When I first made the move from California to Florida and settled into my travel trailer, it seemed like I was constantly battling overwhelming feelings of doubt, frustration and loneliness.

After all, I had moved from a place where I had grown up and went to school to a location where I knew very few people – and the few I did know weren’t my age, nor did they have the same interest in fishing. On top of having such a minimal social network, I was learning new styles of fishing that were all but completely alien to me.

In many ways, when I did terribly in an event, the fact that I was alone probably made me better at dealing with the wave of emotions that would follow.

Many things have remained unchanged in my life over the last 7 years, but one major change that I am very thankful for is the tremendous support network I have in my friends, family and sponsors, as well as those of you out there who follow my career. This support has meant more to me this year, faced with the daunting task of transitioning into a full-time professional angler, than it has ever meant before.

Quarterly Report

It's no secret that I'm not happy with my performance to date this season. So far, out of the two EverStart events and one PAA event I have competed in, I've received one check, and I found my name suspended in the middle of the pack in the others. The same type of lackluster finish also haunted me at Beaver Lake this month when my partner Casey O’Donnell and I competed in my final college fishing event and finished 10th out of the 25 teams.

The smaller events I've fished have gone better, other than the embarrassing BFL on Guntersville where I ended up throwing my fish back – a disappointing move that I greatly regretted after the fact.

Being the super-competitive person I am, this small string of disappointing finishes has been a source of frustration, not to mention financial stress.

Big Picture

As many of you know from previous writeups, I began dating one of my best friends from high school, Katie. In the years that I lived in Florida and made fishing my main focus, I dabbled in the dating scene from time to time, but it always seemed like those relationships resulted in less focus and attention on my fishing, which in turn affected my tournament performance.



My relationship with Katie has been remarkably different because she seems to understand my aspirations and how important this sport is to me, and I also understand and respect her aspirations as well. I don’t feel pressured to sacrifice opportunities in fishing due to our relationship, though I would if Katie really needed me to.

This month I was very fortunate to have Katie there, along with my always-supportive mother, for the FLW College Fishing National Championship on Beaver Lake in Arkansas. It became immediately obvious that having both Katie and my mom there to cheer me on (or cheer me up) made the event very enjoyable for me, even though my performance wasn’t up to par with my expectations.

Normally I would get very frustrated with the fact that I made a bad decision or lost a key fish, and my attitude would suffer because I would be left to my own thoughts and emotions at the end of the tournament day. Having Katie and my mom there had a calming affect and allowed me to enjoy myself more because I knew that no matter how bad I performed on a particular day, I would still have people who cared about me waiting at the ramp.

I never realized how important that kind of “big picture” thinking could be in helping me fish with a clearer mind and remembering the true reason I fish – to have fun!

I’ve heard it many times, that fishing is an “individual sport,” and in some ways I agree, but I don’t think as an individual I could reach the level I want to be at as a competitor without the support of others.

Forecast

Moving into the halfway point of the season, I'm very optimistic and excited about the rest of the year. I still have the EverStart on Lake Wheeler and the PAA event on Ft. Loudon/Tellico Lakes, as well as co-hosting the next two Oakley Big Bass Tour television shows on Fort Gibson and Table Rock. After those are in the rear-view, I then have 2 months scheduled back up at the Baranof Wilderness Lodge in Alaska. When I return I have a whole bunch of late-season events to look forward to.

Other than tournament fishing, my relationships with my sponsors are doing very well and I'm proud to be working with each one.

All in all, I knew that this transition year would be difficult and that I would be battling certain demons along the way, but thanks to the people and companies that stand behind me on this journey, I now feel equipped to enjoy the roller-coaster ride that is tournament fishing.

In closing, I want to take a moment to send a special thanks out to my mom – not only because it's close to Mother's Day, but because she has always been my biggest supporter and cheerleader, and I wouldn’t be where I am today without her.

Thanks mom, and happy Mother's Day!

(Miles "Sonar" Burghoff, a 2012 graduate of the University of Central Florida and the winner of the 2011 BoatUS Collegiate Bass Fishing Championship, chronicles his quest toward becoming a tour-level angler in his Sonar Sound-Off column. To visit his website, click here. You can also visit him on Facebook and Twitter.)