To compete on the BASS Tournament trail and do well takes work, hard work
and lots of it. The old and grizzled veterans have the youngsters nipping
at their heels. ?The young lions hitting the trail now have the skills
and the wherewithal to make it big. They are making us old guys take
a harder look at how we prepare? quipped BASS veteran pro Denny Brauer.
They start earlier, stay later, are in excellent physical shape and know
how to utilize the tools of the trade to their advantage. They are very
versatile and have the financial backing that was lacking when I started,
noted Brauer. I think they may succeed at an earlier age than we did
because so much information is available, but I?m not sure they feed
off the wins like the veterans do. I expect to win and its not a surprise
to me when I do, I feel I should be surprised when I lose, not when I
win. The young guys have to learn that. Even though age may not seem
like and advantage or a disadvantage in bass fishing it is readily apparent
that several young anglers are making their mark in a sport where the
wily veterans had dominated for many years.
Names like Kevin Van Dam,
Chad Brauer, Mike Iocanelli, Curt Lytle, Randy Howell, Gerald Swindle,
Skeet Reese, Aaron Martens, Marty Stone, and Dustin Wilks to name
a few, appear on the tournament results sheets near the top of every
tournament.
They are confident and they know this business. Their skills are
as good or better than many of the long time pro's. Techniques are
learned at
a much faster pace and the ability to get information and specialty
products has sped up the learning curve. The information age has made
well kept
secrets a thing of the past, there are very few of them anymore said
Brauer.
Bass fishing is still a sport where age doesn't have
to mean as much. Veterans like Brauer, Guido Hibdon, Tommy Biffle and
this
years Bassmaster Classic winner Woo Daves are evidence of that. I
feel my experience
and time on the water still pays dividends in my decision making
noted Brauer. Gamesmanship is still alive and well in this sport
and the young
guys may not be as good at it as the veterans. We don't get as
psyched either good or bad anymore. Technique and decision making separates
the good ones from the bad ones, quipped the 1998 Classic Champ.
It
seems
like many of the young guys win one or two and then they fall down.
The only guy, and probably the most consistent angler on the trail
today,
who hasn?t done that is Kevin Van Dam. He is an aggressive, versatile
angler. His power approach makes him a factor in every event he
fishes quipped Brauer.
I still compete just at hard as I did when I
was
25 says Gravois Mills, Missouri BASS Veteran Guido Hibdon. This
old body doesn't
allow me to do some of the things I used to, in particular see
as well as I would like, but my competitive juices are still flowing
and
I feel
I can still compete at the highest levels Hibdon said.
It took
me 15 Times to get this right noted 2000's Classic Champ and another
over
50
angler Woo Daves. I told my mother I would win this one day.
I guess it was my time. Although close on a couple of other occasions
Daves
never had been in the winners circle of the test of the best?
before. The longer
I do this the better I feel about my chances of doing well.
I am
not nervous about competing anymore. A long shot by most odds-makers
before
the event, his stock is definitely on the rise after the win.
Tommy Biffle, the venerable Oklahoma Pro says I always
feel like if the
fish are on
a jig bite I'm fishing against very few people, maybe 5 or
6, but when the bite is varied that?s when anyone can win. young
or old.
I have been
fortunate to make a great living in fishing and still feel
my best
fishing is ahead of me. I am able to make better decisions,
quicker, and feel
that will put you in the
winners circle. Age is only one of the variables.
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