Kriet Struggles To Make Sense Of 2010 Campaign

Weird.

That's the first word that comes to Jeff Kriet's mind when asked to summarize his 2010 season. He experienced every emotion on the spectrum except the thrill of victory – a sensation that's continually eluded him at the tour level. He hammered fish at events where he expected to struggle

and bombed out at others where he figured to sack 'em good.

And he endured the stress of losing his primary sponsor during a difficult economic period – not due to any performance- or budget-related issues, but rather a new government regulation that many consider Draconian. Both on the water and off, there was always enough turbulence blowing around to keep him from getting too comfortable.

He qualified for his seventh Bassmaster Classic by finishing 26th in the Toyota Tundra Angler of the Year (AOY) race, but that final placement was ultimately a bit of a letdown. He spent most of the season in or near the Top 12 and appeared primed to claim a spot in the two-event post-season that will determine the AOY. That prospect was troubling in its own right, though, because he knew he'd have to quickly find another wrap sponsor for those tournaments after his Longhorn deal was ended by a new law restricting smokeless tobacco advertising.

"I was definitely stressed those last few tournaments," said the 41-year-old Oklahoman. "The (sponsorship issue) is a bummer because it was a branding deal and it worked – everybody knew I was Longhorn.

"The relationship I have with those guys (at the company) isn't going to end – they're my buddies and I've fished with them and done other things. I'm just trying to keep everything positive right now. I'm not making any excuses, but I'll be relieved when I get a new deal locked up."

Surprisingly Strong Start

Kriet truly believed he was destined to win this year's Bassmaster Classic at Alabama's Lay Lake, and only a big final-day bag caught by the great Kevin VanDam kept him from doing just that. It was a disheartening defeat, but it certainly didn't carry over into the new Elite Series campaign as he finished 33rd or better in each of the first four events – all of them tournaments he'd been concerned about because his preferred mode of plying deep waters away from the banks wouldn't play.

Then, after getting through what he foresaw as toughest part of the schedule in great shape, his performance level took a turn for the worse. He missed the Top-47 cut at three of the final four stops and concluded with a dismal 83rd in his home state – an event that had been moved from the flooded Arkansas River out of Muskogee to nearby Ft. Gibson Lake.

"I'd probably fished there five or six times in Redman events (precursors to today's BFLs) back in the day," he said of Ft. Gibson, "and during that half-day of practice we had I could've really caught them. It's an odd deal because sometimes it just seems like things aren't meant to be.

"That first day (of the tournament) I had every opportunity to have a big sack, 18 or 19 pounds, if I'd caught everything I hooked. I lost one close to 6 pounds on a Carolina rig, and then the next day I never got a decent bite. For some reason I was just really out of sync."

He was naturally disappointed in his own showing in a derby so close to home, but came away awed by the performances of others – particularly one angler who went in with a great deal of knowledge of the lake and another who arrived with next to none.

"I was impressed by (winner Tommy) Biffle, even though it's his home lake and he knows it so well. He went out and got it done.

"I was also really impressed with the way (runner-up Skeet Reese) caught 'em. I'm still amazed by Skeet and VanDam and how they keep doing it over and over. They've showed me that my game still needs to be elevated."

Classic Confidence Remains

Kriet again has a good feeling about the upcoming Classic, which will take place in February on the Louisiana Delta out of New Orleans. It'll be a skinny-water affair, but that doesn't concern him.

"I don't mind fishing shallow when I know (the fish) are all going to be shallow," he said. "If I know that's what I'm going up against, it doesn't bother me and I won't even waste time looking (offshore).

"The good thing about New Orleans is you can find fish where you'll never see another boat, and I don't like fishing in a crowd."

He's not quite so enthusiastic about next year's Elite schedule, which was announced a few weeks ago. It includes stops at which he's never fared well, such as the Harris Chain in Florida and the Potomac River in Maryland.

"I don't know how many times I've been there and I think the best I've ever done is 80th," he said of the Harris Chain. "I've been on the fish to do well, but the lake has been a jinx for me. That one year (2007) I sat right across from (eventual winner and travel partner Mike) McClelland, and I could see him catching them and he could see me losing them.

"For some reason that place has my number and I'm kind of dreading going there."

Come January, he'll revisit the Dallas sports psychologist who's helped him the past couple of years in a quest to prevent such thoughts from entering his head once he gets to Florida. The sessions have paid dividends for him and he remains convinced that his initial Elite win is coming soon.

"I keep telling myself I'm due for it and I'm just not satisfied with what I've done. Who knows, I'll probably end up winning one on a frog or a Chatterbait or something goofy like that. I've obviously blown some chances to win a couple out deep.

"The odds are in my favor to win a tournament and I'll stay out there and keep plugging around. Maybe I just need to want to win them all as badly as I want to win the Classic."

Notable

> Kriet obviously wishes he'd have qualified for the post-season, but he's not a big fan of the format. "To me, Skeet's the Angler of the Year this year and he was last year, too. He finished with the most points over eight tournaments."

> He said his aversion to crowds cost him at Ft. Gibson. "I knew the best area of the lake is Toppers (Cove) – that's where they live and there are tournaments every week and that's where they let all the fish go. I checked it and there were 35 boats and 20 locals in there and I said, 'Man, I don't want to deal with this.'''

> As for his primary sponsorship situation, he said, "I'm working on it. I've got a few leads going and hopefully I can sew something up pretty soon."