Gettin’ All Gassed Up

by Elite Series pro Cliff Crochet

[Re: the context mentioned below, note that for the Murray Elite tourney you need to enter by NOON TODAY.]

I’m willing to bet I read more about professional bass fishing than you do. I read everything about professional bass fishing. Everything.

I read all the technique articles, tournament summaries, blogs, product reviews and sponsorship announcements – all of it. I’m the biggest fan of bass fishing there is. Reading online articles is like SportsCenter for me, a multiple-times-a-day habit.

Yes, it was somewhat strange at first when I read my name as part of the bass fishing news. To be totally honest, I love it. Being in the news and even seeing the news actually happen is cool.

Sometimes I’m very close to the action when it goes down. In 2010, I knew right where Kevin Short won the Alabama Charge because I was fishing just down from him.

Remember where Bill Lowen and Guy Eaker caught all those fish on Clear Lake last year? In practice I fished right over top of those fish. I even talked to Guy and Bill when I was there. I think they smiled when I left.

I’m not 100% certain whether the competitors in other sports read about themselves or care what people say, but I would bet they do. Besides the confidence boost that you’re doing something worthwhile, something that people care about, there’s a lot of great information out there to pick up…and a lot of entertainment.

You know because you’re reading this.

The Money Goes for…Gas

This year I’ve been part of the news for a contest put on by Biobor EB. For each Elite event, fans try and guess how much gas Bradley Roy and I will burn in an event. It’s kind of twisted, really: “How much money are these guys blowing on gas?” people might ask themselves.

Bradley and I are asked if we really keep up with the amount of gas we’re using. Absolutely we do.

I never did before, but I’m glad this is forcing me to now.

Now I know where all the money goes when I get a check for $10,000 and seem to never have anything left in the checking account. I constantly remind myself that I’m in this for the love of the game.

If you’re wondering, one thing the Biobor EB contest hasn’t done is affect whether or not I make a long run to fish a bank or a spot that might produce just one solid fish. On the St. Johns River, I burned 164 gallons over 6 days of practice and the tournament.

With gas at $3.79 a gallon, that’s over $600 in gas for an event, plus diesel for the truck, oil – and ethanol treatment. There is 10% ethanol in gas now!

Ethanol is bad news on outboards. You have to treat it. Gas is expensive, but engine repairs are worse.

That’s all I have to say and probably all you want to read. Besides, there are another good 10 or 12 things online that you need to go read right now.

Check out that contest by going here. Vote…for me!