“Preparation” looks a little different for everyone. For guys early in their careers maybe fishing their first REDCREST, getting ready for the biggest tournament of the season is going to be different than how some of the seasoned vets prepare. For me, getting ready for Guntersville is more about being refreshed and feeling mentally prepared for the challenge.
With a nice break between Stage 3 and Bass Pro Shops REDCREST Presented by MillerTech, I’ve been able to do a little reset and take my mind off of bass fishing. The family took a trip to Florida, and my son and I did a college visit. I’ve prepped some tackle and kept an eye on weather patterns and water levels at Guntersville, but there’s not much physical preparation to be done – I’m not going to become a better flipper or caster between now and April 3. I’m more focused on enjoying this time off and having the right mindset for the tournament.
The season can be a grind at times. We’re going from event to event, on the road a lot, and every thought is about making REDCREST. Now that it’s here and all your hard work from last season has paid off, this is a great time to just be excited. And I’m really excited about the venue, especially.
Guntersville is the Godfather of all bass fishing lakes. It’s probably the region of the United States with the most hardcore bass fishermen, and we get to fish there for the biggest prize all year. I love Guntersville. It’s a great lake with a ton of big fish in it, and we should be getting there at the perfect time. If you’re going to win the big one, you want it to be on a historic body of water like Guntersville.
As far as preparing for the lake itself, it’s hard to do much before actually getting to Alabama. There aren’t many lakes here in Oklahoma that set up like Guntersville, and it’s hard to have an idea of where the fish are coming and going without getting out there and looking for them. When practice starts (and the more active prep work begins), I’ll be trying to figure out where the most potential is and what direction that potential is going. Is it a fading trend or a “getting stronger” type of deal? A lot of that is going to come down to boat pressure. You can’t go many places on Guntersville without seeing a lot of boat pressure, especially this time of year.
The mental preparation doesn’t stop there, though. Part of it is figuring out what’s going to give me the best chance to win. For me, there’s no second place at REDCREST, and I’m going to be doing everything I can to put myself in position to win. The other part is just managing the pressure I put on myself to do good. Having won the first REDCREST event in 2019, my desire is that much stronger to win another one. But I’ve also been doing this long enough that my excitement is more about getting to be here than it is about being nervous. Fishing a championship event is just a lot of fun.
The thing about REDCREST, though, is that there’s more to it than just fishing. We have a lot of media responsibilities and social functions before and during REDCREST, so I also need to be prepared for being out of my normal routine. When I’m at an event, it’s usually all business. So, I’ll need to focus on working around a different routine to stay ready and be prepared for the actual fishing part of REDCREST.
Regardless, I’m just excited for the chance to compete, and I encourage everyone to come to the Expo and watch it all live. It’s going to be a great event. Guntersville’s a special place, and I’m ready to get after it. Hopefully my preparation will pay off.