All athletes have a need for individual instruction, known as coaching. Coaches inspire their players to do more than they think they can. They recognize that every player is unique in attitude, personality, skill sets, and how they handle successes and failures.
Coaches are advisors, mentors, tutors, counselors. For any athlete to reach his or her highest ability, a great coach must be part of the picture.
Throughout my career as a professional angler, fishing at the highest levels with Bassmaster and MLF, I have noticed that bass fishing is the one sport where coaches don’t exist.
Anglers need coaches to help them develop new skill levels that will improve their game. But not everyone is qualified to be a coach. A coach must have in-depth knowledge and well-rounded experience in the world of bass fishing to be needed and effective.
The sport of bass fishing has grown tremendously over the past ten years and the skill set of anglers is increasing daily. The line between success and failure in bass fishing is razor thin, and, because the cost associated with playing our sport is so high, the window for young, aspiring anglers is smaller than ever.
Entry fees for our professional events are $4-6k per tournament. Bass boats can cost more than $70k and the vehicles we use to tow them are close in comparison. Add travel expenses and equipment needed and an angler can quickly have $200k invested in his or her “business” of which he or she is the sole proprietor.
My point is this: If you show up for these events and are not a polished angler, you will be left behind.
The internet is flooded with information from tackle to techniques to tournament strategies; however, what is missing is intentional time on the water with a coach where skills are sharpened in real time. A baseball player can only watch so many “how-to” videos; at some point the player must step into the batting cage and start taking swings.
Why do I feel that I am qualified to be your coach? Since 2011, I have been color analyst for Major League Fishing (MLF). I have spent hundreds of hours on the water watching the best bass anglers in the world compete.
The speed and efficiency that these anglers use to break down a body of water and catch fish is mind-boggling. I have witnessed common trends among these anglers that separate them from weekend anglers. Although rare, I have also seen these anglers make mistakes that cost them a lot of money.
During my career as a professional angler, I would have given anything to have someone from which to gain these invaluable insights. There are many great bass anglers among us; however, my unique position with MLF has given me invaluable insights because I have more hours documented watching the best anglers fish than anyone.
Because of this, there is no one that can give you the perspective of our sport that I have to offer you.
-Marty Stone