Thank Goodness

In competitive bass fishing, the whole game can change in an instant. And while hard work, preparation and skill overwhelmingly drive success, sometimes things just go your way.

“One fish coming up turns around your whole day,” reflected Matt Becker. He and partner Spencer Shuffield recently took down their first Team Series title on Pennsylvania’s Presque Isle Bay. The team dominated the final round of competition, winning the event by 35 pounds. But it all started with one tiny signal. One fateful second in time.

While visiting a new area after a lackluster start, the team caught a glimpse of a fish chasing a shad. Hoping it was a bass, Shuffield delivered a pinpoint cast and immediately hooked up.

The rest, as they say, is bass fishing. Within an hour, the team milked over 30 pounds from the spot, setting themselves up for a decisive victory.

But what if they had missed it? One bass breaks the surface some 50 feet away for just a split second. It’s so easy to imagine things going a different way. Instead, Becker and Shuffield spilt a $40,000 payday and a handsome résumé builder.

Was it fate? Good fortune? Luck?

That, of course, is a question we’ll never be able to answer.

Immediately, a competitor’s belief in their own proven system deserves credit. Keeping an eye open, fighting discouragement and looking objectively into every scenario results in positive results in any pursuit. Ask a salesman. Each “no”, they say, is one step closer to a “yes.” With competitors at this level of the game, a positive sign is sure to present itself eventually. But one bass, chasing one shad? Seems like a stretch.

It must be God. Now, I phrase it that way because the cases for each side of this argument are equally passionate. Many of our best competitive anglers are adamant about crediting God when a fortunate scenario seems to come their way. Even more pros credit some form of divinity – albeit maybe under a different name – for producing the circumstances that just seem exceptional. There’s nothing wrong with any of these ideas, but can they be considered reliable, or repeatable? Before you say otherwise, I’ve met a few devout pros who seem to attract good fortune at uncanny rates. Has me wondering.

Perhaps it’s something to do with the Human Condition. This is a concept that asserts we all have highs and lows, and by using the best of our abilities, we can work toward positive outcomes. Who knows, it could be part of evolution.

Still further, what about the concept of positive thinking? We can go down some very deep rabbit holes here. Everything from creating your own luck to attracting opportunities. There are concepts about directions and intentions, the flow of energy, karma and visualizations. And before we disregard these as hocus-pocus when compared to the other factors, I can give you examples of world champion athletes who credit each for their success. Or entire cultures.

Now we’re getting deep.

Research and incorporation of any of these concepts could someday lead you to bass stardom, just like Shuffield and Becker. The tough choice may be which path to follow.

My advice?

Keep your head up and look for shad.

(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.)

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