By Jay Striker:
In the life of a professional bass angler, there are always times when a bad decision costs you the event. Whether it’s not retying a knot when you should have that results in losing the winning fish or perhaps not practicing as much as you could have, there will always be moments of regret.
Once, while fishing an event, I was disqualified for having too many fish in my livewell. Being caught up in the moment, I forgot to cull and did not realize it until weigh-in. I would have placed second, however, my mistake cost me the entire event.
I was bummed out. However, not taking the loss as a setback, I took it as a setup for my next event. Looking forward and staying focused on my goals allowed me to put the past behind me.
Too often, I hear anglers criticizing themselves about past events. It is important to be as relaxed as possible for any tournament, and dwelling on the past will only make your current event that much tougher. Learning from that previous setback sent me to the next event with another opportunity, which resulted in a second-place finish and a check. I truly believe if you dwell on the past, it will be hard to find your future, so keep looking forward.
At each tournament it is important to remain focused and goal oriented. Know that most things you do in bass fishing are always moving forward. You don’t cast backwards, you don’t drive your boat backwards, your electronics are not oriented backwards, the scales don’t move backwards. All these and much more all move forward to accomplish a goal. You, too, should be moving forward.
J. Mason once said, “Regrets look back. Worry looks around. Visions looks up!” If being the best angler you can be is your goal, you have to have a vision and stay focused on that goal. Don’t let yesterday use up too much of your today, because today is all we have.
Bass tournament fishing is a sport that can be very humbling. Some days it can make you wonder if it’s even worth it. Having a positive attitude is the number one key to being successful. Your attitude and confidence are directly tied to your results. If you stay optimistic, you may find yourself becoming a better angler.
If you allow your results to dictate your future, it will also dictate your attitude. In competition bass fishing, you are going to lose more that you win. Winning is always fun; however, you best get used to being humbled if you want to fish tournaments seriously.
Don’t let yesterday’s failures steal your tomorrow, and always keep looking forward, staying focused on your goals. Learn from your mistakes, and do not dwell on regret. In bass fishing, even the top pros lose more than they win.