My Last Semester of College: A Spring Preview

Photo (c) The Union-Recorder

Well, the final semester of my college career has finally arrived.  Before I know it, I'll be in the real world chasing down my lifelong dreams in professional fishing and outdoor sports writing.  While it is equally as exciting as it is nerve wracking, I can't help but realize how blessed I am just to have a dream.

How many people can honestly say that they are chasing their dreams?  Not as many as you would think.  I have an outstanding family which fully supports my quest for a career in the outdoor industry, and excellent friends to match.  I find great comfort knowing that, even if I fail miserably, I will always have fans and supporters.  I cannot thank you all enough for that.  It means the world to me.  All of the supportive emails, Facebook messages, phone calls, and text messages are more than I have ever expected or deserved.  Although I'm sometimes bad about responding promptly, each and every one of them puts a smile on my face. 

As I continue down this long and winding road, I've realized how easy it is to get caught up in all of the work!  While at home over the Christmas break, my wonderful mom shared a bit of her perpetual wisdom with me that really put things into perspective -- What's the point in getting to the finish line if you don't enjoy the journey?  As usual, she's right.  I am going to enjoy every second of this journey.

With that being said, I'm so excited to get back on the water and on the road this spring!  My teammates are some of my very best friends (and, not to mention, some of the best collegiate fishermen in the country), and I always look forward to the fellowship we share over all of our long road trips.  I'll be all over the southeast fishing my last collegiate season, and I hope to ride the momentum of our November Auburn Fall Classic win.  I'll keep everyone updated on my tournament schedule as it is made known to me.

To wrap up the season, I'll be heading back to Lake Lewisville in Dallas, Texas to participate in the 2011 BoatUS National Championship.  Should be a wild ride!

In between tournaments, I will be making appearances in various Walmarts in Georgia working as an FLW Ambassador.  I will be assisting customers with fishing tackle selections and sharing my knowledge of bass fishing with the younger generation.  Heck, I'll probably learn just as much as they will!  As most of you know, I love meeting people and talking fishing, so this should be right up my alley! 

I'll also be working hard to submit fishing articles to both local and national publications.  I recently got a gig writing for About.com's Freshwater Fishing section and I am very thankful and excited for it!  The editor, Ronnie Garrison, took a chance on me and has been very helpful in my development as a writer.  I am learning from the best -- thanks Ronnie!  Check out the site at About.com - Freshwater Fishing.  I should also have an article in Georgia Outdoor Adventures next month.

In addition, I'm also looking forward to continuing my work with FLW Outdoors and possibly Georgia Outdoor News (GON) this spring.

Lastly, I hope this spring will also bring some sponsorship deals my way.  I'm always working hard to reach out to good companies which I believe in.  With everyone being effected by today's economic climate, it's been tough!  I've come close to a few deals, but they have fallen through so far.  I know that with enough hard work, the Lord will put me in touch with the right companies and products!

I really want to thank everyone for everything.  This has been a crazy (and busy!) ride so far, and words can't accurately articulate my excitement for what's to come.  I've still got a long way to go, but I am looking forward to the journey.  The Lord has blessed me with the greatest family, friends, teammates, and mentors a fisherman could ask for.

My friend and professional fisherman, Shaye Baker, has been hugely helpful in my journey so far, and I couldn't be more thankful for that.  Thanks brother!

In the meantime, I will continue to put my nose to the grindstone and be the hardest working guy out there.  I won't stop 'til I get there, because I believe in my dream with every ounce of my being.  Y'all are the best!  Good Fishing!

Ecclesiastes 4: 9-10 --"Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their work; If one falls down, his friend can help him up.  But pity the man who falls and has no one to help him up!"

The Importance of Humility in Fishing

Recently, while shopping around at a local outdoors store, I met quite an interesting man. As always, I was wearing a fishing t-shirt, and once he noticed, he was all over me like white on rice.  I didn't mind at all, because quite simply, I love meeting new people and I'll gladly talk fishing to a brick wall for hours on end.  After all, Isn't fishing the only thing to talk about?

After the standard "fisherman's greeting" (a quick name introduction and firm handshake followed by a long, usually drawn out description of your boat and any fancy new equipment), I quickly realized that this man wasn't interested in a conversation.  He didn't care about anything coming from my mouth.  This man wanted to let me know that he was the best fisherman on Planet Earth.  Oh joy, lucky me.

I bit my tongue, and decided to be polite and appease and mollify him with frequent head nods, animated eyebrow raises, and enthusiastic smiles.  As he went on, I found myself frantically thinking of a way out.  I wasn't wearing a watch, so I couldn't use the trusty "well, I gotta run" excuse.  I left my cell phone in the truck, so I couldn't fake a phone call.  Worst of all, I was by myself, so I didn't have a comrade to bail me out of the trenches.  I was stuck behind enemy lines.

As it turns out, this man fishes a tournament trail that I plan on entering this Spring.  He proceeded to tell me that it is the best tournament trail in the nation, and that I better have my 'you-know-what' together, or else I would be wasting my money.  On top of that, when he learned of my dream of being a professional fishing guide, he condescendingly shook his head saying, "Naw man, ain't no money in that.  You're wasting your time."

Okay, so let me get this straight:  A complete stranger approaches me, and in a single conversation openly doubts my fishing talent, shoots down one of my lifelong dreams, and talks to me like a child.  Nicely done sir, nicely done. 

After finally weaseling my way out of the store and saving my eardrums from further punishment, I was left with an indescribably sour taste in my mouth.  I wasn't really mad at the man, because it would be a waste of my energy.  I just let it go and kept on truckin'.  However, the sour taste was largely due to my painful realization:  Fishing is rapidly evolving into an extremely pretentious and arrogant sport. 

While I wholly recognize the colossal importance of confidence in competitive fishing, one must also realize the very distinctive disparity between self-belief and egotism. 

Who knows, maybe the man from the tackle shop really is the best fisherman in the world.  Chances are, he's not, but let's just give him the benefit of the doubt.  Either way, absolutely nothing is gained from arrogance, regardless of the situation it is applied to.  Instead of wallowing in one's own self-belief, why not use your talents and abilities to bestow your knowledge upon others in order to make them better?

Fishing is a brotherhood,  and it is far too often that anglers lose sight of this indispensable notion. 

Competitive fishing revolves around exactly what the name suggests: competition.  However, it is of the utmost importance that we remember our biggest commonality - we are all a special breed of people with a shared respect and reverence for our sport and the creatures that we seek.  We should be willing to humbly contribute to the growth and development of the sport that has had such an enormous positive impact on our lives.

The only person who can fully, one hundred percent relate with a fisherman, is a fisherman.  It is my absolute hope that we all keep this in mind throughout our travels and interactions with fellow fishermen, fans, and most importantly, the younger generation.  When it is all said and done, it really isn't about being better than someone.  You can't take success to your grave.  It is about helping one another and enjoying time and fellowship with people who share the same passion.  Sure, winning is great.  I love winning.  However, I find that the humble, hardworking anglers are a lot more successful than the boastful, outspoken ones. 

I encourage everyone, for the good of our sport, to put your pride aside and put on a smile.  Be pleasant.  Be polite.  And be forever thankful that the Lord allows you to be a fisherman. 

*I'll leave you with a quick, very succinct bible verse from Romans.  Even if you do not have particular spiritual beliefs, it is a great excerpt nonetheless:

Romans 11:18 - "Do not be arrogant towards the branches.  If you are, remember it is not you who support the root, but the root that supports you."

2010 Auburn Fall Classic: The Power of Versatility and Prayer

On November 20, my partner, Grant Kelly and I were blessed with winning the 2010 Auburn Fall Classic on Lake Logan-Martin, marking the first major win in Georgia College’s history.  It was not an easy win by any means, as the conditions changed drastically as each day progressed.  This tournament win was a true testament to the two most important things in my fishing arsenal: versatility and prayer.

Grant and I almost didn’t fish this event.  It was deer season, and we were both considering trading in our fishing rods and boats for rifles and deer stands for the weekend.  However, after much consideration, we decided to make the long trip west to Pell City, Alabama.  I fished the same tournament on the same lake the previous year, and my partner and fisherman extraordinaire, Matt Henry and I managed a top ten finish, so I figured that I would have somewhat of a speculative idea as to what was going on. 

With Grant and me both being cash-strapped (after all, fishing + college = broke), we packed our gear and hit the road at 3am on Thursday morning.  We thought it would be a good idea to avoid paying an extra night in a hotel room, so we sucked it up and headed for the lake.  After the long drive on I-20, we arrived at the ramp just as the autumn sky was beginning to glow orange.

During that first, very tiresome day of practice, we found an area with the water temperature being roughly four to five degrees cooler than the rest of the lake.  As a result, the largemouth were moved up shallow, and the bigger fish were feeding.  We had a few fish on that morning which exceeded 5 and 6lbs, so we left the area alone and looked for other areas holding spotted bass for a backup plan.  We also tried some of the areas that helped my last year’s partner and me earn a top 10, and they were all dead.  It seemed as if the feeding fish were not as shad-oriented as they were the previous year.

That night, after the pre-tournament meeting, we rigged up all of our rods and went to bed.  The only problem was, I couldn’t sleep.  I found myself exceedingly anxious, as I knew what a gamble we were about to take.  I have found that shallow areas, like the ones we were planning on fishing, are notorious for being hit-or-miss.  It is very possible that the fish could be totally gone.  Instead of furthering my worrisome state of mind, I decided to give it all to God.  We had done everything in our power to optimize our chances for success.  The rest of the uncontrolled variables were up to Him.  I prayed not that we would win, but that He would lead us through the day and allow us to make the right decisions given the conditions.  And that He did. 

The morning of the first day, we went to the same area, and immediately started wearing them out.  Grant caught a nice 4.8lb largemouth almost immediately, which took a lot of pressure off of us.  We had a feeling that the majority of the field would be targeting spots, so we made it an absolute point to do the opposite and target largemouths for the first day.  After we had an early 10lbs in the boat, we had a decision to make; either stay and milk the area, or save it for day 2.  We decided to stay in the area and catch the fish while we knew we could, and hopefully pull ahead of the pack.  We stayed there the entire day, and the Good Lord blessed us with 14.55 pounds.  Not just any 14.55 pounds, though.  14.55 pounds of barely hooked fish.
 

The second day was a much tougher day, and really forced us to adapt and become versatile.  We went back to the same spot yet again, hoping, but not very optimistic, that the fish had replenished.  In about 30 minutes, we had a pathetic 4lb limit.  We immediately just sat down, put our rods down, and started talking and discussing our game plan, because we knew there were a bunch of consistent, great anglers right behind us in the standings.  We knew we had to put, at the very least, 11 or 12lbs in the boat in order to have a chance at retaining the lead, because we had a feeling that it was slow for everyone else as well, due to the cloud cover and a slight warming trend.  We started brainstorming, and, boom, it came to us.  We realized that the water temperature where we were was slowly rising day by day.  As a result, the bigger fish were not there.  They had moved into deeper, cooler water.

By 12:30, we had maybe 5lbs.  We were forced to make the huge, gut wrenching decision to leave our area and move to the main water of the Coosa River and catch some big spotted bass flipping.  We both have grown up doing that, so we were very confident.  We keyed in on certain areas after I boated a 3.5lber, and we were able to replicate the pattern perfectly.  It had been cloudy for most of the day, and we kept seeing most of the anglers glued to docks.  We knew that the bigger fish would not be holding that tight to cover due to the clouds.  We stayed away from docks, and we upgraded to a little over 12lbs from 1:15 to 1:45, with a 2:00 weigh-in.  We attribute it all to the Lord, because we kept praying out loud that He would help us make the right decisions.  He did, and we were blessed to be able to hold on.  We weren't too sure whether or not our almost 27lbs would hold up, especially with the talent that was right behind us.  It did, and we were able to pull it out.



Each year, the bite at any given lake can differ drastically, so it was of the utmost importance that we did not fish "last year".  We simply tried to fish the moment, adapt, and overcome. Versatility and prayer go a long, long way in this sport.  Grant and I went from catching fish in less than three feet of water the first day, to catching fish from almost 30 feet the next day.  If you do everything you can possibly do in order to succeed, you need not worry about the rest.  If you are meant to win, the Big Man Upstairs will take care of the rest.  Trust me.

Walker? A blog? No way...

Welcome! 

As I am beginning to ready myself for my heavily anticipated leap from collegiate fishing into the vast, taxing world of professional fishing, I have decided to start a blog. Crazy, huh?  Who would have thought that Walker Smith would create a blog?  Those who know me are well aware of my undying love and respect of the outdoors, especially fishing.  So why not write about it?  I love to talk about anything fishing-related, and I enjoy writing, so it only makes sense that I follow my passion.  I look forward to providing intriguing, real-world insight to the widely misunderstood world of fishing.

The purpose of this blog will not be to glorify myself, but to rather give everyone an insight into the world of competitive fishing and to share any useful tips and recommendations I may acquire along the way.  This may include entries regarding interesting or funny happenings throughout my tournaments, commentary on various topics within the sport, or useful information that will help you catch more fish.  Whatever the topic may be, I will do my very best to accurately articulate my experiences and knowledge in a useful, and (hopefully) entertaining way! 

I welcome questions and comments as well!  If you would like to see an entry or one of my outside articles written on a particular subject, feel free to let me know.

I will try my hardest to update my page as much as possible, but keep in mind – I’m a full-time college student and a fisherman, so sometimes time is limited!  I encourage everyone to check back often, and I look forward to getting the ball rolling and talking some fishing soon. 

I truly appreciate everyone reading, it really means a lot to me!  God bless.