COLUMN : NEWELL ’ S NOTES offseason shop ( and shopping ) time
For bass pros , the winter months are for stocking up and paring down
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
As a freelance writer and photographer , Rob Newell has been reporting on fishing tournaments for 20 years , finding the stories between fish and angler to be a stretched line of heroes , heartache , triumph , torture , inspiration and exasperation .
S hop time has become a critical component to success on the MLF pro tours . During the offseason , pros invest countless hours in the shop , organizing tackle , rigging boats , purchasing equipment and tinkering with everything from lures to electronics . But what ’ s really brewing behind those shop doors ? Here ’ s a sneak peek at how some of the best in the business prep for a new season .
wheeler stays up to date
The intensive shop time Jacob Wheeler puts in during the offseason helps contribute to his phenomenal success . For Wheeler , “ shop time ” doesn ’ t just mean time in the shop – it ’ s also the time he spends online shopping for new tackle .
“ Competing at this level demands a constant discovery process ,” Wheeler explains . “ I keep an eye on the tackle horizon by browsing tackle sites each week for hours . Each year , I spend thousands of dollars ordering new stuff just to test its potential to be a better mousetrap . Realistically , only about five percent of all that I order actually passes grade and makes it into my gameday boxes .”
Wheeler stays tackle vigilant in hopes of discovering the next ChatterBait , Whopper Plopper or flutter spoon before the rest of his competitors do .
“ If you can be the first one to find a groundbreaking lure , action or color , it provides a huge head start on understanding the when and where to use it ,” he adds .
20 MAJORLEAGUEFISHING . COM | FEBRUARY-MARCH 2022