By John Johnson
BassFan Senior Editor
Tour-level fishing was originally going to be just a one-shot deal for Billy McCaghren.
The soft-spoken Arkansan qualified for the Bassmaster Elite Series through the 2008 Central Opens and opted to use the money from his victory at the Red River to bankroll a single season on B.A.S.S.' top circuit. He had a very good year, however, and that spurred him to make the venture a longer-term endeavor.
He's never come close to duplicating that initial success in the 5 seasons since, though, and has strongly considered dropping out after each of the past several campaigns. In fact, had it been left entirely up to him, he likely wouldn't be registered to compete in 2015.
He'd decided to let the initial entry-fee deposit deadline pass last month. Wife Norma had other ideas, though – she called B.A.S.S. and completed the process over the phone and didn't tell him about it until the transaction had been finalized.
"She's really the one who made the decision," he said this week. "She said it was just a fluke that I finished as bad as I did this past year (94th on the points list) and that I shouldn't quit just because times got a little tough.
"The whole thing was making me sick. I'm pretty competitive and after doing so poorly this year I wanted a shot at redemption, but I'm prepared to bow out before I bankrupt myself."
Still a Working Man
McCaghren, who'll turn 43 the day after New Year's, spends his offseasons working full-time for his family's steel fabrication business, which is currently immersed in helping to construct a large shopping center. That work affords him far less time to handle the peripheral aspects of being a pro angler than many of his fellow competitors enjoy.
It's particularly a hindrance in seeking out new sponsors.
"Maybe I don't work as hard as that as I need to, but I work as hard as I can," he said. "It's almost like you have to be on the phone for 8 hours a day looking for new ones and there's definitely been times when I've let that go. After I've been at work for 10 hours, I want to get home and play with my little boy (son Callen is 3), not get on the phone.
"I still don't really understand the business part of all this, but I do know the guys who are winning get everything. A certain amount of that can be controlled, but I have to just go out and do it."
From a financial stability perspective, his rookie season remains his high-water mark. That Open victory occurred during the period when the top prize was all cash (more than $51,000).
He believes that scenario has had a direct effect on his performance. After finishing 27th in the Angler of the Year (AOY) race and edging out longtime FLW stalwart Matt Herren for the top rookie title in '09, he's fared no better than 51st in the past 5 years.
"I'd just won that tournament and (the ensuing Elite campaign) wasn't really going to cost me much of my own money – I had enough to make it for a while. That next year I just went out and fished and I didn't care about anything except catching the next fish. Then when I had that success, I saw that I was maybe capable of fishing for a living.
"After my dream of playing professional baseball died, that was the next-best thing. I'd never really thought it was possible, and then once I saw it was, I started putting too much pressure on myself. I've been fishing like I was afraid to fail instead of fishing to do well and for the love of the sport. One of my pet peeves is people making excuses and I found that I was doing that myself instead of looking for solutions."
Pre-Practice Not an Option
The 2015 Elite schedule, which features two events on the West Coast and two in the Northeast, will require a tremendous amount of driving and some long runs from the launch sites. Those hefty fuel expenditures will make it tough on McCaghren, who cashed just a single paycheck this year (he was 26th at Table Rock).
"If I'd had a good year, I could've spent some money and (gone to pre-practice) those places," he said. "I love all the lakes, even though I wish they were laid out a little different as far as travel goes. But that's part of it – I don't make the rules, but if I want to fish, I have to abide by whatever they are."
Another poor season could be his last, whether the end comes via his own decision or a failure to re-qualify for the following year based on performance.
"When I started out, I wanted to retire as a pro fisherman. It's the way I want to make my living, but I've seen what gambling can do to people because I've got some relatives who spent too much time at the casinos or at the horse races. I know how it can devastate a family and I want to be real careful.
"When the season's over, I just want to be able to say that I fished the best that Billy McCaghren could fish all year, which is something I couldn't say after this year. If I can do that, then all the rest will take care of itself."
Notable
> McCaghren is seeking a new title sponsor for 2015 as his deal with Redneck Remedy, the manufacturer of sunburn-relief products, will not be renewed. "I'd like to find one that appreciates hard work, but maybe isn't as into the social media-type stuff. I know that's sort of where all the technology has brought us, but I kind of like the old-school ways."
