“I had two of the worst events of my life to start out my Elite Series career.”
“Little boy's not getting it right
Trying so hard with all his might.”
Dreamland
Bruce Hornsby
It is 8pm, Wednesday, March 5th.
A cold wind blows through our back yard here in Connecticut.
I’m in our spare bedroom/office, bb and Boomer down the hall watching Netflix.
I just got off a Zoom call with Easton and his lovely girlfriend, Elizabeth, smart young lady going to law school.
I forgot to hit the record button on the Zoom call…I’m old…I’m just thrilled I made it through the interview without having to stop it three times to pee.
I’m going to make Easton and Elizabeth in charge of making sure I hit the record button from now on.
Easton and Elizabeth are in a car, or truck I forget, driving to, or from, a grocery store, possibly.
I know for sure Elizabeth is driving because I had Easton swing his phone over so I could see her…
…that and it was a sneaky way to make sure Easton wasn’t driving while interviewing.
I’m old, yep, dumb, nope.
There ya go.
Easton thought about for a minute and sort of said yes, I didn’t buy that he did know who Bradshaw is but I pushed on.
“Bradshaw number 1 pick overall in the NFL draft, qb,…first year in the Bigs as a rookie…218 passing attempts…83 completions…6 TD’s…24 interceptions…38% completion rate.”
Easton is just looking at me, not unusual, I get that a lot.
“But dude get this: 4 times Super Bowl Champion, 2 times NFL MVP…Pro Football Hall of Fame.”
Easton still just looking at me.
“Here’s my point, just because you suck in the beginning doesn’t mean you will suck in the end.”
Sometimes greatness starts out kind of shitty.
But know this, how it goes is up to you, not the game.
Fish don’t care.
Easton Uncut
“I had lots of nerves, I’m suddenly competing with guys I grew up following, guys I wanted to be like.”
“I fish by hitting as many places as possible, it’s how I do it but that kind of way of doing it doesn’t work on Okeechobee.”
“Weighing in I was back waiting with my fish at the tubs and Brandon Palaniuk was next to me, he knew I was having a tough tournament and he started telling me that when he first started with the Elites, his first event he came in 105th place. Brandon took the time to tell me how he moved on from that, told me to move on to look ahead.”
“I forgot about it already, time to focus on the Classic, I leave for that soon, and then…the rest of the season.”
So
You wanna be good at what you do, play what you’re standing in.
NOW matters, not last tourney, not the next tourney, what only matters is the game you are currently competing in.
Think about this, Professional Tournament Fishing is a single player game, ain’t no coaches sitting in the passenger seat telling you what to do.
No one up in a booth sending in what lure to use, or where to throw.
Just.
You.
A game of one played from the front deck.
No excuses, it is all you.
BTW, Elizabeth said she hasn’t caught a fish in 7 years…she’ll handle his contracts though.
Advice
Go fishing.
That’s how you got to the Bigs in fishing.
Learn from suck.
When stuff doesn’t work STOP DOING IT.
Believe it or not you can’t will a fish to bite.
You can’t change what has happened, you can though dictate NEXT.
My advice, stick with what got you into the Bigs, you know how to catch fish or you wouldn’t be here.
Right now the game moves fast for you, the more comfortable you become, the more the game will slow down.
It’s called, experience.
Get this…
…you are doing what you have dreamed of doing all your life.
Imagine that!
You are doing it, competing in it against some of your childhood heroes.
Few folks ever get that opportunity.
Glory floats on every cast you make.
At the Classic many times the banners of past winners hang in the rafters far above the floor and stage.
Championship Banners.
Forever history of the sport, reverence for those who came and conquered.
Know this young man…
…the NEXT banners await to be raised…
…await to take their place among the legends of the game…
…await to hang from the rafters above…
…bearing your name on the banner.
Up to you.
db
"Slump? I ain't in no slump. I just ain't hittin."
Yogi Berra
Baseball Hall of Fame Inductee 1972