Bertrand’s five must haves
Category: Tournament
Dec 10th, 2015 by OutdoorsFIRST
Modified Dec 10th, 2015 at 12:00 AM
Bass Pro Shops/Mercury pro Josh Bertrand is heading back to the Bassmaster Classic in 2016. The Arizona pro qualified for the second time in his third season fishing the Bassmaster Elite Series.
So, what does an Elite Series pro need to be successful at their job? Plenty. Sponsor support (aka financial backing), familial support, and much more. Bertrand lays out five must haves for him when he is on the road fishing the Elite Series.
Caffeine
Yep, the venerable jack-em-up juice is high on Bertrand’s list.
“I need caffeine,” said Bertrand. “Any form. With the early mornings we have, long days on the water, countless miles driving and averaging maybe five hours of sleep per night, I need it. I feel like a total caffeine junkie sometimes.
“I try to consume less, but I need my coffee or energy drinks.”
Reliable rig
Big shocker here. A solid boat and motor combo is something Josh demands to be successful on the Elite Series and guide back home.
“The schedule on the Elite Series is brutal on a boat and motor,” said Bertrand. “The abuse the rig takes will show the flaws in your boat and motor for sure.
“I run a Nitro/Mercury combo and I totally trust it to come through for me. I am not the most mechanically inclined guy, so I need to have that confidence. I have 100 percent confidence in my rig when I am on the water.”
Sirius XM
Like most of us, Bertrand needs to get his groove on when on a road trip.
“Sirius XM is definitely a necessity when I’m on the road,” said Bertrand. “I spend about fifty thousand miles each year in my truck. Having Sirius lets me listen to my favorite music or tune into a game I want to catch. It has everything.
“It’s a small thing, but a great creature comfort that makes life on the road better.”
Berkley Chigger Craw
Oh yeah, the esteemed soft-plastic craw gets some Elite love from Josh.
“I have boxes and boxes of Chigger Craws,” said Bertrand. “Two colors. Green pumpkin and black with blue flake. Green for clearer water, black for darker water.
“I have total confidence in them. Anywhere we fish. I use them as a jig trailer, flipping bait or even Carolina rigged.
“The 4-inch model is my go-to. I always have bags of them in my boat. You gotta have that smell from PowerBait. I love it.”
Travel partners
It gets awfully lonely on the road if you don’t have friends to chill with. Josh makes sure he has a crew of friends on the road to keep his sanity.
“I need to travel with or stay with someone I like,” said Bertrand. “I am fortunate to have a couple of guys on the Elite Series that I’m friends with, Clifford Pirch and Justin Lucas.
“When we get off the water after practice or a tournament day, it is great to spend an hour or two with your friends to unwind before getting to sleep. You want to have some fun and not be miserable and lonely.
“They are like a second family on the road.”