Story by Sean Alvarez | Photos by Tanner & Travis Lyons
When the sun rises, the gazelle knows that it must outrun the fastest lion in order to survive while the lion knows that it must outrun the slowest gazelle in order to eat.
It doesn’t matter whether you are a lion or a gazelle. When the sun comes up, you’d better be running!
A wise man once shared the above adage with me as a young kid and it has stuck with me ever since as it applies not only in life, but also to bass fishing competition.
Having just competed in my first NPFL tournament on Santee Cooper, I witnessed a very well-run organization and a top-notch show with lights, cameras, and action. The excitement level of the fans challenged any other league or tournament I’ve been part of in the past. Most impressive is that I observed a great group of exceptionally talented anglers who worked together like family, supported each other, even exchanged lures… yet never once wavered in their pursuit of victory.
On Day 1, there were 118 “lions” ready to launch and pursue their prey. As the tournament progressed, so did the varying winds, crashing waves, huge temperature swings, stinging rain, and muddy waters. Some of those lions rose to be kings of the jungle for the day while others struggled like gazelles with the challenges of adapting to the rapidly changing conditions, missed fish, frustrating equipment issues, or the experience of physical or mental fatigue.
But on the very next day, those same struggling “gazelles” kept running and many outran the lions that were successful the first day. It was impressive to watch first-hand and it was an honor to be a part of the jungle.
To me, handling this dynamic is the mark of a great tournament angler—the ability to keep going despite your missteps, to learn from what is going right and from what is going wrong, to adapt, and to never rest on your laurels from the day before.
With the talent level in the NPFL, it can all change quickly if you take your foot off the gas pedal for even a moment. This field is full of great tournament anglers.
If you love to watch pure bass fishing passion in full form, this is the league to follow – from start to finish.
As you follow along, you’ll see first-hand a team of professional anglers who are not only excellent competitors, but phenomenal human beings as well, and they all have one thing in common: The knowledge that some days they are lions and some days they are gazelles.
When the National Anthem kicks off each competition day and the sun rises to warm us, the wildlife begins to stir, the engines start to roar, and every angler knows that he or she better be running all day long if they want to survive.
Never stop running!
Sean Alvarez – Angler Profile
