COLUMN : BALOG ON BASS FISHING
what are we doing wrong ?
Household names figured out the game . It ’ s up to the rest of us to do the same .
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
For more than 20 years , Joe Balog has made his living in the fishing industry on and off the water . A successful tournament angler from the Great Lakes region , Balog now lives in Florida , where he continues to work in product design , marketing and outdoor media when he ' s not chasing trophy largemouth .
R eality can be a tough pill to swallow . The truth is this : Most aspiring pro bass anglers will never attain superstar status . Just making a living is tough enough . Yet some seasoned vets and solid up-and-comers have figured out the game . Where do the rest of us go wrong ?
To get the answers , I talked to five MLF standouts : two household names and three rising stars who have proved their worth in the bass fishing game . I asked these heavyweights to pick one reason why so many hopeful pros don ’ t make the grade . In their answers , I found a consistent pattern .
Mark Rose : 23-year pro , $ 3,000,382 in career earnings
“ What stands out – and I see it most in the younger guys – is they get caught up on what they see on the internet ,” Mark Rose says .
In other words , he reasons that unproven tournament anglers often decide on valuable fishing patterns before ever going fishing .
“ They come to a tournament and they say , ‘ Okay , this is going to be a spinnerbait bite , or a brush pile affair ,’ for example ,” Rose continues . “ And all they know is what they saw on YouTube . What you learn in practice is the most vital information you can get . Fisheries change ; my experience has taught me that .”
Rose insists that competitors must look at each body of water with an open mind on every trip . Such a gameplan allows for the discovery of current patterns .
“ You find something happening right then and there , and that ’ s how you unlock winning scenarios ,” he adds .
Dakota Ebare : 4-year pro , 21 MLF Top 10s .
Dakota Ebare is a pro who defines the mental approach to tournament fishing with ease .
“ It ’ s all about having a winning , aggressive attitude ,” he says . “ Guys that struggle make poor decisions under pressure and with a lot on the line .”
24 MAJORLEAGUEFISHING . COM | DECEMBER-JANUARY 2023