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Norman,
OK – For popular Ohio pro Charlie Hartley, 2008 has offered up the highest highs of his career, but it has also resulted in some terrible lows. Competing in his first Bassmaster Classic, he led the competition for a day and captured the attention of bass fishing fans everywhere, but it’s been downhill from there – in nine Elite Series tournaments he’s only made the Day 3 cut once, and currently sits in 98th in the Angler of the Year standings.
“I’m in great danger of not requalifying, which would be very disappointing,” he said. “I’ve proved that I can get to the Elites, but this is not the reason that I want to be talked about.
“I wear my emotions on my sleeve, but I’m not going to commit suicide over this. Still, it would be best to keep sharp objects away from me right now,” he joked. “My passion is a double-edged sword.”
Headed to Smallie Country
If there was ever a time in his fishing career where he has to put his nose to the grindstone, this is it. Two tournaments left and in all likelihood he has to move up a dozen or so spots.
“I don’t understand the math of it very well, but I know that my friend Steve Daniel made a Top 12 (at Old Hickory) and only moved up a few positions,” Hartley said. “Even two Top 12s may not be enough, but we all know they may have to work down the list. I hate to requalify by getting that phone call, but I’ll do what I can to get back in. I’d be much prouder to make it through my fishing, especially after last year when I double-qualified.”
To the extent that he remains mathematically capable of making the leap, the schedule would seem to favor his attempt. He’s a known top stick on smallmouths, and a Great Lakes expert, so the upcoming Erie tournament should be right in his wheelhouse.
“I go into every tournament believing I can win,” he said. “But my experience on Erie is not a clear-cut advantage. These guys all know the deal. They’re pretty dialed in.”
He also feels that his extensive time on largemouth-only waters this year has diminished his smallmouth-whisperer talents a bit: “I just fished the Stren at Champlain and my touch was not as sharp as it used to be. My co-anglers were catching nice fish on tubes behind me.”
He won’t change from his typical strategy on Erie, but at the season-ending tournament at Oneida he may be forced to swing for the fences.
Fan Favorite
After winning the Southern Open points championship last year, Hartley became a fan favorite at this year’s Classic through his humble demeanor and the his apparent role as David vs. the Goliaths of the sport like Kevin VanDam.
“I’ll take the good with the bad. It’s been the most incredible year of my life. The fan base has been incredible, but they’re not necessarily up on how I’m doing now,” he said. “They keep telling me what a great year I’m having.”
His emotions and though processes have been on full display through his popular blog on ESPNOutdoors.com, in which he has laid bare his emotions with extreme candor.
“The reason they’ve kept it is that it’s one of their most popular columns. It means the world to me. I’m still humbled that anyone knows who I am. Everywhere I go, people tell me they wish it was longer or they wish that I updated it more often. Even Ken Cook told me he read it and to have my peers pay attention is just incredible.”
What Could Have Been
Still riding his Classic high, Hartley had a week off before the Harris Chain event, but his success at Hartwell didn’t carry over – he finished a disappointing 86th. Then they headed to Kissimmee, where he got a check, but it would be the last one he’d cash through nine events.
“After Kissimmee I figured I was one for two,” he said. “Then we went to Falcon and on the first day I caught the biggest bag I’ve ever weighed in in a tournament and I was in 28th. (He finished 63rd) At Amistad I’ve had good success in the past, but I didn’t put it together.”
Since then, he has finished no better than 66th.
He made no excuses for his lackluster showings, but was quick to compliment his competition:
“I’ve never seen weights like these. Even in the beginnings of BASS, when they had the 15 fish limits, we’re beating those records. It’s good fish management and catch and release, but also that the fishermen are much better and the equipment is much better.”
While the slugfests have continued, he doesn’t feel that he’s been able to ride that wave consistently: “I feel like I’ve been carrying the same five fish in my livewell all year. That might be good in the Opens or in a club tournament, but it doesn’t get the job done at the Elite level.”
The difference between success and struggles has been highlighted in his multiple 2008 near misses. Several times he has been around the right caliber of fish, or even had them on the line, but failed to get the job done.
“In a couple of tournaments if I could have landed the fish that I had hold of I could have done well. I put myself in the right position. Don’t get me wrong, there’s definitely a skill to playing a fish, but some portion of it is luck. When you put the puzzle together and your reward is lost fish, it hurts even more than if you never got them to strike.”
What the Future Holds
Unlike many of his peers who live hand-to-mouth, Hartley has a successful business at home in Ohio to fall back on.
“SignCom is a safety net,” he said. “I can make a living without catching a fish. Some of my co-anglers have thought that all Elite Series fishermen are millionaires who get paid to fish, but the reality is that the Elites are very expensive, even when you go to the Classic.
“I’ve joked to Denny (Brauer), who knows my desperate position, that if I don’t requalify it might be the best financial thing that ever happened to me. My bank accounts could fill back up. All the time that I take away from my business hurts both, and when that happens I’ve got 30 employees and 30 employees’ families that I put at risk.”
Despite what appear to be difficult circumstances, the ever-cheerful Hartley maintains a positive outlook, as does his wife Tracey. “She’s such a positive thinker, she’s already making reservations for next year,” he said.
Whether he only has two more tournaments as Elite Series pro or will continue to compete at the highest levels for the next 20 years, it’s clear that Hartley enjoys every minute of it.
“I know that I’m not Kevin VanDam, but like Hank Parker once said about his NASCAR team, ‘It cost me three million dollars, we won 1.5 million, but I had 20 million dollars worth of fun.’ Every minute I spend with my peers I appreciate. I’ll never take it for granted.”
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