Entry 198-4
The Fisherman Minister – Glen Chappelear
Part 4: Dealing with Self-Doubt
Editor’s Note: Glen Chappelear of Acworth, Georgia, fishes the FLW tour and FLW series, but more importantly, he’s the head of Sportsman’s Outreach, a program used to reach outdoorsman through wild-game banquets and hunting and fishing seminars that Strike King sponsors. Many people don’t understand that professional fishermen deal with a lot of stress as fishermen. Pros spend lot of time away from home, and they have family and financial problems, as well as issues with other fishermen and sponsors. Today, Chappelear will tell how he helps fishermen deal with their most common problems.
Question: What advice do you give to a fisherman who says, “I can’t catch fish”?
Chappelear: This is a really-tough question to answer. Most of these fishermen have come up through local tournaments and regional tournaments, and now they are on national level. And a lot of times the competition is much harder, and the fish are more difficult to catch. These guys have done really well in club, state, and even regional tournaments. But when they move up to a national tournament, the competition is so much stiffer, the entry fees are so much more, and people all around them are catching fish when perhaps they aren’t.
Another major factor is that when fishermen move up to a national level they are going to many lakes they have never fished before and competing against other fishermen that have fished those lakes for years. This is when doubt creeps in. “How can I beat a guy who has fished on this lake for 20 years? 
How can I hope to compete against fishermen like Kevin VanDam, Denny Brauer, or George Cochran?” This same fellow practices for three days and catches one keeper bass or none at all. The pressure begins to build up as he begins to doubt his ability. The fish are too fast, and he’s not catching any bass.
When a fisherman tells me he is really struggling and can’t catch any fish, I generally ask him what God is teaching him right then. Then I suggest the guy start praying for wisdom. God created all the bass in the lake; He knows where they live and what they will eat. The Bible says in Psalms 25:1, “The Earth is the Lord’s, and all it contains.” So, I’ll suggest he pray, “God direct me today; show me the places I need to fish, the lures I need to use, and the action I need to give my bait. 
Help me to recognize the trees I need to be fishing.” Then I’ll tell him to go onto the water and try and listen to what God is teaching him.
Question: Do you believe that God can direct Christian fishermen to find and catch bass and that he doesn’t direct fishermen who aren’t Christian?
Chappelear: First off, I do believe that God DOES guide a Christian fisherman, if he will listen to God’s voice, and his life is in harmony with God. The fishermen who don’t have a faith-based religion, but do have certain skills, talents and possibly years of experience can also be very good fishermen.
Next: A Journey of Faith
Contents:
- Part 1: Sportsman’s Outreach
- Part 2: The Fisherman Preacher
- Part 3: Advising the Fishermen
- Part 4: Dealing with Self-Doubt
- Part 5: A Journey of Faith
