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Broken
Arrow, OK. – “I really think people underestimate how hard it is to come from fishing local tournament and jump into the Elites,” said Elite Series rookie Bobby Myers. “These are the 108 best anglers in the world, and if you’re thinking about finances, it’s almost impossible to compete.”
Unfortunately, a large percentage of the first four events of his rookie season was sullied with mechanical problems and financial concerns, and that left him less than competitive.
“Sometimes things just don’t work out the way you want,” he said.
Today he announced that he will forego the rest of the
Elite season.
Dollars and Sense
Going into the season, Myers was already in a fairly precarious spot financially. Despite qualifying for the Elites through a steady 2007 Open season, he was unable to get the sponsor support he needed to make it through the year.
“Let me put it this way – I’m surprised I have any hair left,” he said. “It’s brutal to try to get any sponsorship whatsoever. I did manage to pick up three new sponsors over the offseason. One of them, BCD Wellhead, was a major blessing. They provided me with a truck and that lifted a big burden. I didn’t know if the vehicle I had was going to make it through the season. But in terms of monthly sponsorship dollars, all I had coming in was maybe just enough to fill my truck and my boat if both of them were on empty.”
He’s convinced that there are only three ways for a rookie to compete without having to concern himself with finances:
“Number one is if you have a fat wallet and don’t have to worry about it. The second way is to get yourself established in your career and set up a business that makes money for you while you’re on the road. The third is to make the Classic through the Opens and then swing for the fences. If you do well, that’s the best chance to make a name for yourself right off the bat. I didn’t get that chance.”
Tough Times
Myers didn’t necessarily expect to set the world on fire right off the bat, but he never envisioned a scenario in which he’d fail to cash a check in any of the first four events.
“I know that I don’t do well in Florida, but I didn’t expect it to go on that long. I figured that by the time I got to Texas, there was no reason for me not to do well.”
He had not previously been to the Harris Chain, but it turned out to be the site of his best finish, just a handful of places outside the money. But he had a 5/0 hook break on a big fish and that kept him from making the cut and earning a check for ten grand. That fish might not have been enough to move him near the top of the leader board, but it would have been more than enough to allow him to fish on Saturday.
With respect to Kissimmee/Toho, he put it succinctly: “Me and that place just don’t get along.”
But at Falcon he expected to turn the corner – he certainly couldn’t envision an ending in which he’d be at the very bottom of the standings. On Day 1, when the predictions about the big lake’s record-breaking abilities began to be realized, he suffered a battery malfunction and ended up releasing a monster limit. With nothing on the scales on a day when twenty five pound limits didn’t earn a second look, the deficit was completely insurmountable.
“I have pictures of them on my cell phone,” he said. “One was about 11, three were between seven and seven and a half and the smallest was about six and a half. And the thing is that I could do that every day down there. I don’t know if I could’ve caught enough to beat Paul (Elias), but I would’ve been in the Top 10 for sure.”
That last place finish, coupled with another out-of-the-money result the following week at Amistad, was a crippling mental blow. He’s convinced that had the battery problems at Falcon not occurred he “would’ve turned a corner.”
“Right now I’m pretty disgusted. I didn’t get to show the caliber of angler that I am,” he said.
Living the Dream
Given his sub par performances in his first four major league events, if he had it to do over again, would he wait until he had more financial support or fishing seasoning to strike out on the Elite Series.
The answer is a definite “no.”
“I would do it again,” he said. “The whole reason I chose to chase by dream is that my father died of cancer when he was 46 years old. At that point I realized that I could live my life ho hum and just try to get along and never chase a dream, or else I could try to do something extraordinary.”
His father’s premature death inspired him to seize control of his life, and one step he took in that direction was to go back to college at age 27 to obtain an Associates degree in marketing. Now he plans to return to school to finish out his Bachelors.
“Unless you win the Classic or win Angler of the Year, there are no guarantees in this sport,” he said, so he’ll take what he’s learned and attempt to build upon his experiences.
Right now he’s at Choke Canyon and then he’ll head down to Falcon for a few days to take revenge on the lake that proved to be his undoing. With his mind cleared, he’ll head back to Tulsa, get ready for school, and continue to fish local events, with a mind toward returning to the big leagues down the road.
“This was not the last time you’ll see Bobby Myers in the Elites,” he concluded.
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