He also adds that he is looking forward to competing in the Costa FLW Series Championship .
“ Representing Mexico is a huge responsibility , and we know that we are going to compete against some of the best anglers of the world ,” says Rosillo . “ We know that this is no small chore . Preparing ourselves is extremely important to performing in a manner that reflects well on all our fishing countrymen , who are excellent fishermen in their own right .”
the Pressure ’ s on
Rosillo has been looking over all the information he can find about Table Rock and trying to form a mental picture about what to expect from the lake . In many respects , it is similar to some lakes in Mexico .
Likewise , Silvestre agrees that staying focused is the first order of business . This soft-spoken teenager , who is in his senior year of high school , is preparing himself academically to become a lawyer , but his golden dream is to fish as a pro on the FLW Tour some day .
“ I ’ m learning all I can by fishing with great fishermen like Chema [ Rosillo ],” says Silvestre , whose fishing classroom is Lake Guerrero , a lake many anglers from the United States are familiar with .
Ortiz and Granados also appreciate the opportunity presented to them . The two fishermen from the Celaya Bass Fishing Club are keen to perform as true champions at the Costa FLW Series Championship and put Mexico on a higher competitive level in the eyes of other contestants .
“ We have a huge responsibility to our country . Representing Mexico in any type of competition is always an honor and must be taken seriously ,” says Ortiz , or “ JJ ,” as he is more commonly known .
In the same way , Granados complements his partner ’ s thoughts .
“ We don ’ t want to disappoint our families and friends ,” he says . “ So we will prepare ourselves accordingly . If any of our two boaters make it to the 2017 Forrest Wood Cup as representatives of the International Division , it ’ s the same as all of us winning .”
meeting the challenge
One thing that the two teams have in common is their ability to adapt to demanding fisheries . The Zimapan tournament serves as an example . The water was falling when the competition began , and the fish were stationed around newly created humps , sunken islands and elongated points in 8 to 10 feet of water .
While soft plastics and crankbaits were the norm , the top teams experimented with various finesse rigs and 4-inch Yamamoto Senkos rigged wacky style or Texas-rigged , and even caught fish on 3 / 16- and 1 / 4-ounce spinnerbaits . Ortiz and Granados won with a limit that totaled 28 pounds , 12 ounces , while Rosillo and Silvestre had 27-8 .
True , Zimapan isn ’ t Table Rock , but some of the same conditions that the Mexican champions confronted are likely to be repeated to some degree at Table Rock .
Can Ortiz and Granados , Rosillo and Silvestre follow up on their winning ways in the Costa FLW Series Championship ? Only time will tell . All they pledge is that they will do their best , with no expectations other than to meet fellow anglers who share their love of tournament competition and to make new friends .
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