I started tournament fishing in the spring of 1990 and can remember it like it was yesterday! A friend of mine who was known as a very good angler asked me to fish a tournament with him. While I balked at first and did not have much interest in fishing tournaments, I gave in after several phone calls and a lot of begging.
To say I was hooked after this event would be an understatement. This took place at a point in my life when I was no longer playing minor league baseball and was looking for another avenue where I could go out and compete.
Tournament bass fishing has filled that niche and provided the opportunity to satisfy my competitive fire. But during the early ‘90s, there were not a lot of tournament trails like there are today.
Angler’s Choice and the old Redman Series, along with a few charity tournaments, were all that were available at that time. Then in the mid ‘90s the FLW organization (named after Ranger Boats owner Forest L. Wood) was formed and they introduced several lower-level trails that allowed young up- and-coming anglers to learn and master fishing skills.
It was an organization that offered grass roots anglers the chance to compete, get better and move up to the higher levels that FLW offered like the Everstart’s (now Toyota Series), FLW Series, and the original FLW Tour (now the MLF Bass Pro Tour), the highest level of professional bass fishing.
FLW also introduced what is now called the BFL Tour (its lowest level) which stands for Bass Fishing League and was designed for the weekend warrior or what many called the working man series.
I fished a ton of these starting out and it was not uncommon for the BFL and Toyota Series events to draw 200 to 250 anglers for both the pro and co-angler divisions. It was so hard to get into these that if you did not sign up for all the events on the schedule, you did not get in.
The best decision I ever made was in 2004 when I decided to sign up and fish as a co-angler on the FLW Tour, the highest level of FLW. This experience was invaluable for my development as an angler.
I drew some of the best professional anglers to ever wet a hook with former FLW Cup and Bassmaster Classic Champion Dion Hibdon, former FLW Champion and three-time Angler of the Year Clark Wendlandt.
Spending time in the boat with this caliber of angler will make you better. I learned so much, not just in terms of technique, but time management and scouting. I learned even at the highest level these guys do not over complicate the issue of catching and locating bass; they keep it simple.
I was really surprised how simple pro anglers keep their tournament preparation. It’s attention to detail that makes the highest level of anglers stand apart.
Making sure their hooks are sharp is very important. Anglers will take the time to change out both sets of treble hooks on a crankbait if they have been fishing around wood or rocks.
Sharp hooks equal bass in the boat, and bass in the boat equals paychecks! They also make sure they have fresh line spooled on each reel the day before the tournament starts.
The great anglers are fanatics on tackle storage organization. Being able to put their hands on whatever they are looking for in a timely manner is very important. They can’t afford to waste time on tournament day looking for tackle. No detail is overlooked by anglers who fish for a living.
Overall, I have enjoyed and learned so much during my 30-plus years of tournament bass fishing. I’ve met and made so many friends through tournament fishing. Some of my best friends today have come from the bass tournament world.
Anglers are like a coaching fraternity; there’s a unique bond that you just can’t find anywhere else. If there’s one thing I will miss when I decide to quit competing and lay my rods down for the last time, it’s that infectious comradery you have between anglers.
Contact Steve at sgraf26@yahoo.com