Here's a fella who describes bass fishing as "a weird sport." He goes on to explain, "You're fishing against 100 or more of the nation's top bass anglers in most tournaments you enter. You must realize that you'll lose more times than you'll win.
In his way of thinking, it doesn't matter if he finishes second or dead last. Either way, it's a loss...over which he "gets very mad"...his words, not mine.
"I think the only way I can get over my mad is by depending on past experience, knowing I have another chance to win at the next tournament," he said. "I like to fish tournaments back-to-back...leave one and go straight to another one, with no breaks in between. I prefer to keep on fishing every day, because that's what I get paid to do and how I earn my living. The more tournaments I get to fish in a year, the better my odds are for winning one."
This Alabama pro doesn't think the joy of winning is nearly as great as the pain of losing, but wanting to win is what drives him and keeps him going, especially after a loss.
"Professional bass fishermen are not only competing against the other fishermen," he noted. "We're also competing against the bass. Even if you finish in the top five and have beat the majority of anglers in a tournament, you still may not have beat the bass and caught enough of them to win.
"I'm convinced that being a tournament bass fisherman is what I was put on this earth to do. So, I realize I must get over a loss quickly and get my mind right for the next day of bass fishing."
He likes to compare being a tournament bass pro to being a professional bronc rider.
"When you get thrown off a horse before that 8-second buzzer sounds, you must get up quickly, dust yourself off, and get ready to throw your saddle on the next bronc," he explained. "And that's how professional bassers do...keep on keeping on, no matter what."
My 2 cents' worth: I can't speak for anyone other than myself, but if this pro angler is representative of how the vast majority of pro bass fishermen and women feel about their chosen sport, I think I might be looking for a different job. Granted, there were plenty of times during my 48 years of full-time employment when I had some bad days, but by and large, I truly enjoyed what I was doing for a living...and, for the most part, had some fun along the way, too, even if I didn't "win" every day.
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