Martens: I love the outdoors, thanks to dad

Aaron Martens' father died the week of the Bassmaster Classic, but Martens feels close to his dad everytime he's out in nature.

As a professional angler I get the luxury of enjoying the outdoors more days than not. Spending time outside, on the water, on a trail or simply in our backyard garden  being outdoors is something I enjoy. 

As many of you might have read, I lost my dad the evening before the Bassmaster Classic after his long battle with polyneuropathy. I’ll miss him, but every time I get outdoors, I’ll think of him. It’s been a busy few weeks and I wasn’t quite ready to share it, but now I’d love to share a little about my dad, myself and the great outdoors with you.

Before I could even walk, I hiked; I might have been hitching a ride on my dad’s back, but we were outdoors exploring nature. Once I could walk, I was down on my own feet tagging along with my dad, my brothers, and occasionally, my mom. We’d take two or three trips every year exploring every close mountain range from the Los Angeles National Forest and the Sierra Madre Mountains to the Sierra Nevada Mountains, and we even ventured to Mexico for a trip. At the age of seven, I made my first hike to the top of Mt. Whitney. Later at the age of 16, I did it again, this time on the much more technical north face.

The thing I relished most about those trips was the peace and tranquility of the outdoors. We packed light, slept under the stars and sometimes we’d go several days without seeing another person. 

My dad wasn’t the fisherman in the family, but my brothers and I would always do a little fishing on our hikes. As an adult, I took him fishing from time to time, but he didn’t like being cooped up on the boat. He’d have me let him off at the shore and he’d hike the hills around the lake while I fished, and then I’d pick him up hours later. When it came to fishing, it was my mom who really became my partner and assisted me in getting to where I am, but that’s a story for another time. 

As a young child, I was often able to tag along with my dad while he worked. He owned and operated a pool cleaning service. He had over 100 pools that he took care of around Hollywood, Brentwood and the surrounding areas. There were some really nice ones, and he even worked on Lucille Ball’s for a time. I spent a lot of time with him driving from pool to pool and helping him. He was a hard worker and really prided himself in doing a great job for his customers. I’d like to think that work ethic has been instilled in me. 

He lived with polyneuropathy for at least six years, and who knows how many years before he was diagnosed. He was a strong and athletic man. He ran two marathons, loved fitness and really loved when his boys played sports. He really wanted me to be a professional volleyball player. It was hard for him to go from being a strong athletic man to fully immobile in the span of a few years. I tried to visit as often as I could. He loved to share stories about the past and current events, but I could tell he wanted to get out  get outside and be like he once was. It was tough on all of us; we all wanted that for him, but it wasn’t meant to be. What impressed me the most about him, is that through all of it, I never heard him complain  not once. My dad always had an amazing sense of humor, loved making impersonations and loved making people laugh; he had us laughing with him up until the very end.

I have fans all around the country, but I know my biggest two fans have always been my mom and dad. My dad was a very practical man; early on, he didn’t see the value for me in becoming a pro angler. But he was always supportive, and it didn’t take too long for him to see it was the right choice. I think the thing he wanted most for me professionally was a Bassmaster Classic win. It didn’t happen while he was here to see it, but I believe someday it will. When it does happen, he’ll be there looking down on me and smiling, proud of me; the way I was always proud of him.

I also wanted to share what my mom wrote for my dad’s obituary:

Jerry Martens, 75, of West Hills, Calif., passed away at home on Feb. 19, 2015. Jerry, originally from Chicago, was preceded in death by both of his parents, two brothers, and one sister. He is survived by his wife of 55 years, Carol; their three sons, Brian, Chris and Aaron; and six grandchildren, Brad, Justin, Amber, Devin, Jordan and Spencer. 

Jerry was an avid outdoorsman and backpacker. He had strength of body and an even stronger faith in God, accompanied by a terrific sense of humor. All of that making his full-time care by his wife and others in the past five years pleasurable. All were blessed who knew him.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to Samaritan’s Purse. Headed by Franklin Graham, they reach all around the world with many worthy causes. God Bless you. The Martens family