Sounds great Blat. It will be a great opportunity to fellowship with SUF students, learn from each other and for me at least fish some new water. Having the tournament on Sunday for all to learn, enjoy and gain knowledge from as well as see what it like to fish against heavyweights like you Blat is paramount going into the 2025 MLF season

Brian sounds like we would be fishing many the same lakes considering the regions I planned on fishing in the 2025 BFL’s. I was fishing 3/4 days a week until my motor caught fire. I’d like to fish with you at any the lakes you named, I just need to keep fishing . It would be great for us to learn from each other within SUF so we can drop some bags on these guys come beginning of the year.

Well thank you so much. While that is quite a drive I just maybe able to in few weeks. I’ll be able to let you know for sure later this week.

What part of the country are you in?

Very powerful words!

“It’s not the highlight reel of things we accomplish in life that matters the most to us : it’s rather the impact/impresion upon others lives we’ve made that checks off the most boxes for us.”

Brian I was thinking about trying some new rods and as I was watching some videos I heard Blat say something about you making a rod for him. Can you tell me little more about what it it your making and how much they cost?

I like the mincota riptide with I pilot but they are pricey depending on where you purchase it. I did pick one up on alibaba for $645.00

Tim, since I was a young boy I always had a dream to make it to the highest level of bass fishing. I fished a lot with my dad who fished club level tournaments organized by the Cobb county Fire dept. until I was able to save up the money to get my own boat and fished any and every tournament I could afford to. I was like a sponge trying to gain knowledge and experience from anyone that would take the time to talk with me and answer what must have felt like an endless barrage of questions about anything bass fishing. I’m in my early 20’s at this time and had made it to the southeast top six federated tournament for the first time, I got my teeth kick in, it wasn’t such a bad thing though bc threw this adversity it afforded me an even greater will to become a better angler. Two years later I was back same tournament only the results this time were much different, I finished 3rd overall. I was finishing up college about this time and soon after the girl I had been dating for several years told me she was pregnant. It was bittersweet at first as for my dreams of becoming a pro angler but I knew that my dreams considering the responsibility to provide for my kid/kids as was I provided by my father was far more important than anything else especially my individual dream when now my responsibility has become much different. Im so grateful that I had a father that had instilled in me by example that my role now was to provide my kids with a stable home and family and to give them every opportunity to achieve their dreams as I was given.

although I never quit fishing I did quit competing almost all together for close to 20 years. The last 8 years of I have been a single father raising my 3 kids. I wouldn’t change any my story for the success of the greatest angler’s accomplishments by any means but I now have the opportunity to refocus my attention back on my own dreams only now I truly believe even though I’m 50 years old I feel I have a far greater potential to achieve my dream of fishing now than I ever did back then. I now carry the wisdom of life’s adversities and wisdom to better serve me than ever before.

Regardless of what’s lead you or I to this point in our journey or weather or not to this point you have fished a lot of tournaments sounds like you have been steadfast in learning how to better your skill set by continuing to learn moving ever forward towards your goals whatever they maybe. I believe that you have as do I believe I also have potentially even a far greater opportunity to see these dreams become a reality as result of todays wisdom and understanding we have verses our younger self! Good luck and God speed