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It all
started around 1996 when I asked my husband, Robert, if I could
possibly pre fish with him for his team tournaments. Robert was
fishing with a partner for these tournaments, but for whatever
reason, could not ever hook up to pre fish together. So, with a
slow answer of “sure”, I jumped right on this band wagon and
went with him every chance that I got, learning everything from
A to Z about pre fishing and preparing for tournaments that
could be learned. But being able to pre fish wasn’t enough for
me after a period of time, so one day when driving to a lake, I
threw another question out there. “What about us fishing as a
team together”? With my explanation being, we always pre fish
together and seem to work pretty well as a team, so if we were
to do good in a tournament, and won money, then the money would
stay in the family. After a few seconds, which actually seemed
like hours waiting for Robert’s response, again, he said, “sure,
why not?” And this is how I began tournament fishing and
spending as much time on the water as I could and having a true
fishing partner for life.
When fishing
team tournaments, I firmly believe that you have to be 100%
compatible and dedicated to your partner. There is a saying in
the team sports industry, and that’s “There Is No I in Team”.
So if you’re an I, and not a team, it can be tough making it
through a season together and being able to compete and
concentrate as you should. As the years went by, and Robert and
I fished many team circuits together, and became known as a true
team. We were basically inseparable, always together, whether
it was traveling, “play” fishing, pre fishing or fishing
tournaments together. When one of us did go to the lake without
the other, we were always questioned, “Where had we left our
partner?”
Two year’s
ago, when the Women’s Bassmaster Tour (WBT) announced their
Inaugural Tour, I decided that I would go as a co-angler and see
what this circuit was all about. Fishing as a co-angler did not
change my team tournament routine much, so in between Robert and
I were able to still fish. Then, the 180° happened, the WBT
announced the 2007 schedule and I thought that maybe it was time
that I stepped up and fish on the professional side. So, while
Robert and I were driving to a tournament, again I questioned
him, but this time with, “What do you think about me fishing the
WBT as a pro and do you think I can make it”. He said with the
same slow answer as he did in the past, “sure”, “go for it”.
After a couple of days contemplating should I, shouldn’t I, and
with Robert’s unbelievable support, I then decided it definitely
was what I should and wanted to do. But another thought came
into my mind. In order to fish this circuit like I needed to,
it would mean that my team tournaments would either slow down or
most likely end because of time constraints and a schedule
conflict with these circuits. This meant that Robert and I
would no longer be inseparable and now instead of “us” it would
be “me”, or so I originally thought. This was a bit of a shock
to say. I was so use to always being together, but knew that
with his full time job, our trolling motor repair business, and
him fishing several of the large circuits as well, it would mean
that it would be difficult to expect him to help me to pre fish
and travel with me while on the circuit. I think what bothered
me the most was the fact that I would now be traveling to all
tournaments, some of them 2200 miles away, without him. Wow,
this would be a big change and an adjustment. After thinking
about it, I soon realized that I had become very comfortable and
accustomed to having a partner with me at all times.
I now
have four WBT tourneys under my belt. And in reality, not much
has changed. I still have my partner, and although he has not
been on the majority of the lakes that I am fishing, he now
helps me to prepare in a different way and is always there for
me by just a dial tone. Instead of him being on the lake pre
fishing with me, we are now in our kitchen looking at numerous
maps trying to dissect the lake, figuring out the best spots for
me to check out prior to my off limits and official pre fish,
along with going through tackle, getting my boat ready, and
restringing line. It really helps to have that support when
fishing and it definitely takes a lot of the burden off. As I
said before, Robert is also fishing circuits, so in turn, I help
him to dissect maps, sort tackle, prepare his boat, and restring
line for him too.
The
main change from 1996 to 2007, is now, when I leave for my
tournaments for about 10 days, although he is not sitting beside
me in the truck, I can look over at the porch and see him
standing there giving me an OK sign when I pull out. And I
know that things are going to be OK. What’s go for one is good
for the other, so when Robert is headed out for one of his
tournaments, I too stand on the porch and give him that familiar
OK sign when he is pulling out. And you know our team
partnership has not ended, it actually has just begun and that’s
because there is no “I in Team”.
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YAKIMA BAIT COMPANY
