Mr. Jones goes to Washington
by Alton Jones:  Bassmaster.com
March 25, 2008

What a thrill and opportunity! As you read this, I'm in Washington, D.C., getting ready to meet, meeting, or having just met the President of the United States. I'll be there with my family, Judy Wong (winner of the Women's Bassmaster Tour Championship), Tom Ricks (General Manager of BASS) and James Hall (Editor of Bassmaster Magazine).

We're meeting with George W. Bush in the Oval Office, and it's going to be one of the most exciting and humbling moments of my life. Although I've met Mr. Bush before, a trip to the nation's capitol is something special.

I've been thinking about what I want to say to the President and what I'll do in my few moments with him. Creating the right impression has become extremely important to me since winning the Classic.

I've always been aware of how important first impressions are when meeting someone new. It's always been important to me to represent myself, my family and the sport of bass fishing well, but it's even more critical after winning the Classic.

The number of requests I have to sign autographs is up 100-fold. Before winning, I was stopped occasionally when out in public. Now it's happening all the time and everywhere. Luckily, I really enjoy meeting people, and I'm absolutely flattered that they want to meet me or get my autograph.

I also realize that it'll probably be the only time I get to spend with them — those few seconds that I shake hands with them or sign an autograph. I have only 30 seconds or a minute to create an image that will last a lifetime. Winning the Classic adds to that responsibility. I know they'll not only form an opinion of me, but also of our sport, my faith and my family. I take it very seriously.

And I have to watch out for the things that can get in the way of making the right impression, like fatigue. With all the calls, interviews and the Elite Series season that's just started, I find myself tired a lot, and I can't let that turn into a bad impression. Even though there are times when I'd just like to rest or relax with my family, I know that if there's a request for an autograph or an interview, I need to do it.

Winning the Classic has been an amazing experience, and it comes with some pretty big responsibilities... at least I feel that it does.

I can't wait to tell you about my White House experience! Stay tuned!