break down a lake using mapping , SideScan and down imaging are his greatest strengths — skills he honed by graphing nearly all 300,000-plus acres of Champlain .
“ I grew up essentially learning that the dude who put the most work in behind the console was typically the guy who did the best ,” Morrison said . “ It ’ s taken thousands and thousands of hours to graph all of Lake Champlain . But I learned so much valuable information about fish and why they get on places that they do .”
Cipoletti called Morrison “ brilliant ,” saying he has a natural feel for electronics , fish behavior and tournament strategy that few others possess . Just as important , though , he points to the work ethic he observed during Morrison ’ s stint in Florida as what separates him from other young pros .
“ He stayed out until 3 in the morning again , just scanning ,” Cipoletti said . “ It ’ s just his obsession with being the best . It ’ s like Michael Jordan-type stuff for me to witness , like somebody just shooting hoops until 3 in the morning , practicing more than anybody else .”
“ I ’ ve watched him for 14 years , and the kid lives and breathes bass fishing ,” Carnright echoed . “ He ’ s put in that work that everybody always talks about : Sleeping at the boat ramp , in the truck , thousands of hours on his boat motor . Learned how to catch them shallow largemouth fishing ; back home , deep-water stuff ; everything in between .”
Not done yet
Morrison has heard other anglers who have won points titles describe their seasons as if they were destined — no matter what , it felt like they could do no wrong . He can ’ t relate .
While the results might not show it , Morrison felt like he had several “ slip-ups ” during the Invitationals season . For instance , his 22nd-place finish at Stop 4 on Alabama ’ s Lake Eufaula ( his worst showing of the year ) left him frustrated for weeks , as he not only felt like he was late to find the winning pattern but hooked and lost several key fish once he did so . Plus , the blistering pace set by the other anglers at the top of the points standings magnified each misstep . Despite making the cut at each of the first four events , Morrison started the northern swing 13 points back of Jake Lawrence . Even after a third-place finish on Champlain , he remained six points behind entering the season finale .
Then , on the first day of Stop 6 on the Detroit River , Morrison made an error that he felt certain would end his AOY quest . He placed a smallmouth in his livewell but forgot to cull , making another cast before realizing he had six fish in the boat . He incurred a 2-pound penalty as a result .
“ I was like , man , I don ’ t know how many more mistakes I can make here ,” Morrison said . “ It ’ s probably not going to work out ( for AOY ).”
The mistake did prove costly , although not in the way Morrison expected . He went on to sack up nearly 25 pounds on Day 1 , which would have been the biggest bag of the event had it not been for his penalty . He backed it up with 23-6 on Day 2 and 20-8 on Day 3 . That put him 10 ounces shy of Keith Carson for the win — meaning he would have earned the trophy had it not been for the penalty — but his runner-up finish proved more than enough to boost him to the top of the AOY standings .
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PHOTO BY ROB MATSUURA
Still , as excited as Morrison was to claim the points crown , he admitted missing out on his first national win stung .
“ I ’ m pretty bummed I couldn ’ t hold up that Invitationals trophy at the end of the year for the tournament win ,” he said . “ That was something I was pushing for all year , and it really makes me want it even more .”
That sums up Morrison ’ s outlook on his budding professional career . Most might look at his 2024 results and see a nearly flawless season ; he sees room for improvement . In fact , he ’ s encouraged that he was able to log such strong results despite those growing pains , which he ’ ll work this offseason to correct .
As he prepares to make his Bass Pro Tour debut , Morrison is confident he can take his game to another level . Even in the midst of turning his childhood dream into reality , there ’ s no time for complacency . The closer he ’ s gotten to realizing his goal , the more driven he feels to work for it .
“ I feel as if some guys do really well for a year and then they kind of take their foot off the gas a little bit ,” Morrison said . “ They take a breath , and you might not see them do well for a while again . I don ’ t really think that ’ s me , because every time I seem to do pretty good , it just tends to fuel me a little more and push me a little harder .
“ I ’ m really looking forward to having some more success at a higher level , and I ’ m excited for what ’ s coming .”
A bright future ahead , 25-year-old Alec Morrison makes his debut on the Bass Pro Tour in 2025 .
MAJORLEAGUEFISHING . COM | OCTOBER-NOVEMBER 2024