Norman, Okla. – There’s an old professional bowling saying that “Strikes are for show and spares and for dough.” In other words, the big shots may garner the most attention, but it’s the less noticeable but still effective efforts that pay the bills at day’s end.

Whether that applies to professional fishing in general and the Elite Series in particular is debatable. Sure, a bunch of 30th and 40th place finishes earn valuable points, and can easily propel an angler to a place in the Bassmaster Classic, or even in the top twelve for the year. At the same time, the really big points, and the chance at big money, are reserved for those who fish through to Sunday. So too is the big time exposure – typically only those who make the top twelve get any meaningful time on ESPN2. Read More