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Norman,
OK – Third year pro Britt Myers is probably best known as the automotive customization guru of the Elite Series as well as for his ever-present smile. But after freshman and sophomore campaigns that ended with him in the bottom half of the Elite Series standings, his 2008 season has given him something substantial to smile about.
With two tournaments left to go, Myers is in 38th place in the Angler of the Year standings. Although he has yet to make a Top 12 cut, narrowly missing the mark three times, consistency has been his hallmark, with five money finishes in nine tournaments, including three Top 20s. Despite bombs at Lake Murray and Wheeler, his other two out of the money finishes were just near misses, a 59th at Amistad and a 58th at Old Hickory – the types of performances that don’t pad the wallet, but serve to prevent an angler from plummeting out of the Classic cut.
“The biggest adjustment has been relying on my own instincts,” Myers said. “I don’t listen to anyone else. I started it near the end of last year, separated myself from the dock talk and (after that) I made two Top 12s.
“I’m also fishing my strengths more. I’m not the best at anything, but I’m pretty versatile. I can fish offshore, boat docks, grass. That’s the cool thing about learning to fish on Lake Wylie. It made me versatile.”
Ups and (Fewer) Downs
“This year I’ve found myself around more and better fish,” he said. “I’ve had the fish on to be well up in just about every tournament and I’ve had three really good finishes.”
While he hasn’t yet logged a Top 12 finish, he was 14th to start the year off at the Harris Chain, then followed that up with a 13th at Clarks Hill and an 18th at Kentucky Lake.
“I’ve learned more this year than any other year.”
But the Elite Series swing through South Carolina shows both the peaks and valleys that await a still-developing angler. At Clark’s Hill, he found unpressured fish, made the right moves and had his best finish of the year. At Murray, the wheels came off.
“It’s easier to find fish at Murray. The fish were there, I just didn’t adapt. I failed to downsize and go to finesse tactics. I thought I’d be able to move around, but 100 guys fishing for those same fish sore mouthed them all.
“On the second day, I broke my middle finger in the boat. I still had 11 or 12 pounds, but I was hard-headed and stubborn. It taught me a lot about pressure. I talked to Iaconelli and others after the tournament and they told me they had downsized.”
After Murray, he once again dredged the bottom of the standings with a 93rd at Wheeler, but then bounced back by finishing 18th at Kentucky Lake.
New York, New York
With two events left and a spot in the 2009 Classic well within reach, Myers needs to tame Erie and Oneida to reach his goal.
“I have to swing for the fences and try to find larger schools of fish,” he said. It sounds easy, and he’s had one good finish in New York, a 10th at Champlain last year, neither Erie nor Oneida has been kind to him on the Elite Series.
Last year, he finished 93rd at Erie, his second worst result of the year (better only than his 102nd at Guntersville), but there was a reason for that: “I only practiced a half day there,” he said. “I had made the Top 12 cut at Champlain and when I got to Erie I had to get some boat things taken care of the first day of practice. Then the second day Jason Quinn, who’s a good friend of mine, he broke down in Canada and it took me all day to tow him back.”
Oneida was equally rough on him in 2006. He ended up 86th there and then had a season’s worst 98th the next week at Champlain.
But he remains optimistic that the northern swing will be better for him this year. With respect to Erie, he expects it to be an offshore bite and considers that one of his strengths. He noted that “Oneida is an awesome fishery,” and he’s ready to get a second bite of the apple there.
All Business
As most Elite Series fans know, Myers started CS Motorsports
( www.gofastlookgood.com
) when he was 19 years old and continues to serve as the company’s president. When he’s not on the road fishing, he can typically be found in the shop six days a week.
While he’s built the company into an unqualified success, he disputes the notion common among many fans and some of his peers that it reduces the pressure on him to do well on the water.
“What people don’t understand when they say that I don’t have to cash a check is that I lose money by not being here. I actually have a whole lot more to lose than some of the others. If you worked in a mill and you quit to go fishing, if it doesn’t work out you can go back and get another job. But if (fishing) doesn’t work out for me, I just can’t open up another business.”
Additionally, the business is never completely out of his mind. “I have some guys who work here who are fishermen. They know what’s going on and what’s at stake, but they still call me at night and check on things.”
But he doesn’t want to leave anyone with the impression that he’s griping about his good success. On the contrary, he feels fortunate to be able to “live two dreams.”
Classic Hopeful
With a spot in the Classic within his reach, Myers made it clear that a Classic berth would be the fulfillment of a lifelong dream.
“It would mean everything,” he said. “That’s what I’m fishing for. No one wants to fish it as much as I do.”
But in addition to his own personal satisfaction, he wants an opportunity to repay the sponsors who have put themselves behind his career.
“Sponsors thrive on the Classic appearance. It would be huge for me, but I want to do it for them, too. Companies like JymSu Bass Baits, where the owner has worked with me to develop products and it has been a big part of my success, and Bass Cat Boats, where Rick (Pierce) has done so much for me. Sometimes I think he does too much.”
Myers has seen his AOY standing improve each year on tour, from 76th in 2006, to 56th in 2007, all the way up to 38th (with two events remaining) this year. Would a spot in the Classic be enough to satisfy him at this point?
“Everyone says you should just enjoy your first Classic. I promise you, I’ll enjoy it. But when you take off that first morning, everyone is tied for first and I’ll be thinking about winning.”
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