TAVARES, Fla. — Whoa on the hangin’ a bit here, need to be bustin’ on someone for a second.
Check this out … I get up at 5 a.m., then again at 5:15, 5:20, 5:30 and so on till about 6 when I finally jump up out of bed since I’m almost technically late (almost technically because if I set the alarm clock for the right time to get up and I hit the snooze button on the right time to get up, then I’m not late because I got up at the right time by hitting the button on time).
Threw some stuff on — some of which matches, some of which matched in 1968 — jump into my speed-limited rental car (fixed so it will only go 80 mph, which pretty much takes all the sense out of it being a rental car in the first place) and head to the launch.
Now you should know if you are into facts, launch today was at 7:30 a.m. … something I forgot pretty much around the third beverage last nite.
So I’m going down this back road, pretty much seeing if the speed-challenged rental car, was truly that, when suddenly in the middle of the almost completely dark road … something is standing right about where I’m going through. Hit the brakes, lock them up, dial State Farm.
And I stop 2 feet before a massive insurance increase, get my glasses off the floor, and follow my headlights to …
… an upright vacuum cleaner being all upright right in the middle of the road. Eureka, I think, not sure the model.
So, whoever was vacuuming the road last night … we need to talk.
Back to hangin’ … couple years ago I was here in this exact spot for a Bass Federation Nation Championship and took a picture of a man and his grandson at the weigh-in.
Turns out the guy, Dean Morris is here again … this time as a Marshal who went out today with Derek Remitz. Dean, an ex-Navy SeaBee, lives here on Little Lake Harris and just last week ran a tournament himself … for kids.
The young anglers ranged from 3 ½ (his young grandson E4 … 4th generation Eddie Hook) to 12.
“Me and my grandson E4 were the only two fishing for bass … but at the end, all the kids get a trophy.”
Thanks Dean, and to all of you out there who take kids fishing.
Got photos of two new rookies to the Elites … Brandon Palaniuk, who is younger than the socks I have on … and Lee Sisson who is … not.
Going to do stories with both of them soon, both have some pretty neat things in their past, except Brandon’s past is a lot quicker than Lee’s past. I’d give you a hint but I don’t want other reporter types jumping my story.
One last thing to all the rookies new to the tour this year … look at this photo of James Niggemeyer working on his tackle way past dark. All I have to say is this …
… welcome to the BIGS.
And know this, if you are here, you better give it your all.
It’s not enough.
–db
Don Barone is an award-winning outdoors writer and a member of the New England Outdoor Writers Association and the Outdoor Writers Guild of the U.K. You can reach db at www.donbaroneoutdoors.com.