Ball-O-Wrap
By Kevin ShortI never really had any emotional ties to a boat wrap until the pink fish-scale Team Realtree wrap this season and I'm not sure why. It was just another pink wrap, just another covering that carried a logo. But something was different about this one.
As we unwrapped the BassCat, all the vinyl seemed to collect into a giant ball of spent PVC and ink. I didn't really plan it that way — it just happened. Many feet and several thousand dollars of wrap all in a wad.
As I looked at the ball of vinyl on the floor, it was a sad sight. Gazing at the mass of wadded up pink and camo, I thought to myself "that sums up my season on several levels — used and abused."
It has always amazed me that we begin every season, no matter what field we play on or what level we play at, so full of hope. That hope and optimism carries over to every competitor in every sport on every playing field.
If you don't think you're going to be the one holding the big trophy at the end of the day, what the hell are you doing in the race?
Some seasons we're able to transform the hope into success while other seasons the hope is dashed somewhere along the road and we limp home in disappointment. Those days we crawl home are the ones that, supposedly, build character. I think they're the ones that make the successes that much sweeter.
The wadded up ball of fish-scaled, pink vinyl was symbolic of my 2008 Elite Series season in many ways. I began the year with a new sponsor, on the road to the Bassmaster Classic, and the living was good.
Being my first Classic, I never realized before how important it is both financially and to legitimize a career to qualify for a tournament. The Classic, however, is not just another tournament.
Even though its importance may have been diminished by the fact that it occurs at the beginning of the season and the regular Elite tournaments start only a few weeks afterward, the Bassmaster Classic is still the big daddy of all bass fishing tournaments. I honestly never realized its importance until I was there.
In years past, I was never really bummed because I didn't qualify for the Classic. I was more down because I failed to win a tournament throughout the course of the season. This year I'm double bummed.
I left the house back in February with several goals in mind. One was to win the Classic, another was to make four or five Top 12s, and the final one was to win an Elite event. Numero uno didn't work out so well, as I finished 22nd. Not bad for my first Classic, but nothing stellar.
The deuce wasn't anything special either, as I only made one Top 12. I finished third and narrowly missed my first win on that one Top 12, but still, only one shot at the title.
Missing those Top 12s is frustrating for several reasons. Most importantly, if you aren't in the Top 12 and fishing on the final day, you don't have a chance at the Big W. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure that one out.
Those Day Fours are also the days when the majority of filming for the TV show takes place. You can't have your mug on the tele if you aren't on the pond on D4.
Speaking of Day Four, several years and many derbies ago, I fished with some guys who all ran together. These dudes had "shirts-for-the-day". Every day of the tournament, they all had specific shirts they would wear.
Day One's shirt was a certain color, Day Two was a different, Day Three was different from One and Two, and Day Four was even more unique in that it had a big "Day 4" embroidered on the front and back. These guys were proud to wear those Day 4 shirts.
Not a bad idea; I may have to have a couple of Day 4 shirts made up for next season. Just a little something for some added motivation.
Well let's see, Short didn't qualify for the '09 Classic, didn't carry home any of the big Elite Wood, and didn't make as many Top 12s as he wanted; just what did he do all season? Well let's see, I flopped around in the standings like an 11 and one-half incher on hot carpet.
Over the course of the season, I was in the 20s, the 50s, and everywhere in between. I finally settled in 53rd place.
Adding insult to injury, I missed the Toyota Tundra Bassmaster Angler of the Year money (an additional $6,500.00 — ouch!) by 30 points. 30 points sounds like quite a few until you spread it out over the course of 11 events.
While we're counting points, I missed the Classic by 112 points. See how easy it is to beat yourself into the ground?
Here are a few things that went my way this past season:
- The last check I received was at the Empire Chase on Lake Erie. The YTD total on that last check? $98,800. I wanted to make six figures, but I'm not too unhappy with 98 and change. I'm not going to complain too much there.
- Exposure. Through the roof. I am amazed at the numbers I receive on the reports every quarter. Magazines, newspapers, internet, it's all good. That part of the equation is working well.
- The people I met and the sights we saw from border to border. All those miles from South Carolina to Florida to Texas to Georgia to Alabama to Kentucky to Tennessee to New York and every state in between. What a long, strange trip it's been.
- Probably the best part of my year was the fact that I was working a job that I enjoy. There aren't a huge number of people in this day that can honestly say they are happy with their j-o-b. I can. After working 17 years and two weeks for "tha man", I know what it's like to be unhappy with your job. (That's a little over the top — the first 15 years were pretty darn good, just the last two years and two weeks sucked.) I am now employed by my own corporation, I am "tha man" in my own little world. I guess I can be a pain in my own butt, if I so desire. I don't see that happening.
Maybe that ball of pink vinyl on the shop floor isn't so dismal after all. Maybe it is what it is; a mass of spent vinyl and ink.
Maybe I need to get busy with plans for 2009 — plans like how to fish smarter and not necessarily harder. I need to get busy working on how to catch enough fish every day of every tournament to make sure that this time next year, I've accrued enough points to be in the 2010 Classic.
And, I need to wear those Day 4 shirts enough times during the season that I have a shot at winning an Elite event.
Yeah, that ball of vinyl just needs to go to the trash.
For more info on Kevin Short or to contact Kevin, check out his Web site at www.kfshort.com.
