Greg Vinson's progression during his 3 years on the Bassmaster Elite Series has been impressive. The Alabamian, who transitioned over to the circuit after just one season on the FLW Tour, has gone from 56th in the Angler of the Year (AOY) race in 2009 to 30th in 2010 to 11th this year.
He naturally would like to see his trend of upward mobility continue in 2012. But his situation won't be the same – not by a longshot.
Wife Stephanie is set to deliver the couple's first child, a boy who'll be named Gaige, on Feb. 11. If everything goes as planned, his son's birth will take place less than 2 weeks before he competes in his second straight Bassmaster Classic.
Stephanie works a full-time job, so she and the baby won't accompany him on the road in 2012. That means he'll have to try to focus on fishing in places like Florida, Wisconsin and New York when he'd rather be at home.
That can be a hard thing to do, as guys like Edwin Evers and John Murray (two veteran Elite Series pros who've become first-time fathers in recent years) can attest. At least the schedule is more spread out next year, with just two sets of back-to-back events (instead of the four in 2011) that can keep an angler away from home for as much as a month at a time.
"That's going to help, especially with pre-practice since I didn't have to try to jam it all into the off-season before the Classic," he said. "I should be able to squeeze in a couple of trips later on.
"It was such a struggle early in my career and I was doing everything I could just to stay out there, and having a baby then just wasn't financially feasible. Fortunately things have improved and I've established myself a little bit and we're a lot more comfortable with it now."
Seeing a lot of Red
Speaking of the 2012 Classic, the Red River in Louisiana will be one of several new venues that Vinson will encounter next year. It won't be unfamiliar to him by the time the event rolls around in February, though.
He got a look at it in October while on his way to Lake Conroe for the Toyota Texas Bass Classic, and then another last month as part of a trip to pick up his new boat from Skeeter headquarters in Kilgore, Texas. He'll see it one more time next week, before it goes off-limits Dec. 13, on another Skeeter-related excursion.
"On that initial trip I just tried to get a feel for the river and what it had to offer as far as types of cover, and I did a lot of riding and looking then," he said. "I did a little more fishing on the second trip and this time I'll maybe explore a little bit. I found a couple of places on the satellite imagery that I'd like to check out.
"It definitely suits my style of fishing and I feel good about it. Being 2 months out, the biggest thing is going to be what the weather's going to do – I'll have to prepare for every scenario. But it all makes sense to me because a lot of the areas are like some of the rivers here in Alabama. I'm comfortable with the way it fishes and hopefully I can make the right adjustments and have a good tournament."
Lots of Checks, but Wants a Win
Vinson has yet to finish higher than 11th in an Elite Series tournament – a feat he accomplished twice this year – but he's missed the money just three times out of 16 events since the start of the 2010 season. He's had only one true bomb during that timeframe (a 91st at Clarks Hill last year).
"I've learned each year how to better prepare for each tournament and I've built up a lot of confidence in my decision-making," he said. "This year I made a lot of decisions on the fly, like leaving areas with the hope that the move would pay off. A lot of what turned out to be good decisions on the second and third days helped me get some of those higher finishes.
"Versatility is so important right now and I think I've improved in all the different techniques. Over the course of a season, just a few extra fish can make all the difference. It comes down to presentation and execution – getting the strike and then getting that key fish into the boat. A few fish can make the difference between making the Classic or not, or making the Top 12 or not.
"Now the two big things that are missing on my résumé are a win and the Angler of the Year," he continued. "I've proven that I can compete at the Elite level, and if I could get that first major win it would really get my name out there and it would be a big help to me and my sponsors."
Next year the schedule doesn't seem to be as favorable to him as the past couple have, as there are no Alabama events (as opposed to three in or very near his home state in 2011). But then again, his worst finish this year was at Pickwick (64th).
"I'm trying to keep an open mind about it and I'm focusing on the fact that a lot of us will be dealing with the same thing. Some of the destinations will be new for a lot of us, so it'll be a pretty even field. As long as I prepare the right way and focus on execution, I should still do well."
Like this year, the campaign opens with two events in Florida. He cashed checks in both last spring and is confident that he can do as well or better this time around.
"Some guys have a love-hate relationship with Florida, but I like it and I have a lot of experience there, and maybe that can help me out. If I could get off to another good start there, it would lay a solid foundation for the rest of the season."
Notable
> Vinson announced that he recently added Bandit Lures to his sponsorship portfolio. "I've been using them since I started fishing club tournaments in 2001 and they've been a big part of my success coming up through the ranks," he said. "I'm excited because they've got some new products coming out and I'll have the opportunity to help with the development of some in the future."
