ANOTHER REASON TO SMILE
By
Sean Ostruszka
ILLUSTRATION BY MICHAEL HOEWELER
Ron Nelson reflects on Angler of the Year title
T hat big smile . It ’ s basically his calling card .
Really , Ron Nelson ’ s smile isn ’ t even all that big as far as smiles go . It doesn ’ t extend from ear to ear or anything . Framed by a saltand-pepper goatee , it just has a radiant quality of a genuinely happy man that makes it seem even bigger . And in 2020 , those who followed the Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit season got to see it a lot .
After securing the Polaris Rookie of the Year title in 2019 , the man known as “ Smiley ” by some became just the sixth pro in FLW history to add the Angler of the Year trophy to his hardware collection to match . And he did it in a way that was altogether his own . Nelson was truly dominant in 2020 , but it was a quiet dominance . He had four top-15 finishes and two top fives , yet they almost seemed routine , as if everyone just expected it . Other anglers talked about just how good he is , putting Nelson among the best in the sport right now , but the spotlight never seemed to shine overly bright .
Like his smile , Nelson had a season – and , thus far , a career – that ’ s hard to describe but impossible to miss .
OCTOBER-NOVEMBER 2020 | MAJORLEAGUEFISHING . COM | FLWFISHING . COM 35