Age, I’ve always been told, is just a number. But the older I get to whatever number is next, my feelings change on certain topics. Now headed into my mid 60’s, one thing that has suddenly changed in me is my level of patience. All of the sudden the man who had little to no patience, has the patience of Job (whatever that means). Father time, as some call it, has a way of adjusting your attitude. You begin to look at life a little differently and appreciate whatever amount of time you have left.
As an athlete growing up, you think you’ll always be able to leap tall buildings with a single bound. You’ll always be as fast as anyone on the field. But then the day comes when someone tells you that you’re no longer good enough to play the game. All that time and energy you spent developing skills that made you the player you were is now a distant memory.
Bass tournament fishing is the one sport that allows you to compete at a high level even into your late 70’s as Jimmy Houston, Tommy Martin, and Rick Clunn have all proven. It’s a sport where, in many cases, age can make you better as you continue to gain more knowledge. Or does it?
Like most sports, age is usually the determining factor that sends us home to relax in our Lazy-Boy or dust off our old trophies. For a bass tournament angler, I’ve learned over the years that tournament fishing really is a young man’s sport. It’s so draining with all the travel, practice and speaking engagements. During my 30’s and 40’s, there was a time when I would pre-fish from daylight till dark.
Rain, shine, sleet or snow, my boat was in the water looking for bass as I prepared for my next event. Then around the age of 55, my competitive fire and perspective began to change. No longer was it as important as it was when I was 35 to go out and try to win a tournament. My priorities changed as other areas of my life became more important and I was happy just to get a check. If I finished in the money, I was perfectly happy.
Simply put, I still wanted to win, but my desire has waned over the years when it came to braving the elements and fishing on those days when it was hotter than Hades or colder than the Artic Circle. I just wasn’t as mad at them (bass) as I used to be!
At the same time, other things in my life began to interfere with my desire to be on the water. My priorities changed and it became more about the friendships and camaraderie with the guys I traveled with. It’s sitting on the water before takeoff watching a beautiful sun rise and visiting with other anglers, some who were friends and others who were competitors. I love fishing when the conditions are good, and temperatures are mild. Yes, that’s right…. I am now one of those fair-weather anglers that I used to make fun of.
Back in the day, I didn’t care how hot or cold it was because I wanted to beat every angler that backed a boat in the water. My competitive fire was very high during my early years. After a tough tournament, I was an emotional wreck on some of those long drives home asking and critiquing myself on what went wrong and how could I learn from it. This is how anglers get better! You have to be able to be honest with yourself and recognize your mistakes whether they're physical or mental.
One great thing about the sport of tournament bass fishing is you never stop learning from your first day on the water till the day you load the boat on the trailer for the last time. It’s a constantly evolving sport no matter how good you are. But if you ever stop learning and gaining knowledge, that’s when you’re no longer relevant in the bass tournament world.
Till next time, good luck, good fishing and when in doubt, set the hook!!!
Steve Graf Angler’s Perspective
