J. Todd Tucker is on the hot seat.
The Bassmaster Elite Series pro from Georgia currently occupies the 28th position in the Toyota Tundra B.A.S.S. Angler of the Year (AOY) standings, the final spot that’s guaranteed an invite to next year’s Bassmaster Classic. He’s satisfied with where he’s at for now, but knows better execution at the Douglas Lake Elite Series could’ve pushed him higher up the points ledger.
“Douglas was a true nightmare from what I got ready for,” he said. “It didn’t turn out the way I planned. I rigged up for deep-water fishing. I did my homework on that lake the best that I could. It absolutely disappointed me and I had to regroup on the final day of practice and go with what I felt comfortable with.”
He made the cut in 33rd, but was stung by a couple of lost fish, which led to his drop to 48th place on day 3. Those 15 slots equaled 15 points in the standings and had he held firm in 33rd, he’d be inside the Top 20 in points. Still, the result gave him checks in his last seven tournaments dating back to last fall.
“I love the points race the way it’s set up now because you see the people who are truly consistent,” he added. “The top end, from 30th up to 15th, is real tight.”
After closing out 2011 with 10th- and 33rd-place finishes at the Lake Champlain and Lake Guntersville FLW Tour Opens, respectively, he opened 2012 with a 12th at the Lake Okeechobee FLW Tour Open. He scored another 12th-place finish at the St. Johns River Elite Series and had three other finishes in the 40s.
He attributes his run to a simple ingredient – confidence, which was in short supply last season when he made just three 50-cuts in the Elite Series.
“It was something I was lacking very much,” he said. “Even though I thought I had it, I really didn’t. Confidence is going with your gut feeling that day. To compete with these guys, if you don’t get it you’ll never make it. For me, it was I either needed to get it quick or I’d better quit.”
He’s never made the Classic, but he’s been around long enough to understand the kind of boost it can give an angler’s career.
“It would be huge for me and my sponsors,” he said. “It’s something I’ve been lacking these last 3 years. It’s aggravating to me to have not made it. It would be the biggest thing I’ve done in my career. It’s my ultimate goal right now.
“It makes you think about the next four tournaments. It makes you think about catching a good limit every single day. You don’t need to swing for the fences all the time because that can get you in trouble in the points. There’s a lot to think about.”
If he continues on his current hot streak, he should easily attain that goal, especially with three of the four remaining Elite Series events above the Mason-Dixon line, assuming the mystery lake event is in the upper Midwest or Great Lakes region.
“I’ve always done well up north,” he said. “If you look at my history on Champlain, Oneida and even Erie, it doesn’t matter. It’s kind of my comfort zone.”
