A Year of New Firsts

Pete Ponds owns three nets. Find out why...

Editor’s Note: The writer's opinions and observations expressed here are his own, and do not necessarily reflect or represent the views, policies or positions of FLW.

There are a lot of firsts in my life now: my first full year on the Walmart FLW Tour, the first time not to fish any full B.A.S.S. circuit in many years, the first time to fish with co-anglers in a long while, the first time to compete at Beaver Lake, and so on.

One of these new experiences that I get asked about a lot concerns co-anglers. To my surprise, I have very much enjoyed having them in the boat and sharing stories with them. Of course, I have to admit that when they get ahead of me on the keeper count it kind of gets my attention, but I do like it when they’re catching fish on baits other than what I’m using. It gives me some ideas about what the fish might hit besides what I’m throwing.

I also like it when I have help from a co-angler with the net. Regardless of who’s fish it is, it’s always cool to see a big one go in the net (come to think of it, that’s another first; I’d gotten used to the no net rule in Bassmaster Elite Series events). Before this year, I’d come to believe that I didn’t want a net in the boat, but, shoot, on the first fish I had in an FLW event, I was screaming “NET! NET! GET THE NET!” I have to laugh at myself for that. Everything about tournament fishing can change in a moment, can hit the “refresh” button, and that’s another thing I love about it.

Anyway, y’all might want to buy some stock in Frabill, as I’ve had to buy a net at every tournament so far because I can’t remember to bring the new one with me. No kidding. I ordered one before the season-opener at Toho, and it didn’t even make it to the house before I left. So when I got to Florida I had to buy another one. Then, when I left for Smith Lake, I forgot both of them. Now I own three new nets, and I’m still not confident there won’t be more to come.

I’ll get used to such things, but one thing I’m already feeling at home about is fishing with FLW. It’s awesome to meet new guys. I’ve been treated with respect and like one of the regulars. In other words, I was welcomed with open arms when the season began. There are a few little differences, such as not being familiar with who I’m sharing water with and their ways of doing things, but I’ll learn them.

I’m impressed with the level of anglers on the FLW side. For sure, as they proved to me at Smith Lake, these guys can whack them with the fairy wand, which is what us Southern boys call a spinning rod. I’m going to have to step it up to compete with them on Beaver. As I noted earlier, it’ll be the first time that I’ve fished the lake, and I’m looking forward to that. I’ve had some good tournaments on Table Rock and Bull Shoals, and I imagine Beaver will fish very much like its Ozark neighbors. Beyond that, we’ll see. Time slipped away from me, and I didn’t get to pre-fish Beaver. Sometimes that’s the best way to enter a new lake – with a clean slate, I mean. I always seem to do better when I let the fish tell me what to do as I go along. We’ll see. Maybe there’s another first waiting at Beaver.