There is one more tournament to go, and I want to talk about that elephant in the room. The FLW Tour event at St. Clair will be the deciding event of the 2018 FLW Tour Angler of the Year race. I have a mix of emotions going on in my mind right now. I’ve never been in this situation; I’ve never had this opportunity before me.
I don’t take anything for granted, and I know I have to go and make a good showing. The good news is I have been to St. Clair before and have had some decent finishes here. Things change, but I do have a plan of attack. The one thing I know I will have to do is stay confident. I can’t let my mind drift. I have to stay focused.
Focus for me is usually not a problem, but this time there’s a lot more riding on the outcome than usual. I’ll have to keep my emotions in control.
This tournament should be fun with the smallmouth population in St. Clair. There will be lots of ways to catch ’em. My goal is to have a good tournament, to be in contention and to let the Lord be in control
The truth is, the Lord is in control, and with that sometimes there are wins, and sometimes not. But I always trust in Him.
My prayer this week is that the little things that can derail a tournament, like a fish coming unbuttoned, don’t happen, and that my mind doesn’t drift, and I can stay focused. That’s the difference between a win and a strong finish. This is the FLW Tour, and no one will hand anything to you. There’s no mercy on anyone, or from anyone.
Look at my last tournament at Kentucky Lake and you’ll see what I mean. The tournament was a ledge-fishing event, which fits my style of fishing, and it’s what I’m known for. After the first day of the tournament, when I caught only 12 1/2 pounds, I thought I had blown my chances of winning AOY. That’s no way to start a ledge tournament on Kentucky Lake. But thankfully I was able to turn it around and focus and end up with a fourth-place finish, which kept me in the lead for AOY. There are so many things along the way that make it possible to be in this spot. I am blessed just to be in this position.
Well, the time is upon me. I need to go out, execute and let the chips fall where they may. Prayerfully, I finish in a spot where I’m able to raise the trophy for AOY this week. When it comes down to it, I know God is in control, and I will praise him no matter the outcome. Let’s hope it happens!