Why Canada’s top bass anglers keep winning—and what the rest of us can learn from them

COOPER GALLANT

Cooper “Coop” Gallant is one of the latest Canadians to qualify for the Bassmaster Elite Series. He may be only 28, but he’s already making his mark on the series with his strong work ethic and attention to detail. Look out for this fierce competitor as he rises through the ranks to become one of the best in the series. When it comes to maintaining a winning mindset, Gallant points to three key factors.

First, winning starts in your head, he says. As with any competitive sport, anglers need the mindset of a champion, always pushing to be better, and always expecting to win. Fishing is a lot like golf, he says—if you make a bad swing or lose a fish, you can’t let it mess with your head. Instead, you have to shake it off, refocus and get ready for the next opportunity. Winners know how to stay locked in no matter what happens on or off the water, Gallant says.

There are also no shortcuts, he says, stressing that nothing beats time on the water. According to Gallant, the more hours you put in, the more connected you become to fish behaviour, patterns and subtle changes in conditions. Experience gives you the ability to make quick, confident decisions, even when you can’t fully explain why you’re doing something. Sometimes you just feel it, he says, and it clicks in your head—an instinct that only comes from being fully immersed in the process.

Confidence is also key, Gallant says, noting that anglers who consistently win believe in what they’re doing. You can see it in how they talk, how they fish, and how they carry themselves. That self-belief, he says, combined with an intense work ethic, is what separates winners from everyday anglers.