Why Aren’t You in Tulsa?

If you want to be in the fishing industry, particularly the bass fishing side of things, and you’re not in Tulsa this week, shame on you.

I guess it’s excusable if you or your spouse are giving birth, if you or a loved one are being interred, or if you’re guarding the nuclear football. Beyond that, it’s the place you need to be whether you want to be a writer, a YouTuber, a sponsored angler or some other sort of industry apparatchik. With anyone who’s anyone there, it is – excuse the bad pun – like shooting fish in a barrel.

I should know. I’m a long-term part-timer in the industry. Not everyone knows who I am by sight, even if they know my work. It’s a struggle to stay relevant and stay known.

How Important is It?

As a person with two jobs and a desire to travel and fish far more than I actually do, time is my most valuable commodity. No matter how wealthy or privileged you are, there are still only 24 hours in a day and it seems like I’m at a computer for most of them. Accordingly, my vacation time from work is like gold to me. I treasure it. I massage it. I manage it. Any time I feel like I wasted even a single hour or single day of paid time off, I’m angry. So this should put it in perspective: This is my 20th Classic, including 19 of the past 21. I went to a single day of the 1990 iteration as a fan, but the last 19 have been as a member of the media (including 14 for B.A.S.S.). That’s 19 weeks of vacation, over four years’ worth of what I get from my employer. Nineteen weeks I could have used to go fishing, or just to sit on my butt and relax. On top of that, for the five I attended between 2004 and 2009, I paid every cent of it on my own. The few dollars made selling the resulting articles offset a small portion of those expenditures, but far from all of them.

Yes, those investments in my career paid off financially, but it’s more than that. You have to be seen in order to become part of the scene and – to quote KVD – “part of the community.” You know you’ve gotten to that point when people are surprised that you’re not at an event.

If I Miss the Classic, Are there Other Large Scale Opportunities?

OK, Tulsa’s not happening for you this year. Maybe you missed the chance to sign up for media credentials or get a hotel room or a reasonable flight. There are still several times when a huge number of industry folks get together and you can participate. With media credentials you can attend ICAST in Orlando in July. Alternatively, the Bass Fishing Hall of Fame holds an induction banquet in September at the Wonders of Wildlife Museum in Springfield, Missouri. I’m sure that other organizations, from the IGFA, to Trout Unlimited to the Billfish Foundation, have similar regional and national events. Spend a few bucks, take a weekend away, and get there.

I’m not a networker by nature – in fact I’m generally an introverted loner -- but these types of gatherings produce all sorts of serendipitous meetings that lead to connections and to work and to opportunities. If you’re shy, try to tag along or bump into someone you know. If you’re ballsier than that, introduce yourself or sit at a table of strangers.

What About Smaller Events?

If these larger events are impossible for you for any reason (maybe they’re financially prohibitive or the conditions of your parole prevent you from crossing state lines), find some regional gatherings. Get involved with an outdoors-related political advocacy group, or join your local chapter of a sporting organization and attend their events – everything from cocktail hours to fly-tying seminars to trash cleanups can be networking opportunities.

The great thing about being a writer or a YouTuber or “influencer” is that it’s possible to experience some level of success or satisfaction. without ever leaving the house. Most of my writing and interviewing takes place from the same chair with an imprint of my butt on it that I’ve used for the last decade or so. Nevertheless, most of my greatest career catalysts, the events that have added fuel to the fire, take place face-to-face.

If you’re not at the Classic this week, and you envision yourself having some sort of career or business in the outdoor industry, ask yourself “why?” Why aren’t I there? Why am I watching it on TV? And what am I doing this week that better serves my goals than being onsite. It’s ok to have your fishing career as a side hustle, but the moment you treat it as a hobby is the moment that you more or less accept that it will never be maximized. Being there is half the fun and three quarters of the battle.