of the sport. Likewise, to make to the top 12 is probably so hard that any of the guys finishing 13th to 100 might feel as though he's failed, at least in part. Think of all the anglers who won on the Elite Series this year and who aren't a part of the post-season. And to think that Skeet Reese didn't win a single regular season event but finished at the top of the regular season standings makes the point that one would rather be good than lucky.
Skeet Reese. He's been on a mission, fishing as consistently as anyone on the tour, and at a time when it seemed like a lot of anglers were beaten by the tough fishing at Oneida he found a way to take the slimmest of leads in regular season points over KVD. Granted, that lead meant nothing in terms of taking the top post-season spot, since KVD's win at Smith Mountain gave him the #1 spot.
Alton Jones. Aside from Skeet, I think he's the most consistent angler on the tour. KVD is a winning machine, but for my tastes (and, yes, I am probably the only person in the world who thinks this) he takes a few too many risks with his run-and-gun style. That said, my number three pick is . . .
KVD. Hard not to put him in the top three, never mind winning the thing. And I have no idea how either of the fisheries suit his fishing style (though I imagine rivers are not his strong point). Nonetheless, he knows how to win, period.
Randy Howell. He flat-out killed the competition on day one at Oneida, which included a five pound beast from Peter T. He's my pick to make a serious run at the top three next year.
Kelly Jordan. Again, consistency. And he's in the right spot in the standings to stay near the top.
Michael Iaconelli. This guy has been so close to winning tournaments this year that I imagine it's killing him, especially when you consider he was "this close" to winning the Forrest Wood Cup, worth $500,000. Like Skeet, he seems to be on a mission, but he's contending with a seriously tough field and a lower than expected finish to the season.
Tommy Biffle. He won earlier this year, and he's still ina good position to win it all.
Todd Faircloth. Last year's runner up is also in a good spot, but he seems to have flattened out recently.
Gary Klein, Cliff Pace, Mark Menendez, and Gerald Swindle, in that order, are my picks to round out the field.
Funny thing about this post-season is that it seems to be redefining what the "best" and "worst" are. To think that the worst of these 12 anglers is a bad angler is obviously silly, but when viewed in this context it does remind one of just how hard it is to be at the very top of the sport. Likewise, to make to the top 12 is probably so hard that any of the guys finishing 13th to 100 might feel as though he's failed, at least in part. Think of all the anglers who won on the Elite Series this year and who aren't a part of the post-season. And to think that Skeet Reese didn't win a single regular season event but finished at the top of the regular season standings makes the point that one would rather be good than lucky.
Thursday, September 3, 2009
Entry Fees and such
So I didn't make it to the Squam Lake tourney. I was so excited about it that I literally didn't get any sleep the night before, but it ended up being a blessing in disguise because it turned out I couldn't afford the entry fees. It's been a goal of mine to fish one tournament this year, with the hope that I can fish an entire trail next year (as a non-boater). So I'm not in any hurry to do any of this, and as disappointing as it was to back out of yesterday's event I know that the time will come.
Which makes me think--how "bad" is it to pay such high entry fees? As a writer, I know how odd the pay structure of things can be. I published a small book about three years ago and found that my publisher wanted me to pay for personal copies. At first I was a bit suspicious but later found out it was the standard. Still, I felt that it was wrong, since I knew that no one would read my book, never mind pay for it. So, in a sense, I was covering the costs of printing it myself, which is the same as self-publishing--something that is disreputable in publishing. In a similar sense, it seems like anglers are paying each other with their own money. (I realize that is very awkwardly worded.) The Elites underwent a reduction in their schedule this year, and they'll follow the same format next year, of 8 regular season tournaments and two post-season events. Along with this restructuring of the schedule came a reduction in entry fees--about $40,000 for the year. (I have no idea what it cost in the past.) Speaking briefly with Elite angler John Murray, I found out that the season went from something like 12-14 events to the current 8. According to Murray, part of the change was because of the price of gas, though it seems from numerous online and print sources that the general costs (i.e. entry fees) weighed against the current financial climate led to the decision. All of this begs the question, what happens to those fees once they're collected? Obviously, B.A.S.S. is a professional organization with a professional staff that deserves to be paid for their time. Anyone who has been to one of their events or watched them on tv knows how well-run they are. Yet if one takes into consideration that in a eight tournament season, plus the Bassmaster Classic, B.A.S.S. pays out roughly $1,300,000 to the first place finishers alone, then it seems that, as in publishing, anglers are simply paying one another with their entry fees. Clearly, prize money for those finishing from 2nd to 100 should be taken into account, not to mention year-end awards like the Angler of the Year. (At the last regular season event at Oneida Lake prize money for those finishing from 2nd to 50th accounted for roughly $510,000; no one below 5oth collected a check.) So that's about $600,000 per regular season event, or $4.8 million per season, just for regular season events. If all 100 anglers are able to pay for the season's entries $4,000,000 is available. So, clearly, B.A.S.S. must get additional money from sponsors, which include ESPN, the parent company which bought them sometime in the last ten years and which also brings television advertising revenues with it. At any rate, it does seem like the biggest chunk of the payout change comes from the anglers themselves. Is this backwards? Well, I do know that if I don't do a good job at work I don't necessarily have to fork money over to those who outperform me. Then again, my hours may be cut--which is a bit like an Elite angler not getting the chance to fish past the second day if he doesn't make the top 50 cut. At any rate, this is clearly a pretty complex matter and does involve something we've probably all heard about at one time or another--Other People's Money. It's the only way anyone ever gets rich. It just seems kind of unfortunate that one day the check you earn may come from a colleague you may end up giving the money back to on another day.
Which makes me think--how "bad" is it to pay such high entry fees? As a writer, I know how odd the pay structure of things can be. I published a small book about three years ago and found that my publisher wanted me to pay for personal copies. At first I was a bit suspicious but later found out it was the standard. Still, I felt that it was wrong, since I knew that no one would read my book, never mind pay for it. So, in a sense, I was covering the costs of printing it myself, which is the same as self-publishing--something that is disreputable in publishing. In a similar sense, it seems like anglers are paying each other with their own money. (I realize that is very awkwardly worded.) The Elites underwent a reduction in their schedule this year, and they'll follow the same format next year, of 8 regular season tournaments and two post-season events. Along with this restructuring of the schedule came a reduction in entry fees--about $40,000 for the year. (I have no idea what it cost in the past.) Speaking briefly with Elite angler John Murray, I found out that the season went from something like 12-14 events to the current 8. According to Murray, part of the change was because of the price of gas, though it seems from numerous online and print sources that the general costs (i.e. entry fees) weighed against the current financial climate led to the decision. All of this begs the question, what happens to those fees once they're collected? Obviously, B.A.S.S. is a professional organization with a professional staff that deserves to be paid for their time. Anyone who has been to one of their events or watched them on tv knows how well-run they are. Yet if one takes into consideration that in a eight tournament season, plus the Bassmaster Classic, B.A.S.S. pays out roughly $1,300,000 to the first place finishers alone, then it seems that, as in publishing, anglers are simply paying one another with their entry fees. Clearly, prize money for those finishing from 2nd to 100 should be taken into account, not to mention year-end awards like the Angler of the Year. (At the last regular season event at Oneida Lake prize money for those finishing from 2nd to 50th accounted for roughly $510,000; no one below 5oth collected a check.) So that's about $600,000 per regular season event, or $4.8 million per season, just for regular season events. If all 100 anglers are able to pay for the season's entries $4,000,000 is available. So, clearly, B.A.S.S. must get additional money from sponsors, which include ESPN, the parent company which bought them sometime in the last ten years and which also brings television advertising revenues with it. At any rate, it does seem like the biggest chunk of the payout change comes from the anglers themselves. Is this backwards? Well, I do know that if I don't do a good job at work I don't necessarily have to fork money over to those who outperform me. Then again, my hours may be cut--which is a bit like an Elite angler not getting the chance to fish past the second day if he doesn't make the top 50 cut. At any rate, this is clearly a pretty complex matter and does involve something we've probably all heard about at one time or another--Other People's Money. It's the only way anyone ever gets rich. It just seems kind of unfortunate that one day the check you earn may come from a colleague you may end up giving the money back to on another day.
Wednesday, September 2, 2009
Bass Bucket List
Just saw an interesting post on Bassmaster.com, about bucket lists. Begs the question, what do you want to do in bass fishing before you die? Being that I'm still pretty young (under 40, I'll leave it at that), my list would be pretty mundane. So how about just a list of things within the next, say, five years?
Buy a bass boat
Fish the B.A.S.S. Opens Series
Catch a 10-pounder (probably Florida--plan on going this winter!)
Win at least one tournament
Get at least one sponsor
All pretty tough to attain, but not impossible. Again, to me this is one of the great things about this sport, that it can accomodate a lot of different "goals," even if they're as simple as taking a fishing vacation to fish for a species you've never fished for before. (This reminds me of a story: Brent Chapman mentioned to me at the Oneida tourney that he'd gone fishing for peacock bass bass with some friends. He said, "If you ever have the chance, do it. Think of it as fishing for smallmouth on steroids. I caught a 25 pounder, and the world record is 27." Definitely the kind of thing I'm talking about.)
Anyway, didn't get to the Squam tournament today--couldn't sleep last night, just way too excited! But there is another on Squam this Saturday. I'll post pix and comments after. Another goal down--first ever tournament.
Buy a bass boat
Fish the B.A.S.S. Opens Series
Catch a 10-pounder (probably Florida--plan on going this winter!)
Win at least one tournament
Get at least one sponsor
All pretty tough to attain, but not impossible. Again, to me this is one of the great things about this sport, that it can accomodate a lot of different "goals," even if they're as simple as taking a fishing vacation to fish for a species you've never fished for before. (This reminds me of a story: Brent Chapman mentioned to me at the Oneida tourney that he'd gone fishing for peacock bass bass with some friends. He said, "If you ever have the chance, do it. Think of it as fishing for smallmouth on steroids. I caught a 25 pounder, and the world record is 27." Definitely the kind of thing I'm talking about.)
Anyway, didn't get to the Squam tournament today--couldn't sleep last night, just way too excited! But there is another on Squam this Saturday. I'll post pix and comments after. Another goal down--first ever tournament.
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