Quite a few things have to go wrong for an angler as accomplished as Mike McClelland to have a year as bad as his 2011 Bassmaster Elite Series campaign turned out. Some of the variables were out of his control, but he puts the blame for one of them squarely on his own shoulders.

"When a bunch of guys absolutely wrecked fish on a jerkbait at Toledo Bend (where he finished 84th), I got frustrated and my confidence level was down," he said.

"That was about halfway through, so I said, 'Okay, I'm getting my butt kicked doing what I'm doing, so it's time to eliminate this and go do something else.

"I went away from my strengths and started fishing the way the year was going – everybody up dirt-shallow. I really started grasping for straws."

Those straws weren't substantial enough to keep even a 165-pounder like himself afloat. He finished the season having cashed a check in just one event (and he barely made the money in that one). The eight-time Classic qualifier (including the last six in a row) ended up No. 85 in the Toyota Tundra B.A.S.S. Angler of the Year (AOY) race.

"When I look back at the years that went well, it seems like there were always one or two key fish that made a big difference, like maybe I'd see a big one coming up just in time and I'd kill the bait and catch it. This year I definitely lost some fish that were costly. There were two or three that kept me from making a check, and catching those might've been enough to keep my confidence where it needed to be."

Conditions weren't Right

McClelland, whose three Elite Series wins are tied for second-best (behind Kevin VanDam) since the inception of the circuit in 2006, turned in some decent finishes on other trails this summer. The best was a runner-up showing at the Table Rock PAA Tournament Series.

He seeks out offshore action whenever feasible, but 2011 was a year that didn't offer up much along those lines on the Elite Series.

"I got in a situation (at Table Rock) where I could fish the way I wanted to fish, so that was all good," he said. "I can say that the lakes (on the Elite schedule) didn't set up all year for me. It was really just an act of Mother Nature – we had a real late spring, and then the season was over so early.

"It seemed like there was high water everywhere we went and there were sight-fish caught in seven of the eight events, and that doesn't resonate well with me. But I did make the decision to quit fishing my strengths, and I ended up trying to do some things that I wasn't comfortable with."

More Time on the Water

McClelland plans to fish considerably more this fall and winter than he did a year ago. He believes that putting himself in situations where's he's likely to hook a bunch will rid himself of some of the bad mojo from the Elite season.

"In years past I've spent quite a bit of time fishing with my wife and boys just for the sheer enjoyment of it," he said. "I've had some commitments and obligations over the last year and a half and we haven't done near as much of that. It helps you stay in tune with the rod and reel and if you're going places where you know you're going to catch them, it can help with your confidence.

"When I look back at the six straight Classics I qualified for, I can remember how well I listened to my instincts during those years and fished the way my gut told me to. This year I tried to plan too hard and I didn't fish by the seat of my pants enough. The two or three tournaments where I was around the fish to have a high finish, I blew those opportunities by not showing up at those places until it was too late."

Notable

> McClelland said by the time Toledo Bend rolled around, he'd already given up the hope of a good finish centered around a jerkbait. "That was a kick in the stomach because I'd thrown them every tournament until then, but I'd taken all of my (Spro) McSticks out of the boat and put them in the truck. I didn't want to catch a bunch of substandard fish on them, and then about four out of the Top 12 used them exclusively."

> His rough season dropped him from 22nd to 99th in the BassFan World Rankings.