Never Give Up!

- Focus on each cast, each minute, time management; and NEVER GIVING UP!

When Iaconelli let out that infamous scream in the ’03 classic in New Orleans followed by the ever famous “Never Give Up”; little did I know that would forever change my own tournament style and success (for the better).

You see; from 1999 through the 2003 season I pretty much stunk it up on the water, I looked good, had the boat, the clothes, the tackle; the skills, but no focus.  Through the 2003 season and into the first BFL tournament of 2004 I was ever famous for 3 fish limits.  Now don’t get me wrong I have had some good five fish limits up till then.  But most of the time I would get that third fish in the boat and by mid morning just completely shut down. 

I would literally be looking ahead at the next tournament, points, weights, etc. with 2 or 3 hours to go in the current tournament.  I would pay more attention to numbers and stats and not catching….yeah I know if you catch the fish the stats will come…slow learner, I guess.

So started the 2004 BFL Season, the first tournament was as in LaCrosse, WI; simply put I tanked and blanked!  Ohhh; I was mad, mad at myself, the world and was about to walk away from it all.  Alright if I did this article would be finished right now, so obviously I cooled off and opted to continue……

The second BFL was in Clinton, IA; I caught my standard three fish (I still think they were the same three I caught the year before) and then gave up half way through the day again.  I have had it; because this sucks!  But for some reason I didn’t think of quitting…..

I had three weeks till the next tournament; I did some real soul searching and kept coming back to my lack of focus and lack of that mental edge.  I was focusing more on getting the numbers, stats, checks, and recognition than catching the fish.  Again; I know it doesn’t work that way and it took awhile for that brick to hit me! 

So I said Jeff ‘cause that’s what I call myself; I said “this is going to take some work”.  So for the next several weeks (literally) I didn’t spend any time on the water but rather in the house on my couch with my eyes closed going through tournament days; hour by hour and cast by cast.  What was it that caused me to lose my focus or that edge?  Or did I even have it to begin with?

I needed to focus harder; especially after hour number 3; when I would normally start to lose it.  Focus on each cast, each minute, time management; and NEVER GIVING UP.  This daily mental excersize was exhausting and took some discipline.  Alright that will help with the focus and mental side; the second step in this process was to quit checking my stats; looking at my numbers, or seeing how or where I needed to finish for points (before the tournament even started), but to just focus on catching.  But the same question kept popping up; will this pay off?

At best I was hoping to see results by the end of the season; well low and behold.  The third BFL was in Winneconne, WI I had a limit in the boat by 10:00 A.M. (oh and cashed a check!).

The next BFL tournament of ’04 was in Praire Du Chien; by noon I had 2 fish in the boat (barely 14”) and three hours to go.  Let me tell you when I began talking to myself and applying the never give up and stay focused attitude; three more fish found there way into my livewell.  They weren’t big but it was a limit. 

The fifth and final BFL of the year was back in LaCrosse, WI; by 11 A.M it was time to lock back down to pool 8 to finish the day.  With no fish in the boat and waiting for the lock to open I was fishing a patch of milfoil near the dam and lost one about 15” at the boat (bad, bad, very bad hookset).  After locking back down, I went to my first spot and nothing then moved to my final spot at 1:30 (with an hour and a half to go). 

I was fishing a flat coming off a main river point that I had found the final day of practice.  I had it all to myself and the fish were starting to push bait fish up on it.  I ended up with three keepers pretty quick and caught my fourth one with 10 minutes left in the tournament.  So having had the fifth fish hooked but lost I felt good because I had the opportunity; but blew it on mechanics.

Then came the Cystic Fibrosis Tournament (team tourney) in September of ’04 (Oshkosh, WI).  We made a long run to the river; by 11:30 we had zero in the boat.  With the run we had to get back and weigh in at 3:00 there wasn’t much time.  But rather than being frazzled we new it was time to focus, make each cast count, and yes “never give up”.  In two and half hours we put our limit in the boat (13.98 lbs and fifth place) cashing a pretty decent check.

A week later the Fall Open in New London, WI; same scenario we caught all of our fish in the last three hours of the tournament; taking second place (we caught our last fish literally 100 yards from weigh in with 10 minutes to go!).

The first two team tournaments of ’05 were almost identical with most of our fish coming in the end of the day; but the never give up attitude paid big dividends again.

Before you’re completely bored; my most recent example was a club tournament I just fished on Big Green Lake (June 2005).  Our club has a four fish limit (to help compensate for the no cull rule).  Again I had one fish in the boat around 1 p.m. (our hours were 8-4); I made a move and an adjustment and I added two more to the well; then with an hour to go lost number four at the boat….arghhhhhh!  Time was passing, but my focus was becoming more intense the silent chants of never give up kept ringing through my head.  I had a seven minute run to the launch my watch read 3:50 and some change.  I looked at my guest and said this is the last cast; as I picked up the slack the line tightened and BAM a 16” smallie that came unhooked in the net!  I made weigh in with a limit with about a minute to spare.  That last five minutes was by far the most exciting and confidence boosting episode I have ever had on the water (and a big thanks to Mark for the net!).

It doesn’t happen like this all the time but the last 7 of 9 tournaments the tweeked attitude has taken my to a new level confidence included.

Since that faitful day that I blanked and tanked in LaCrosse I have caught 57 of a possible 63 fish; for a batting percentage of .9047 or 90.47% (# of fish caught and weighed in versus total limits (5 fish for individual and 6 for team tournaments)).  Before the change in attitude it was around .650 or 65%.

I consider myself an incredibly average fisherman; so if I can do it anyone should be able to. 

Oh and I have just finished reading Iaconelli’s book (fishing on the edge) and come to find out he had planned on walking away from fishing after the ’03 Classic (which he won)…sure mine was on a much smaller scale but it sounds all to familiar.

In part two; I will cover the tweeking of the attitude and some of the thought processes off and on the water that has turned my fishing around!!

The moral of my story is simply this; I look at a tournament day like I look at life.  God promised us trials and tribulations so put your trust in him.  When its time to make changes you’ll know; follow your guts and always, always, stay in the game!

God, Family, All Else……….

JSG