Entry 267-3
Doing It All with Shaw Grigsby
Editor’s Note: Shaw Grigsby of Gainesville, Florida, host of “One More Cast” TV show sponsored by Strike King and airing on the Versus Network from January through June, will fish his 11th Bassmaster Classic in 2009.
Part 3: It’s Okay to Be Me
Question: Shaw, what did you learn on the Elite Series tournament trail this year?
Grigsby: I’ve learned more about myself this year than any other year. And, I’ve finally decided its okay to be me. If you’re Kevin VanDam, you’ll chunk and wind until you find a big mess of fish to catch. VanDam covers a lot of water and finds actively-feeding bass. Now, a fisherman like me won’t locate the numbers of bass VanDam finds, but I attempt to catch every fish I hook on a piece of cover.
I fully maximize my strike-to-catch ratio. 
I try to have the best hooks, baits, lines and rod-and-reel combinations possible for whatever fishing situation I encounter. Then, I’ll know when I set the hook that there’s no excuse for me losing the bass. I can recall each time over the last 2 or 3 years fishing on the Elite Series when losing one to three fish during the course of a year caused me to miss the Classic.
I’ve learned that every bass that bites my hook is critical to my success. Even with the best equipment, you must discipline yourself to make no mistakes. So, I know I may get only 10 bites per day, but I’ll land nine out of 10 of those bass. VanDam may get 40 or 50 bites per day and catch 30 to 40 of those fish. VanDam is one of the best bass fishermen who ever have lived, and my not fishing like him doesn’t bother me. He’s got his style, and I’ve got mine.
The good thing is I’m comfortable with my style of fishing. I’m a methodical fisherman. I’m not good at running and gunning. The best way for me to catch bass isn’t making milk runs, but by slowly and steadily making every cast count. I’m perfectly happy having three stretches of 100-yard bank locations and fishing only those three spots during the course of a tournament.
To learn more about Shaw Grigsby, visit www.one-more-cast.com.
Contents:
- Part 1: Filming and Fishing
- Part 2: So Many New Lures, So Little Time to Fish Them
- Part 3: It’s Okay to Be Me
- Part 4: What’s that Weird-Looking Bait?
- Part 5: Age Ain’t Nothing But a Number
