®
Fall 2018
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AIR IT OUT IN REAL-TIME
The best thing that
the pro circuits can do
is to avoid sweeping
these confrontations
under the rug. With
GoPros, cameras and
marshals documenting
everything, we can let
these issues play out in
Credit: FLW
real time (with perhaps a slight delay to bleep the occasional four-
Jason Lambert with his Kentucky Lake trophy.
letter word).
Sure, it’s possible
to edit a squabble for television in
a manner that unfairly portrays one angler as the hero and they learn from it. In fact, learning to deal
another as the heel; but more often than not, true colors are with angler pressure – both on the fish and on you – is a
evident to all but the most biased observers.
big part of what separates the good pros from the great
While we should discourage needless arguments and
ones.
encourage the Golden Rule, I’m not going to go so far as to
No angler competes in a vacuum – just as football
say that these run-ins are bad for the sport.
players make goal line stands and LeBron never gets a free
path in the paint, if you want to be a success casting for
SEPARATING THE GREATS
cash, angler management is just as important as pitching, flipping and driving in big waves. The playing field is going
Almost every young angler has a story of being
to continue to shrink and those who don’t adjust will be left
punked by someone more experienced – if they’re smart, behind. •