The End and The Beginning: Making the Most of Fishing by Bruce Callis Jr

As we gather around the fire to stay warm and celebrate what Santa brought us, or wish he had brought, my thoughts wander to what this year has been like and what lays ahead for 2024. We have a lot of great plans at The Bass Cast and in my personal life. More to come on that.

The year 2023 has been a great joy mixed with a lot of struggle. We all know how life can be. But it is all in how we see things. We can see the negative and fail, or look for the positive and keep moving forward. For me, I like to be like Walt Disney and Keep Moving Forward.

For me, every year starts on a high note. Why? No, it isn’t because of a New Year’s party, but fishing shows. Why? Because I get to learn, find deals, and most importantly, meet anglers. From the kids up to the old guys, it is all about meeting new friends, making laughter and memories.

Raleigh then Richmond started off my 2023. Loved the Raleigh show, but it is a good drive down there. But Richmond is the most important to me. The reason is that it is our big event. It is nothing like the old show we had at the Fairgrounds, but the closest I have come to it is the Bassmaster Classic. Those days are gone and it is up to us to help make this one great. Last year wasn’t the greatest by a lot of people’s standards, but again, it is all about how you look at things. A lot of events in January hurts. And the economy doesn’t help either. We just need to keep supporting it and keep it growing. Personally, I liked Richmond better than Raleigh. I get to listen to the seminars and learn. Maybe just that something different that will help me become a better angler.

I didn’t get the opportunity to go to the Fishersville Expo, but it is growing. And it serves an area of the state that was in need of this great event. And then The Fishing Flea Market at the Eagles in Fredericksburg. This is a great opportunity to find some great deals. I took my grandson and we got him some new rods and reels to get him set up. Always a great time to go with my little brother and now grandson too.And then the big show, the Bassmaster Classic. If you have never had the opportunity to attend one, you really need to try and go if it is in your area. I have been very lucky to be able to attend them with The BassCast and to report on them to you. There something special about being at the weigh-in. I have had the privilege of riding into the arena with the pro as he headed to the stage. I have had the opportunity to be back stage to see what happens after the fish are weighed. The prep work before the boats come in. And to talk to the anglers afterwards. But I also got to see it from the stands with everyone else. Just something so special.

And the EXPO at the Classic is just so exciting. New products, new innovations, the Professional Anglers, the deals, there is something for everyone. And the legends of the sport, Bill Dance, Jimmy Houston, Hank Parker, and Woo Daves, they are all there. There is no way you can really take it all in in just one day.And then there is the fishing. Last year was a challenge for me. Injuries can do that. They limit how well you can get out on the water and how long you can stay out. There were days when my knee just wouldn’t let me stand, and days when sitting just didn’t help either. But I still managed to get out. I still found the bass. And I continued to grow. I learned that slowing down can make all the difference. Just wish I didn’t have to get injured to learn that lesson.

And then others getting injured slowed down some adventures. Snookie being hurt meant that our adventures pretty much stopped for a while. Thankfully she is getting better and we are looking forward to an even more exciting 2024. And more funny things to share with you to go along with the fishing.We also got back into the Free Kids Fishing Day at the Refuge. It was a causality of COVID. This is one of those events that I love to do. Watching a kid catch their first fish is just something special. We had a small turnout because of the late notification of the event, but at least we had it. Every child leaves with a bag of goodies and a smile on their face. There is nothing like it. I look forward to 2024’s event!

I also decided to step into the world of tournament kayak fishing. I entered a KBF, Kayak Bass Fishing Tournament that would have the winners competing on Guntersville on Veterans Day weekend. August was my first tournament, but the weather put a damper on my ability to get out and I ended up in 7th place for the month. September was my last opportunity I was determined to make it happen. And I attacked it with confidence! I know my abilities and am confident that I can win! I fished hard and had the lead by my birthday. But even with the lead, you never feel safe, and I didn’t. I knew I need to catch some bigger bass.And my lead got smaller and then disappeared. I went from an 8 inch lead to an 8 inch defective. And I went to work again. I fished hard and on the last day of the month I was behind my 2 inches. I knew I just had to find one 5 pound bass and it would be close. I found plenty of bass, just not enough to upgrade those 2 inches. I finally moved into an area I thought might offer me the opportunity to catch a big bass. I finally hook into one I thought would be it, but some how my line snapped right at the reel. The bass jumped and my heart fell. I felt sick. My line was laying on the water and I paddled over and got it back, hoping to get my lure back. As I pulled in the line by hand I finally thought I was getting close, but the line changed direction and was going in the opposite direction. And then I felt the tug. I couldn’t believe it. I grabbed my net and attempted to pull in the line and get it into the net. What a mess. I wish I would have had the video of it all. I know it would be awesome and a good laugh. Finally I got her in the net and just sat there trying to collect myself. I got straight and got my picture and slipped her back into the net to check and make sure it was clear for submitting. And then submitted it. I then took some pictures and released her back to be a prize for other day.

As Ike says, Never Give Up, and I didn’t. I fished hard and knew I could do it. It was the drive to win that made it happen. And I waited to make sure that the leader didn’t manage to catch another big one. Nerve racking to say the least! I had fun getting out there and competing and I achieved my goal.I would get my opportunity to go compete against some of the toughest anglers. But I didn’t get to go because of other factors. And before I would have left to go my Durango’s brakes messed up. So not getting to go actually was a blessing as I would have had to drop out. But I was still happy, I had done what I set out to do!

I finished out the year fishing. Going out with my grandson on the 28th, we had a great time just being together and enjoying the time together. After all, isn’t that it is all about really. We didn’t start fishing because of the tournaments, it was all about having fun. It was partly fun and for food. Now we do it for the fun. The tug is our drug. I can’t see how someone takes winning to the level of cheating to achieve it. I want to be the best because of my ability. If I lose, it is because someone else did better, and it fuels me to go do better.

And what will 2024 bring? The shows start us off, then the Classic in Tulsa, Oklahoma, Free Kids Fishing, ICAST, and fishing adventures all are on my list. And The BassCast is improving to bring you even more. Some changes are happening now, while some are still to come. So make sure to stay up to date on the website and in Social Media. Let’s all make it a great year. Like Franc White use to end his show, The Southern Outdoorsman, “Do yourself a favor, take a kid fishing!” And make a memory to last a lifetime.

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