CREDIT:BASSFAN.COM
When the 2007 FLW Tour season was half over, Michael Bennett found himself leading the Angler of the Year (AOY) race. How did he handle the distinction of sitting atop a heap that included some of the best, most-experienced anglers in the world?
Oh, about like a 23-year-old, 3rd-year pro might be expected to.
The young California ace let the points race get into his head. He went away from the approach to tournaments he'd used to garner Top 20s in the first three events, and he paid the price.
He finished no better than 81st over the second half of the campaign and plummeted to 24th in the final standings – 18 places lower than where he'd ended 2006. There was one positive aspect to that tough stretch, though: He knows what not to do when he finds himself in a similar position in the future.
"I learned so much this year, it was ridiculous," he said. "I think I've crossed a big bridge, and now it'll be a matter of carrying what I've learned through (a full season)."