ANOTHER REASON TO SMILE
If you see Ron Nelson on the water , it ’ s a safe bet you ’ ll see him doing two things : catching fish and smiling .
A GOOD KIND OF DIFFERENT
Technically , the sport of tournament bass fishing pits anglers against one another . That ’ s not how Nelson sees it , though .
“ I ’ m not fishing against the other fishermen ,” says the sophomore pro from Berrien Springs , Michigan . “ I ’ m just fishing against the lake and the fish . That ’ s what gives me a purpose , excitement and fulfillment – going to new fisheries and figuring them out . I just try to do my best and the end is what it is .”
If that seems like different thinking than is the norm , you ’ re right . Then again , if you haven ’ t already gathered from watching the way he does things , most of how Nelson goes about things is different .
Most anglers are driven by the quest for victory or paychecks or exposure . Nelson is driven by a “ quest for knowledge .” Instead of the brash , lookat-me persona with loud boat wraps and even louder personalities that sometimes steal the headlines , Nelson humbly goes out in his unwrapped boat ( though he admits he wouldn ’ t mind having it wrapped ) to do what he ’ s proving he does better than most – figure out the fish . He sets his goals for the year , foremost , to “ have a shot ” at Angler of the Year and at winning
his first Pro Circuit event . His goal isn ’ t to win – “ It ’ s super hard to win ,” he says – but to just put himself in position to have a shot .
It ’ s a different mindset , yet it ’ s a mindset that may hold the key to the success he found this year and the success he ’ s chasing for his career . After all , there aren ’ t many eventual ROYs or AOYs who start their career not catching a single fish the very first day of their pro career , as Nelson did in 2019 at the season opener on Sam Rayburn .
“ I ’ m pretty thick-skinned ,” Nelson admits . “ You have to be able to handle adversity . You always have to keep looking for the best solution and move forward .”
This year showcased that time and again , from a two-month , momentumkilling layoff because of the COVID-19 pandemic to a blown motor at the Mississippi River ( that still resulted in a 12th-place finish ) to the pressure of making long runs on a treacherous Lake Erie to seal the deal on his AOY season .
Even the adversity of losing fish – especially big fish – is something Nelson has had to learn to adjust to .
“ I ’ m still learning how to handle those big fish ,” he says . “ It ’ s one of my biggest downfalls of being from up north is I don ’ t catch giants like they have in the South that often .”
Those missed fish are especially notable , as lost fish are public enemy No . 1 ( and often the No . 1 excuse ) for derailing anglers ’ tournaments , seasons and even careers . And Nelson lost a number of big ones that easily could ’ ve sent his season off track . Instead , he shrugged them off and just kept being himself .
“ I ’ m still growing as an angler ,” Nelson admits . “ I ’ m going to make mistakes . All I can do is the best I can and keep growing and learning .”
JUST GETTING STARTED
A year ago , a day after Nelson hoisted the Polaris Rookie of the Year trophy , bass fishing legend David Dudley hoisted his record-setting fourth AOY trophy . Afterward , Dudley said what made him so proud was that he did it at age 43 .
Nelson was 44 when he raised the ROY trophy above his head .
Things like that truly put in perspective how Nelson ’ s professional career is a startling contrast to the youth movement we ’ ve seen from the sport of professional bass fishing in recent years .
Jordan Lee won the 2020 MLF Bass Pro Tour AOY title at age 29 and
PHOTOS BY CHARLES WALDORF
36 FLWFISHING . COM | MAJORLEAGUEFISHING . COM | OCTOBER-NOVEMBER 2020