The Evolution of the Tournament Angler

The Five Stages of Fishing Development

I like developmental psychology. We don’t always recognize our progress as fishermen. We’re too busy trying to catch them! I’ve been fortunate over the past 50 years enough to have some great friends and mentors along the way. Am I a great fisherman? Hardly, but I like to think I am better than most. It’s easy to go out and catch one or maybe two good fish over the course of eight hours in a tournament. But five? Ask any tournament angler and they’ll tell you it takes some skill, intuition and a whole lot of research.

I’ve done some studying over the years as well. It’s not ALWAYS fishing. I’ve read numerous books and articles about human growth and development and in that time I’ve developed a fondness for the work of Jean Piaget.

Jean Piaget's theory of cognitive development suggests that children move through four different stages of intellectual development, which reflect the increasing sophistication of children's thought. Each child goes through the stages in the same order, and child development is determined by biological maturation and interaction with the environment. At each stage of development, the child’s thinking is qualitatively different from the other stages, that is, each stage involves a different type of intelligence.

This is true in the development of fishermen as well, and over time watching people fish I have developed my own stages that I believe are fishing applicable

-Pre-operative:

Sensory thought. You’re being introduced to fishing. You are essentially a beginner. You understand the basics of ‘hook, line and sinker or bobber’. The knots you tie are rudimentary. Curiosity is piqued, and you’re learning terms, understanding concepts and cataloguing. This is where you decide that you want to learn in order to become better.

-Operational Beginner:

Symbolic thinking and the beginning of weighing of the pros and cons and expressing concepts. Imagination and intuition are strong, but understanding the ‘why’ and the ‘why not’ can be troublesome. This is where you understand the concepts, but remain unsure if you’re doing it correctly or in the proper manner.

Having a mentor who models proper behavior can make a huge difference in progress

-Concrete Non-Adaptive:

You have learned enough in order to have some success. What, where and why can be applied. You are able to recognize changes in environment in order to fit the situation. There is high interest in exploration in order torule things/concepts in or out. Absorbing pieces of info to fill spaces in theories. Attacking the water concept vs. taking what you’re given.

-Formal Adaptive:

Experienced. An angler is able to express and understand theoretical, hypothetical and counter-factual thinking. They become able to recognize patterns in order to adapt or dismiss. Abstract logic and reasoning allows for intuitive changes in strategy and planning. Newly introducedconcepts can be modified across the board to fit experience and curiosity.

Success follows the development of critical concepts and ideas that are then put in to practice and constantly refined

- Operant Professional:

Desire, opportunity and ability to fish competitively have combined to where a person can fish for a living. Management skills have developed allowing a person totake care of sponsor obligations, win tournaments or sell fish to provide for self and/or others. Most importantly, the angler recognizes the importance of teaching – constantly, and is open to new concepts in order to become proficient and build advanced skills/new tools and specialties. They are able to explain/sell you an idea and explain it in detail.

It is my opinion that most fishermen, or at least those who fish competitively in bass tournaments fit in to the ‘Formal Adaptive’ stage of development. This is not to say that they can’t become professionals or slide back to ‘Concrete Non-Adaptive’ when learning a new technique or in an unfamiliar setting such when exploring a new body of water. Also, the ‘Operant Professional’ stage is perhaps the most difficult to maintain due to time constraints and most people’s lack of what I like to call – disposable income. (And of course, time is the new currency). Being able to be a professional bass fisherman requires more than just knowing how to fish. Being successful (making a living) as a professional involves not just winning tournaments either. A professional tournament bass fisherman has to be an educator, a business manager and steward of the sport. Above all, they need to inspire others with their integrity and honesty.

As far as the development of an angler goes though, there’s so much more than the simple categorization of skills and how they apply from fishing prospective. From childhood through adolescence and on to adult the skills acquired when learning to fish are often not realized at first and contribute greatly to the development of who a person becomes.

Subconscious Growth

We’re all familiar with the five senses – touch, taste, sight, sound and smell. But humans possess other senses as well, even if they’re not so apparent at first. We have a sense of time and can sense danger. We have a sense of proprioception, along with a sense of balance and we can feel pain. These are all things that we don’t always think about when discussing the senses.

When developing as a angler, especially as a tournament one we learn a whole new set of skills that are not normally associated with fishing but important nonetheless.

-Self-soothing

Self-soothing refers to the process of calming yourself when your body is on high alert. Sometimes it’s just the act of going fishing that allows a person to feel better and relax. At other times - particularly when you lose a big fish, it’s the ability to press the reset button and regain focus through the use of other time-honored relaxation techniques.

Rule #1 - Never get involved in a land war in Asia. Rule #2 - Never make bets with the guy in the back of the boat

-Patience

The capacity for calmly waiting for ideas, for growth, and for achievement regardless of obstacles in our path. When you were a kid it was most likely waiting for a bite and watching a bobber. It was excruciating at times. But, eventually a reward would come in the form of a bite and possibly a fish – if you were able to sit still and pay attention. This skill comes in handy during the everyday life of standing in lines, being put on hold while making a phone call or waiting for your dinner order at a restaurant. It’s basic, fundamental and not everyone posesses it.

-Mindfulness

The practice of being fully present and aware of your current experience—without overreacting or getting lost in thoughts. It’s an innate human ability that you can access and cultivate through practices like seated, walking,standing, or moving meditation – or fishing. Mindfulness enhances focus and performance, reduces stress, deepens self-insight, and fosters compassion toward oneself and others.

Chance favors the prepared…and the positively motivated

-Resilience

The ability to successfully adapt to stressors, maintaining psychological well-being in the face of adversity. Those who are resilient do not give up under any circumstance whether it’s a hill to climb, a technique to learn or a setback to overcome. Those who are resilient adapt and imagine inventive solutions to difficult problems. If they don’t succeed at first, they just keep trying.

-Optimism

Hopefulness and confidence about the future or the successful outcome of something. The evening before a tournament I am pretty sure that for whatever reason I can imagine, I am going to do well. I am going fishing and I think that I’m going to have fun and want to do it again. Even if I don’t do well I’m still looking forward to being on the water and learning something.

-Self Esteem

The feeling of worth a person feels. If you’re doing something that you enjoy, and that you want to do you naturally feel good about it. The better you become as an angler the more and bigger the fish get and the more enjoyment you get from it. As a result-driven exercise you are rewarded for learning how to become better and that in turn incentivizes you to keep setting new goals.

Embrace the whimsy, enjoy the day and love yourself. Everything else is just icing on the cake

I’m certain that there is more to be talked about. I’ve heard it said that ‘True genius is the ability to admit what you don’t know’. I’m also keenly aware that no one likes a know-it-all. It is my experience that the evolution of any angler is internally motivated. The good ones want to learn and the great ones want to teach. They’re all worth listening to.