NTC recap and appeciation.

Have shared a few things on social media, and plan to do some more there so others outside of our “family” can see it, but I wanted to stop here and share some thoughts.First off, congrats to Roger and Corey for the win. Weve fished against them several times in the past, and while they are great sticks, they are even better people. It was an honor to get to spend some time getting to know them better. (And just so its not too sappy… you guys are going down next year at Regionals! 🙂 )Hands down….. best tournament Ive ever fished. I mean, I dont know any other way to say it. Several factors play in to making it the “best”….I heard the “marathon” term. I heard some say “make sure and get your rest”. Ive fished 13 hour practice days before, and turned around and fished 2 or 3 days of a tournament after that. It cant be more grueling than that I thought. I cant really explain why, but it was. My partner and I laughed a few times because wed say something to each other like “Yesterday we did xyz….”, only to realize “yesterday” was really that morning… but it felt like yesterday. I think the travel and multi sessions a day made it seem longer. And I think fishing different bodies of water that were 1) different and 2) new (to almost all) were mentally draining, which is a big reason it seemed more grueling. Having to think quickly, but not over think was key, and I think the latter really got us on day 2. Kudos to the MN team as I think they did a great job of not over thinking to help them be successful.The format was really, really fun and challenging. We had been on 1 of the 4 lakes before (actually 2, but hadnt been on Norfork in years). And the 1 lake we had been on is where we did the worst. So familiarity wasnt really the key to help, but being able to adapt… and both of the teams that beat us did a MUCH better job of that than we did. Each lake was different, and you didnt have much time to figure something out. We adapted quickly in 1 of the 4 sessions and it paid off. In 2 of the other 3 sessions, we adapted too late, figuring something out in the last 15 – 20 minutes. And in 1 of the sessions, we got bites, and just simply could not catch them. The challenge to figure that out, and looking back on it really makes you want another shot. So… much… fun.Family. It was a competition. Everyone wanted to win. But the commodore was just as present as the competition. It was really neat to see and experience that. While nobody really had a lot of time to visit, you did meet some new family members from different parts of the country. New friends from TX, VA, AL, FL, MN, AR, etc.And lastly, BassCat. Feeling appreciated is a huge understatement. Rick, Dallas, Jason, Joe, and the entire staff were unbelievable. What they did for us (beyond just the opportunity) was amazing. They interacted with us like they had personally known all of us for years. Ive helped many people over the years buy their first Cat, and Ive been told many times by those folks that the one thing I said that helped them make the final decision was that “I will always own a Cat because of the people behind the boat” (and have a few stories I tell to explain). I didnt think anything else could be done to impress upon me a firmer belief it that statement, but I was wrong. These folks showed me even more why Ill always own a Cat, and why Ill continue to share my story with others when they come to me for my opinion. They arent building a customer base, theyre building a family base.To the entire BassCat staff, including those who stayed at the office and held down the fort while the others were taking care of us….. THANK YOU for all you did for us at this event, and for what you do for you customer each and every day!Chuck Campbell