Kudos to Terry Foster, But……..
Yesterday in the Detroit News, sports columnist Terry Foster wrote an excellent article about Michigan’s great waters. Titled “Making Waves: Pro Fisherman Impressed with state waterways”, he went on to describe the impressive catches on Lake St. Clair. He quotes several of the pro’s who said nothing but nice things about the area’s smallmouth population.
BUT, very little was actually made of the event itself. Fishing, whether it be walleye or bass tournaments, really gets short changed as a sport. Mr. Foster’s article was fantastic, but only in describing the fishery, not the sport.
I have been trying to think of other sports which get higher acclaim, but could compare to the skill level needed to compete in a tournament series. I came up with golf, and this is not a knock against those who track up and down the greens. Golf takes skill, and tons of practice. So does fishing.
I carry just as many rods as a golfer carries clubs. Each designed for a specific use and situation. Each spooled with a different type or weight of line that enhances that technique. I spend countless hours on the water to learn the lay of the land (lake bottom), and a golfer learns a knew course the week prior to an event. So both spend tons of time in preparation. Fisherman are constantly in motion, fighting fish, weather and conditions. Each applies to how an angler attacks an event. A golfer, endures the heat, the wind and rain, as well. Takes into account each situation, and applies the best way to get that ball into the cup.
Its embarrassing the way I hit a wood, which is turned 30 degrees to the left, just so the ball goes straight down the fairway. But, I bet it would be just as embarrassing as the golfer who uses a baitcaster for the first time, and gets that bird’s nest of line built up in the reel. That’s second nature for me, as easy as a flick of the wrist.
Point being through all of this, its time for fishing to get its due. Tell me techniques, real situations and how they were approached. Give me the troubled times, and how they were handled and overcome. Ask pertinent questions from those in the top tier of anglers, not some fluff piece where the big names of yesteryear comment on the local waters. Yawn.
That said, the amount of coverage was increased over last year. The year before last, the series wasn’t even mentioned. So I am thankful for that. Its getting better in local tournament coverage, but its got a long way to go.