“ Put simply, winning the Cup is a life-changing moment.”
PRO PERSPECTIVE
TOM
REDINGTON
“ Put simply, winning the Cup is a life-changing moment.”
In sports, the best player or team doesn’ t always win, and fans love to cheer for an underdog. For instance, watching a group of no-name players from a small school dethrone the Goliaths of college basketball in the NCAA tournament completely captivates the nation.
While Cinderella makes for a great story, winning the Forrest Wood Cup is a major career milestone, and as such, none of the pros wants to see it won by a fluke victory. Not only does the $ 300,000 prize mean financial security for years, but winning a Cup places an angler in the annals of history, instantly becoming one of the stars of the sport. With notoriety comes greatly enhanced sponsor support, which is the lifeblood of a sustained fishing career.
On the flip side, professional fishing is a costly sport, and careers of dozens of extremely talented anglers have been cut short due to financial problems. For an up-and-comer such as Jacob Wheeler in 2012, a Cup win establishes a career. And for a top pro such as Scott Martin in 2011, it moves him from the category of established pro to one of the all-time greats. Put simply, winning the Cup is a life-changing moment.
This year, the top 10 finishers all had compelling storylines, and any would have been a very deserving winner who would have embodied a true champion.
John Cox, the eventual winner, was always scraping by to get enough funds to fish the Tour, leading him to famously fish from his aluminum boats. Now he’ s universally known as a shallow-water ace, and financial worries are a thing of the past. The line to sponsor John Cox forms to the left. Please take a number.
Runner-up Michael Neal is wellregarded as a ledge fisherman, but the fifth-year pro catches them on all lakes. A Cup win for Neal would have taken him from rising star to the“ top pro” echelon.
Todd Auten, who finished third, is as consistent as they come. Fellow competitors very well respect him, but he’ s one of those blue-collar guys who isn’ t a household name. A Cup win would have instantly changed that, bringing long overdue recognition for a top angler.
Bryan Thrift( fourth) and Mark Rose( sixth) are two of the biggest names on Tour, with $ 4,000,000 in earnings and 14 wins between them. Thrift is an Angler of the Year with four top fives and eight top 10s at the Cup, while Rose has made the top 10 four times now. A Cup win is very likely in each of their futures, and will be a resume builder for each to stake a position as one of the best anglers to ever fish the Tour.
For Jeremy Lawyer( fifth) and Joseph Webster( 10th), winning the Cup would have given either one a solid foothold for a career as a bass pro. Neither would have been a fluke win, either. Lawyer ran the gauntlet of numerous local and regional events to place second in the FLW Bass Fishing League All- American in 2015, then qualified again and won the All-American in 2016. Similarly, Webster overcame long odds to win a berth as the 2016 The Bass Federation champion.
Wheeler burst on the scene by winning the All American in 2011 and the Cup in 2012. He finished seventh this time. A win would have cemented his place in history as the only twotime Cup winner. Like Wheeler, rising stars Chris Johnston( eighth) and Brandon Cobb( ninth) could have launched to stardom with a Cup win, too. Johnston finished second in the FLW Tour AOY race as a rookie this year, while Cobb now has two top-10 finishes at the Cup through only three seasons on Tour.
One kicker bite on a hot and muggy Alabama Sunday changed the life of John Cox forever. For the nine other talented anglers and their fans, there is only a lifetime of contemplating what could have been.
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FLWFISHING. COM I OCTOBER-NOVEMBER 2016