41st

41st. Not sure how much I can reiterate that I’m not a good fisherman wife, but if I do know one thing, it’s that 41st is a tough, gut-wrenching place to finish in a fishing tournament.

In Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby, Bobby delivers the most famous quote in sports history as, “If you ain’t first, you’re last.” Well, in the fisherman’s world, being 41st may actually sting worse than last, especially if you have been a struggling fisherman.

Things I could buy for the same amount of money as a Bassmaster Open Tournament entry fee:

So, when 41st is the first place “out of the money,” it’s a tough pill to swallow. At the beginning of the year, we committed to considering whatever we budgeted for the season to be money spent. I didn’t want Josh heading into tournaments feeling the pressure to “make up” an entry fee or fish with the sole purpose of making money, but that is easier said than done mid-season at a big tournament.

I know Josh wrestled with the results on the 14 hours back from Oklahoma. But the difference I saw in him as returned home is that he left the results in Oklahoma. Josh is competitive—same as me, so anything in our home can turn into a friendly competition—but the maturity I have seen in him over 10 seasons has been accepting the results, moving forward, and looking to the next tournament.