I learned that Shimano changed how Power Pro is made when they bought it out and now 50 # braid will break at the boat on a five pounder. A few more points. A few more bucks. I learned that a tie for the last check results in no money. There goes another $1073. I learned that a 22 pound hole on Okeechobee can become a 4 pound hole over night.
But that's just the way the ball bounces. That's just fishing. I knew that when I picked this game to play. Luck is all part of it. Good and bad. I already knew that no matter what you do sometimes things just don't go right.
However their will be times when nothing can go wrong. When you boat flip that five pounder. When you hit the start button and the engine fires off. When the last check is the least of your worries. And the hard knocks will make victory so much sweeter.
The seasons to remember aren't filled with top 10's. Those are the ones to celebrate but the ones to remember have you buried 52nd in points. The ones to remember taste really bitter. They make you question why you spend thousands chasing little green fish around. They make you appreciate the good times.
My first season as a "pro" is done. It did not go how I'd hope and I'm sure it won't at times in the future. But I'm living my dream. I have the opportunity to give it a shot and for that I am eternally thankful. Some valuable lessons learned and hopefully out of the way. I am already ready for January and my next shot. Until then I'll be wishin I was fishin.
