FIRST CAST : JUSTIN ONSLOW
the memory of an angler
The memory of a bass angler is an incredible thing . We may not always remember what we had for lunch yesterday or where we left our truck keys or – heaven forbid – our wedding anniversary , but there ’ s one thing you can almost universally count on when it comes to a conversation with an angler ( be it a seasoned tournament vet or a weekend warrior ): The memory of fish catches and all the details surrounding them are as clear and vivid as if they just happened .
Ask anyone who ’ s ever wielded a rod with some regularity where and when they caught their biggest bass or the circumstances of their most memorable catch . Heck , ask a tournament angler how they filled out their limit on any day of any random tournament . What you ’ re likely to get is a recitation of all the details , mundane and otherwise . I got on a good dock pattern that day – isolated docks near deep water – and pitched a green pumpkin Pit Boss up near the third post from the back of a pretty long one with cables in the back where I broke off a good one the day before . I let it fall for a split second on slack line and – BAM – set the hook and had me wrapped around a piling . Got her out , though . I think I had about 14 1 / 2 pounds with that 4-pounder .
“ Think .” Most any bass angler knows it was 14 1 / 2 , even if that 4-pounder was actually about 3 1 / 4 . Just because we have great memory for detail doesn ’ t mean we always tell the whole truth .
In the bass fishing world , everything is remembered and recorded and chronicled . We remember because it ’ s important to us to remember – to learn , to adapt , to always have record of something that brought us joy . Bass fishing certainly does just that for a great many of us .
And just as bass aficionados chronicle their catches , we here at MLF Bass Fishing magazine do the same with our anglers . Those anglers teach us , help us adapt and grow as bassers and , yes , they bring us joy . As such , we remember them , we record their feats and we celebrate their successes , always .
In this “ champions issue ,” you ’ ll find articles dedicated to the tournament pros who gave us something to remember this year , from Bass Pro Tour champion Jacob Wheeler to Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit Angler of the Year Michael Neal , TITLE champ Jimmy Washam and Polaris Rookie of the Year Clabion Johns . It ’ s a lot of celebratory content , and it ’ s all incredibly important . It ’ s important to learn what it takes to be a champion , and that every angler finds success in different ways , and it ’ s important to celebrate those who keep the sport of bass fishing moving in the right direction .
Our champions give us something else to remember , and this issue gives us another way to remember them . And if you need another reason to keep this issue out on your coffee table for a while , maybe use it as a place to keep your truck keys ( and a sticky note inside the cover with your anniversary – just in case ).
justin onslow , managing editor
6 MAJORLEAGUEFISHING . COM | OCTOBER-NOVEMBER 2021