No hits, no runs, no errors. A perfect game.

Though I never thought we’d see an example of such in our beloved sport of bass fishing, we finally did. Ray Hanselman signed up for the 2015 Rayovac Texas Division, fished the full schedule of three regular-season events, and won them all.

We’ve seen some miraculous records placed in the books before. Back-to-back Classic wins by both Clunn and VanDam come to mind, as does Fritts’ three FLW wins in one year. Roland’s AOY titles looked untouchable until VanDam went four-in-a-row there, as well. But Hanselman’s feat may trump them all, speaking purely of the sheer mathematical odds against it.

I would never debate that it’s much more difficult to win a pro tour AOY or a Classic than a triple-A Rayovac event, or even multiples. But the chance of winning – first place – every event in a season presents astronomical improbability, likely unable to be calculated by anyone but the nerdiest of statisticians.

So what’s Hanselman’s secret?

When we see such a performance, it’s in my nature to want to get the inside scoop. So I called him.

I had never spoken to Ray Hanselman before, but when he picked up the phone, I immediately got what I was expecting. It was the “aw shucks” or “I can’t explain it” attitude, as if the winning fisherman was just in the right place at the right time. I can go along with that, to some extent. Once.

While Hanselman admitted feeling blessed with his recent good fortune, there had to be more. No one is that lucky.

After a little prying, Hanselman admitted that his knowledge and experience in tournament fishing was a major factor in his three wins. He’s been a regular on the Texas bass trails for quite a while, and he’s guided for over 20 years. Hanselman had vast experience on each of the three fisheries that the Rayovac Texas Division visited in 2015. But there was more to it than just experience.

Hanselman noted that, despite all of his history tournament fishing, it wasn’t until recently that his performance began to peak.

Confidence, instinct, time on the water, keeping calm. These were all terms Hanselman used to describe his methods within the fist few minutes of our chat. He mentioned that many anglers try to “overthink it” when it comes to pursuing bass, and referenced the need to keep a simple approach. He also referenced that, due to his vast fishing experience, he feels that he knows the best approach to overcome variable conditions, or “what to do when thrown a curve ball.”

I went through each win with him piece by piece. Amistad was fishing tough, but he had seen that before. Nearly 30 years prior, Hanselman had fished Amistad during another dreary period in the fishery’s life, and had found the magic pattern. In his words, “a hometown jinx isn’t a jinx when the fishing is tough." Then, he claims, it’s a major advantage. The result: $33 grand.

Tournament No. 2 was held at Sam Rayburn, another venue where Hanselman had experience. In fact, he fished areas in this year’s event that were productive for him in a tournament in the early 2000s, where he earned a Top-10 finish. This time, however, he buckled down in high water that spun out his competitors, resulting in another $35K.

Following the Rayburn tournament, and prior to the final event of the year, Hanselman was interviewed multiple times on the subject of three-in-a-row. Each time, he concluded that he really was simply striving for the points title.

That’s pretty much a lock when you earn all 750 points possible.

The final event of the year was held at Lake Texoma, a venue where Hanselman again had some experience, but usually found sporadic results. This time, he uncovered an overlooked frog-fishing pattern, stating that he “got on that deal ahead of everybody.”

Hanselman noted that the frog presented a lure that came through cover the best, and such added fishability likely allowed him just a few more minutes of productivity each day. But that was enough. With it, he added the final trophy and pushed his winnings for the season to nearly $100,000.

I labored on, quizzing Hanselman more about his approach. It was apparent that small details made a big difference. He admitted to building a barn on his property specifically to house his boat and allow him to spend endless time tinkering with tackle. He also explained his desire to surround himself with the best equipment, in order to remove any chance of failure from a controllable variable. Bass fishing has too many uncontrollable aspects, he reasoned, that needed to be worried about.

I considered Hanselman’s insight, but never felt like he revealed any secrets. Then, near the end of my interview, he slipped out a bit of the goods I’d been waiting for.

“Lately, I’ve paid more attention to the mental game”, he mentioned. Confidence was the key. He gave the example of Tiger woods, once king of the world, then just as quickly a marginal performer, apparently spun out mentally. In contrast, Hanselman noted, was Keith Combs and his ownership of the Toyota Texas Bass Classic.

I found Hanselman’s final words of advice quite compelling. “I don’t drink any caffeine on tournament day,” he said. He feels that by cutting out any caffeine or sugar-stimulated jitters, he’s better able to focus.

Considering I’ve often pondered a second career as a speed-talking Starbucks barista, I simply can’t fathom such an approach. But it’s quite compelling, as are the men who set the bar for all of their peers, and those competitors yet to come. We may never see this one reached again.

(Joe Balog is the often outspoken owner of Millennium Promotions, Inc., an agency operating in the fishing and hunting industries. A former Bassmaster Open and EverStart Championship winner, he's best known for his big-water innovations and hardcore fishing style. He's a popular seminar speaker, product designer and author, and is considered one of the most influential smallmouth fishermen of modern times.)