Several years ago I wrote a monthly
humor column for a regional fishing magazine.
One article in particular was titled simply
“Partners.” In the article I lampooned the
process for choosing a fishing partner for team
events. I expressed, that mutual compatibility
was of the utmost importance, and likened it to
being as critical as choosing a husband or wife
or a good hunting dog, but not necessarily in
that order.
Team bass circuits are quickly becoming one of the fastest growing sports
in America today. Many experts believe that it
will surpass even NASCAR in popularity among
sports enthusiasts in the next few years. The
sport continues to evolve with expanding
coverage by the television networks as well as
social media. Many high schools in the country
now support bass tournament team programs.
Often times those teams will continue to compete
in college circuits, with many teams gaining
notoriety and garnering sponsors during the
process. Most notably of those anglers is back
to back Bassmasters Classic Champion Jordan Lee
who was dominating the college team circuit
representing Auburn University with his brother
Matt as recently as 2013-2014.
In the team system an angler chooses the person that he will fish with in
a specified number of “qualifying” events in the
hopes of achieving enough points to fish against
the other “qualifying anglers” in the “classic”
or championship at the end of the season. The
winners receive cash and prizes worth tens of
thousands of dollars, and that’s just the
qualifying events. The championship in some
circuits will payout in the hundreds of
thousands of dollars in cash and prizes. Not bad
for a weekend fisherman! There are a number of
quality team circuits for a person to choose
from today. One of the most popular is of course
U.S. Angler’s Choice.
There are other compelling reasons to choose a team circuit over some of
the other circuits that are also structured
toward the weekend angler. For some anglers
there are more advantages in fishing the team
circuit than any other type. Consider, for
example, the cost involved in fishing any
tournament. There is gas for the tow vehicle and
the boat. Also expenses such as
maintenance for both vehicles, add to that the
cost for lodging, food, tackle, and
approximately $100 to $200 dollars entry fee per
event. While many Professional fishermen are
supported at least in part by a number of
sponsors, most weekend fishermen don’t enjoy
that benefit. Let’s face it; “Team Me” can cost
the average fisherman thousands of dollars per
year. Sharing those expenses with a partner is a
much more practical proposition for those of us
trying to live within a budget. Some teams own
only one boat, therefore literally all expenses
are shared including the pre-fishing trip
expenses.
Aside from the monetary element, there are other advantages of having a
partner. The old adage “two heads are better
than one” has never rang more true than when
attempting to establish a pattern for catching
the elusive Largemouth Bass. Teams can utilize
the knowledge and experience of both anglers.
One popular tournament tactic is for one angler
to cover a lot of water quickly, usually from
the front deck, with a search bait such as a
crankbait or spinnerbait while the second angler
completes the “one – two punch” by following up
with a slow lure such as a worm or jig. Many
teams are comprised of family members, i.e.
father and son, husband and wife; thereby
passing on the skill to the next generation and
ensuring the future of the sport and the
preservation of our natural resources. The teams
that I most dislike to compete against are the
ones that have been fishing together for many
years. That tells me that they have figured out
all of the dynamics of sharing a boat including
deciding on their best plan of attack on any
given day. In my opinion, the most successful
teams not only have a high degree of confidence
in their individual skill but also believe in
their partner’s ability. With confidence at that
level they are dangerous up to the very last
minute.
There are very few things in life that compare to the thrill of
competitive bass fishing. From blast off at
first light to the last cast of the day the
adrenaline is high. And finally win, loose or
draw when the last fish is weighed every
competitor can at least take solace in the fact
that they did their best. Rest assured, however,
that at the next event the renewed resolve of
each angler will be “FISH HARD OR STAY HOME.”
Good Fishing and God Bless
|