Spring 2018
Now that’s what you come to Florida for! Carl Jocumsen putting in pre game day work fishing Florida and finding his 2nd ever 10-pound bass. Credit Carl Jocumsen
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to that one pro, I fished two more FLW events that year – a summertime derby on Minnetonka and then the season- ending championship in Mississippi -- and that schedule proved to be pretty much par for the course.
I fished several more through 2008, and gradually “closing time” shifted to later in the day…much later. These days, with the possible exception of Steve Kennedy and a few others, pre-daylight to post-darkness is standard.
It’s not just the hours that they put in during the official practice that contributes to this overall rise in professionalism. While not every competitor has the time or inclination to visit the lakes before they go off limits, many do, driving to distant locales like South Dakota the moment the schedule is announced or right before they go off-limits. Some pre-practice without a rod and reel.
Keith Combs, for instance, spends many consecutive days, even on familiar lakes, with his butt in the seat of his Ranger and his face plastered into his Humminbird units, trying to find spots that will help him and paths through the timber and stump fields. That way, when he does arrive for the official practice, it’s all about dialing in the current or upcoming bite, not learning his way around or finding areas that fit developing patterns.
There are no longer any days off in the sport. Look at the social media feeds of young pros like Brandon Palaniuk or Carl Jocumsen and you’ll see that they are on the water every day that they can be there, honing some technique, pre-practicing for an upcoming event or just chasing the next bite.
It’s not just the young, single guys, either – established pros with families maximize their time on the water, often by working on their craft while also indulging their kids’ thirst to experience more angling.
While there are a few top pros who also run a business or have a more-or-less full-time job, the ones who can do that and remain consistently competitive over the long haul are in a decided minority.
Those with full-time outside gigs, and even some who “only” fish and promote, typically rely on the help of a supportive and uber-organized backup system, usually their spouse. Kevin VanDam has made no bones about the fact that his wife Sherry is a critical element of both his short- term and long-term success.
Finally, the days of specialization or refusing to partake in a particular tactic are all but over. You can’t say “I’m just going to fish a jig and fish for five big bites every day” and
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