What does it take to place at the top? With the 2023 professional bass fishing season in the books, we can look to the sport’s top finishers for a clue.
Three stellar performances intrigued me: Kyle Welcher, the Alabamian who captured the Elite Series AOY, Marshall Robinson, the top rookie in the MLF Invitationals, and JT Thompkins, Bassmaster Opens EQ Angler of the Year.
Immediately noticeable are the ages of these competitors. Welcher is the old man of the group, coming in at 30. Robinson is 20 and Thompkins 21. Thompkins had to hold off Illinois phenom Trey McKinney for the EQ title. At 18 years old, McKinney became the youngest angler ever to qualify for the Elite Series.
With the recent dominance of young anglers in competitive fishing, these performances hardly raised an eyebrow. But consider the history of our sport.
Not long ago, veterans were regarded as having the ultimate advantage in tournament fishing. How could you argue with experience? The household names of bass fishing had visited many tournament sites dozens of times throughout their careers. Through extensive time on the water, they became as knowledgable as most locals. Places like Toho, Wheeler and Table Rock have been hosting national bass tournaments since the ‘70s.
Ask any fan, and they’d tell you: the veteran pros had all the advantages. The standings proved it.
Even in recent times, we’d see a bit of disruption to this model, but far from a complete overhaul. Kevin VanDam came along, often making the veterans look foolish, but then became a veteran himself. Jordan Lee and Jacob Wheeler changed things a bit, but both entered the pro game with extensive experience in their early 20s gained through college-level or BFL fishing.
Experience, it was thought, was absolutely necessary to excel in professional fishing. But somehow that’s changing.
The Bassmaster Opens EQ demonstrates this best. Guys like Bobby Lane, Ish Monroe and Clark Reehm chased, but couldn’t catch, the kids.
How does a 21-year-old win a points title against 150 hard-charging veteran anglers? Thompkins noted that “this has all been in the plan for years” when interviewed on his accomplishment. As a junior high student, his plan was to fish professionally.
Thompkins’ method involves large-scale research prior to hitting the water. “Hundreds of articles” are studied from his home base. Trips to the venue are required prior to competition, where Thompkins claims he likes to “scan the entire lake.”
It’s apparent, knowledge is key to Thompkins’ plan. With it, he feels as equipped as anybody to catch the most bass. Today’s technological advancements, allowing instant info and massive recon in a short time, have made him successful, some might say.
Welcher is a bit more versed in the game, competing on the Elite Series for four years. Still, at the ripe old age of 30, Welcher could hardly be called experienced. His closest pursuers also came in around 30 years of age, including Brandon Cobb, Patrick Walters and Drew Cook. The Elite Series is currently dominated by anglers this age.
Welcher claims his routine hasn’t changed. This season simply featured better decisions on the water.
But it’s important to credit Welcher’s other career for his early maturity. A semi-professional poker player, Welcher routinely makes quick adjustments and snap decisions that result in big swings of cash. He doesn’t get rattled; it’s all part of the game.
Word is Welcher approaches bass fishing the same way. Develop a strategy, read the playing field, make a plan and go. Looking back isn’t going to help the cause.
Welcher is predominantly a shallow junk-fisherman. His focus for 2023 was “being 100-percent prepared” and catching as many fish as possible. No lulls in the action. Numbers come first, fish size fitting in along the way. Keep catching, and don’t look back. I’ve heard of this strategy before, but always on the Bass Pro Tour. Interesting.
Robinson was the Invitationals Rookie of the Year. Like Thompkins, Robinson’s plan to fish as a pro came early, his father, Marty, being a successful professional angler. This early planning was the drive behind Robinson’s season.
“All I knew was I trusted myself and had worked my whole life and I wasn’t going to let myself get outworked,” he would say of the title take-down. Robinson’s drive is immediately apparent every time he speaks.
Each of our examples seem to have their own system. But I see a parallel.
Planning and follow-through. These guys went into the season with a predetermined mindset and competitive blueprint.
For one, it was extensive information-gathering. Another brought a gambler’s mindset. The third refused to be outworked.
Each method worked. And, while these plans may seem rather elementary, they key was delivery. Just like everything in business, winners recognize a need or a problem, devise a plan for success, and see it through. They’re not worried about the other guys, despite being younger or less experienced than the competition.
Pretty smart – for a bunch of kids.
(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.)
