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Kevin Short talks about the State of the Sport, Bassmaster Elite
Series
Kevin Short with two good fish he caught at Table Rock Lake
Kevin Short (Mayflower) is one of the most recognizable names in Arkansas
bass fishing. He worked his way up through the amateur ranks, winning
local tournaments in circuits such as Mr. Bass of Arkansas, BFL (Arkie
Division), Bassmaster weekend series,and Vince Miller's Arkansas Couples
just to name a few. Kevin has been competing at the professional level for
several years now, and has 1 Bassmaster title to his credit (Tenn
-Tombigbee Waterway, MS - 2003). Last year, he fished the inaugural season
of the Bassmaster Elite Series, and finished the year "on fire", making 3
straight top 12 cuts. In 2007, Kevin will once again compete against the best
in the business. Get5Bass interviewed Kevin about the state of the sport,
and the 2007 Elite Series. Kevin also writes a column on bassmaster.com, so
he has great insight and much inside scoop. Here's the interview:
Get5: Your known for your knowledge and opinions relating to the bass
fishing scene. What's your take on the state of the sport of bass fishing in
2007?
Kevin: Overall, the sport looks good. There has never been a better time to
be involved in bass fishing. The guys and gals that are getting involved in
the competitive side of the sport today are really reaping the benefits that
were sown by the "heroes" that many of us look up to today. A big part of
those rewards are grounded in the fact that ESPN has spent so much time,
money , and effort in promoting the BASS programs over the past 6 years.
Are we where we want to be? Depends on who you ask. The guy that fishes
5 or 6 club tournaments a year is probably pretty happy with the sport; he
can get his hands on some wonderful equipment, has access to information
out the wazoo, and life on the scene is pretty good. For those working at
making a living in the sport, it is much easier now than it was 5 years ago.
There are more exposure opportunities, more tournaments, and much more
name and face recognition for many of the anglers. The biggest hurdle we
have to get over is getting the mainstream, corporate eyeballs to take a look
at bass fishing and see some value in being associated with the people who
particpate and follow the sport. The best thing that those who are seeking
sponsorships can do is knock on every non-endemic door we can find.
Sooner or later some of us will get to the right people with the right money
and we will take another big step. Where are we headed? Within the next 5
years, I would like to see the guys at the top level of the sport fishing for
someone else's money. Do you think Tiger plays every week just to get
Daly's dollar? When bass fishing gets to that level, we will have done
something.
Get5: You finished the 2006 Elite Series schedule off with a bang last year.
Tell us a little about the competition at that level, and what it takes to
succeed as an Elite Angler.
Kevin: Imagine that every tournament you fish has 50 Frank Coble's and 50
Brandon Rhoden's in the field. You could dump five gallons of water in the
parking lot and someone will catch a bass out of the puddle. The biggest
step in the level of competition is not so much in technique or equipment, or
even in fish-finding abilities; those are all about equal in the Elite Series. You
have some of the guys who have been playing for 20 - 30 years who can
beat you just on experience, then you have some guys who will catch them
simply because they will cover more water in a day than your average
weekend angler will fish in a week.
What truly separates the Elite competition from any other that I have fished is
the mental clarity of many of the anglers. I know that sounds kind of hokie,
but there are quite a few who are truly playing on a higher mental field. You
don't really see it on a local or regional level and it is difficult to explain. The
best way to relate it is to say those on this higher level "feel" the way they
should fish. They have attained an uncanny sense of where to be, at what
time, throwing just the "right" bait, and they catch them. The first person that
I ran across years ago on a local level that had this ability was Hackney. You
see where it has taken him. I have gotten a little taste of this almost spiritual
"zone" at times, but I have had trouble staying in touch with it on a
consistent basis. Don't freak, I'm not talking about spiritual in a religious
sense, I'm saying spiritual in the sense that your don't really think about
what you need to be doing as much as you feel it. Sound weird? It is, but
don't laugh because this is what separates the men from the boys in almost
every sport.
To succeed at the Elite level, you have to learn to touch this feely thing and
get in your own zone. The only way to do that is spend thousands of hours
on the water and fish every derby that you can afford to enter. While
spending all this time on the water, you need to listen to and pay attention to
everything that is going on around you. Enough of the mental thing. I'll have
everyone thinking I'm mental.
To stay at the Elite level, you need to be able to catch some fish, for sure, but
you also have to understand and be willing to do some marketing of
yourself. With $55,000 in entry fees, you aren't going to hit the road out of
your own pocket. If you do, you may not survive the first year. A guy has to
be able to convince companies that he can put their name in front of people
who want to buy the products that those companies are selling and do it in a
positive light. The Elite anglers who are making the most money before they
hit the water are those who understand and know how to play the marketing
game.
Get5: The Bassmaster Elite Series season is right around the corner. Which
events are you most looking forward to and why?
Kevin: Honestly, I look forward to all of them. Last season when I had gone
the first 8 tournaments without a check, I was still looking forward to # 9,
because I knew that I was going to get myself together at some point. This
year I'm probably really up for the Cal Delta, Champlain, the Potomac, and
working on making sure that I qualify for the Legends at Little Rock. It's not
like we go to a bad place, but those would have to be the ones I am the most
excited about and here's why:
Cal Delta is a river system. I like river systems - a lot. From those that I have
talked to and the research I have done, it looks and sounds a lot like fishing
the upper end of Dardanelle or the lower Arkansas. It's also full of huge fish
and I've wanted to see what fishing on the Left Coast is all about.
Champlain because it is one of the most beautiful lakes I have ever been
on. The whole area of Upstate New York is just incredible. I don't think I have
ever been to a lake where I have had to cull as many times as I did at
Champlain.
Potomac River because it's a river. It has grass and it has tide. Pretty wild
to watch the grass you were catching them out of in the morning lay over on
the surface as the tide goes out that afternoon.
Arkansas River at Little Rock - enough said. In August it's tough, fishing is
ugly, conditions are brutal, but I love it that way.
Kevin Short is sponsored by:
Arkansas Farm Bureau
Ray Chevrolet
Crabtree RV Center
Peeper's Baits
Basscat Boats
Mercury Marine
Motorguide
Camoclad
Zoom Bait Company
St. Croix Rod
6506 Warden Road
Sherwood, AR. 72120
( 501) 834-5733
For FishNStuff online store click here
Sherwood, AR. 72120
( 501) 834-5733
For FishNStuff online store click here