Jim Gildea's first experience fishing against a field loaded with tour pros was certainly a memorable one. He performed extremely well on the water, and then learned a valuable lesson in preparation that will serve him well in the future.
The Massachusetts resident finished 7th at last week's Champlain Eastern FLW Series, then was disqualified for having been on the venue during the off-limits period. It was a "rookie mistake" in the classic sense of the term and he self-reported the violation.
"It was my first big event, and I'd hate for someone else to make that same mistake," he said Tuesday. "The bottom line was that I really should've read the rules more carefully.
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