Sunday, June 10, 2007
Bassmaster competitors say fishing no easy task
Serious tournament fishing can require high levels of both physical and mental stamina.
Mark Taylor is outdoors editor at The Roanoke Times.
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HUDDLESTON -- Pro angler John Crews of Salem spent the past two days burning up Smith Mountain Lake's bass.
That's not all he was burning.
"Yesterday during the tournament I burned 4,300 calories," said Crews, whose huge comeback over the past two days put him in Sunday's 12-angler final day of action.
The point?
Fishing may be a way for many people to relax, but not for these guys.
Anglers competing in the Bassmaster Elite Series tournament at Smith Mountain Lake aren't finding a quiet shady spot, parking their boats, popping a cold one and whiling away the hours waiting for a bite.
They're working hard.
Just like always.
"Fishing a tournament, whether it's a local tournament or on the Elite Series, is draining," said 27-year-old Elite Series rookie Bryan Hudgins of Orange Park, Fla. "Being out there on the boat, people think it's nice and pleasurable.
"I played baseball and I can tell you, I was never as tired as I am after a day of tournament fishing."
Serious tournament fishing takes physical and mental stamina, both over the short and long term. It's a job many weekend anglers dream of, but that doesn't mean it's an easy job.
When Californian Skeet Reese first decided to jump from fishing Western events to the largely Eastern Bassmaster pro tour in 1999, the results weren't pretty.
"That first year on the tour was hell," Reese said, shaking his head. "My wife and I lived out of a van for six months.
"It was a Ford Econoline E-350. We took out some seats and had a bed in the back. We'd stay in the occasional motel, but we also stayed at rest stops, wherever."
The season was so draining, Reese had a hard time focusing on what he was supposed to be doing -- catching fish.
"I got pummeled," said Reese, who put 60,000 miles on the van that year. "I cashed one check the entire season."
Reese, 37, is doing better these days. He's leading the Elite Series Angler of the Year points standings. Tied for third heading into today's action, Reese will likely add to that lead.
Tour rookie Casey Ashley of Donalds, S.C., moved into the tournament lead Saturday with his second straight good day. With a three-day total of 47 pounds, 9 ounces, he has a lead of nearly 5 pounds over Dean Rojas of Del Rio, Texas.
Boyd Duckett of Demopolis, Ala., who led the tournament's first two days, was tied with Reese in third.
Crews continued his remarkable comeback from a terrible first day that put him in 81st place.
He moved up to 39th Friday and his Saturday catch of 15 pounds, 14 ounces -- the best of the day -- bumped him into 10th, about 9 pounds behind Ashley.
Saturday was also a good day for two other anglers from Western Virginia.
Jeff Freeman of Max Meadows won the tournament's non-boater division with a total catch of 33 pounds, 6 ounces, capped by a Saturday catch of 12 pounds, 15 ounces.
Despite Freeman's disadvantage of fishing from the back of the boat, only five pros managed heavier catches Saturday.
Second place went to Roanoke's Robert Peaslee, the only co-angler to bring a five-bass limit to the scales all three days.
Both men, who are regulars on the Western Virginia weekend tournament scene, scored boat and motor packages.
With his payday still a day off, Reese spent a few minutes after Saturday's weigh-in taking care of something else: relief for his sore muscles.
Massage therapist Corinna Christian from the Spaaahh at Mariner's Landing was offering the anglers chair massages.
Reese happily accepted.
"A massage therapist and chiropractor at every tournament would be awesome," Reese said.
Standing on the rocking deck of a bass boat in 90-degree heat can be grueling.
Reese said even when he's home between tournaments he gets up at 4 a.m. to work out.
"I have to stay physically fit to stay up to the rigors of being on the road, and on the water," he said.
Crews said he prefers weight training.
"After 2 minutes on a treadmill, I get bored," he said.
He started wearing a heart rate monitor for tournaments earlier this year, and that's how he keeps track of the calories he burns.
That drove home the importances of eating right during a tournament.
Even though every moment of fishing counts, Crews gives up a few precious seconds to eat protein bars and drink an energy shake during a tournament day.
Otherwise, the rail-thin angler said, "you start burning muscle."
The demand of fishing on the pro tour can also be emotional.
The hardest part of the job for Reese is being away from his wife, Kim, and daughters Leamarie, 4, and Courtney, 11 months.
"Whenever I'm gone for a while and come home, they're stand-offish," said Reese, who during weigh-ins always makes sure to say "hi" to his wife and girls, who watch the action live on the Internet.
The fact that fishing on the pro tour is not cheap also can contribute to the pressure, especially for tour newcomers who might not have the sponsor backing that some tour veterans have established.
"Basically, if you don't get a check and you're fishing several tournaments in a row on the road, it can get stressful," said Hudgins, who has just a few modest sponsors.
Hudgins doesn't have to worry about that after this event. He won $10,250 for finishing 23rd. Even after expenses -- including the $5,000 entry fee -- he made a decent living over the past week or so.
And now it starts again.
"After a tournament, you're worn out, your stuff is a mess, but you pack up and go on to the next one," he said.
"But I wouldn't trade this for anything in the world."
PROFESSIONAL STANDINGS
(No./lbs.-oz)
Angler Saturday Total 1. Boyd Duckett, Demopolis, Ala. 5/15-5 10/33-14
1. Casey Ashley, Donalds, S.C. 5/14-8 15/47-9
2. Dean Rojas, Grand Saline, Texas 5/11-8 15/42-15
3. Skeet Reese, Auburn, Calif. 15 5/10-15 15/41-9
3. Boyd Duckett, Demopolis, Ala. 14 4/7-11 14/41-9
5. Takahiro Omori, Emory, Texas 5/14-9 15/40-1
6. Terry Scroggins, San Mateo, Fla. 5/15-9 15/39-14
7. John Murray, Phoenix, Ariz. 5/11-2 15/39-10
8. Matthew Sphar, Pavilion, N.Y. 5/11-8 15/39-7
9. Morizo Shimizu ,Murrieta, Calif. 5/12-1 15/38-8
10. John Crews, Salem 5/15-14 14/38-1
11. Dave Wolak, Wake Forest, N.C. 5/10-1 15/37-14
12. Mike Wurm, Hot Springs, Ariz. 5/11-8 15/37-10
NON-BOATER FINAL STANDINGS Angler Saturday Total
1. Jeff Freeman, Max Meadows, Va. 5/12-15 15/33-6
2. Robert Peaslee, Roanoke 5/11-9 15/31-12
3. Tom Frink, Simi Valley, Calif. 5/9-2 13/28-0
4. Joel Etheredge, Springville, Ala. 5/14-15 11/25-13
5. Lance Peck, Tulsa, Okla. 5/13-1 10/24-9
6. Keith Sykes, Clintwood, Va. 2/3-2 11/21-8
7. James Garrett, Buena Vista 6 1/2-15 6/21-3
8. Charlie Raia, Gardendale, Ala. 4/11-5 9/20-10
9. Tommy Swindle, Cleveland, Ala. 5/10-3 10/18-7
10. Chris Gepford, Sterling, Va. 2/6-3 9/18-3
11. Tom Ibrahimi, Alexandria, Va. 2/5-6 7/17-4
12. Jimmy Sparks, Tuscumbia, Ala. 3/5-1 9/17-2
13. David Clements, Arrington, Va. 4/10-2 8/17-1
14. Fred Harris, Raleigh, N.C. 1/2-2 7/16-14
15. Frank Mealer, Irondale, Ala. 2/5-7 7/16-4
16. Timothy Bailey, Oceana, W.Va. 3/4-9 9/15-15
17. Steve Miller, Mechanicsville, Md. 0/0-0 8/15-5
18. Jimmy Swindle, Gardendale, Ala. 1/3-1 6/14-11
19. David Hill, Fayetteville, W.Va. 2/5-7 6/14-6
19. John Cole, Buena Vista 3/5-2 6/14-6
21. Daniel Ray, Towe Salem 3/5-5 8/14-5
22. Matthew Eubank, Evington, Va. 2/4-11 6/13-11
23. Ben Reynolds, Callands, Va. 2/5-8 5/13-8
24. William Sport, Smth Mpl Grv, Minn. 4/6-0 8/13-7
25. Shawn Huwar, Fredericksburg, Va. 4/6-11 7/13-0
26. Ron Parks, Lexington, N.C. 2/5-2 6/12-13
27. Eulon Lee Jr., Montgomery, Ala. 1/1-5 7/12-5
27. Derik Hudson, Appomattox, Va. 0/0-0 6/12-5
29. Jason Terry, Rural Retreat 2/4-2 6/12-1
30. Robert Hudson, Lynchburg, Va. 1/2-0 5/11-12
31. Greg Ray, Bandy, Va. 2/4-3 6/11-9
32. Mark Clingenpeel, Boones Mill, Va. 2/3-13 6/11-4
33. Todd Schaaf, Purcellville, Va. 1/1-6 5/11-2
34. Harry Parten, Columbiana, Ala. 2/4-9 5/10-14
35. Joseph Ivers, Nokesville, Va. 2/3-12 4/10-5
36. Mary Delgado, Tampa, Fla. 1/1-9 4/9-9
37. Lawrence Sifert, Scottsdale, Ariz. 1/1-8 4/9-8
38. Michael Smith, Forest 0/0-0 4/9-
39. Daniel Eubank, Moneta 1/3-3 5/9-0
40. Jeff Camp, Wht Sphr Spgs, W.Va. 0/0-0 4/8-12
41. Bryan Miller, Chesterfield, Va. 1/1-5 4/8-8
42. Donald Sheffey, Concord, Va. 0/0-0 4/7-12
43. Robert Austin, Buena Vista, Va. 1/1-8 5/7-7
44. Mark Proctor, Eagle Rock, Va. 0/0-0 2/7-6
45. Brian Hite, Glade Hill, Va. 1/1-9 4/7-4
46. Gary Arthur, Lynchburg, Va. 0/0-0 4/7-3
47. Tom Embry, Williamsburg, Va. 0/0-0 2/6-6
48. Brandon Pedigo, Lawton, Okla. 0/0-0 4/6-2
49. Tony Coleman, Buena Vista, Va. 0/0-0 3/6-0
50. Walter Dixon, Lynchburg, Va. 0/0-0 2/5-14
