Experiencing “runner’s high” has produced fishing highs for Aaron Martens, namely a runaway win in the Toyota Bassmaster Angler of the Year race this year.
Since getting serious about his running several years ago, Martens has been on a tear with two AOY titles in the past three seasons. He credits running for some of his success, aiding him physically and mentally.
Asked if he achieves runner’s high, best explained as a state of euphoria after a certain amount of physical exertion, Martens answered with an emphatic, two-syllable “Yeah.”
“When I’m done with the run, I’m mentally where I need to be,” he said. “And I think that stays with you. I don’t think people know it until they become a dedicated runner. It does something to you.”
Information on the neurobiological effects of exercise is extensive, but cutting through the scientific jargon of neural plasticity, etc., the benefits include improved physical performance and stress coping
“It does a lot for fishing,” Martens said. “It makes you really fast. It just speeds you up. It definitely makes your reflexes better. I think your judgment is quicker. You’re faster, everything is. All around your metabolism is faster.”
He showed on Bassmaster LIVE how it’s helped him. Seconds after quickly grabbing his winning fish on Chesapeake Bay as it came off the hook, he touted running. He believes his “hard runs” really do give him an edge.
“I run fast. I’ll do some easier runs during the week, but I’ll run really, really hard. Like fishing hard, it’s fun,” he said.
Martens said he averages several runs a week, even during events when he feels dialed in and doesn’t have a lot of tackle work. He believes it increases his mental acuity, which is crucial in developing a tournament plan as well as the minute-to-minute decision on the water.
“The biggest thing in this sport is the mental part,” he said. “I know when some things happened and they bothered me for weeks … but it made me stronger.”
A lot of anglers say fishing is mental, but Martens offers examples, like allowing Bryon Velvick to get into his head. In the 2008 Elite on Falcon, they shared a spot and were both high in the standings after each had a 40-pound plus day.
“I let Byron get in my head and it changed my game plan,” Martens said. “What he was doing kind of screwed me up. I let him do it.”
Velvick made Martens overthink it and go to his secondary spot on the final day, where he caught half of his Day 1 42-0 bag. He fell to fourth when he should have won by 10 pounds and could have set the all-time four-day record.
“That was a big mistake,” Martens said. “I’ve made lots of mistakes over the years. The mistakes are what cost you in this sport. Or letting something get in your head and overthinking something. That’s what it all comes down to. That’s where you can’t be taught, it’s going to take a lot of experience.”
Martens is armed with experience now, and he’s pretty much shed his designation as perennial runner-up. He won two Elite events this year in capturing his third AOY title. The frustrations are few and far between now.
“I get mad sometimes, but it’s not mad at anything, just mad at myself,” he said, adding he likes to take any frustration out on the pavement. “I’ve kicked myself and run. The running helps kind of stabilize it and turn it into a positive. I run good. I like to run. I get a good workout in. I love it.”
Diet is another important side of his healthy lifestyle. Martens burns between 4,000 and 6,000 calories a day while fishing and, despite eating well, he leaves most events needing to gain 5 to 7 pounds.
“I try to get healthy again, that’s why I fatten up,” he said. “I eat a lot of meat, a lot of protein, double what you’re supposed to eat in fruits and vegetables, a lot of chicken and fish. I eat a lot of everything.”
Martens said he goes through about $250 in groceries each week on the road, making his own meals. The only thing unhealthy is working 20-hour tournament days. His wife, Lesley, said she’s constantly fussing at him to get more sleep.
She can’t argue with the results. Her husband is obsessed with fishing, and driven to win more AOY titles.
“That’s been my goal since I started fishing Elites, leading the Angler of the Year race,” Martens said. “You’ve reached the pinnacle of the sport when you can do that.
“To the fishermen, it’s more important than the Classic, I think. The Classic is important because it’s a prestigious event, it’s televised, it’s so huge. Deep down, every angler wants the AOY.”
He clinched this year’s AOY early at Lake St. Clair to tie Mark Davis and Bill Dance with three. Kevin VanDam holds seven titles and Roland Martin tops the charts with nine.
“Kevin, right now, has a lot,” Martens said, targeting his peer. “That’s always been my goal, to have the most before I retire … Four more to go.
“I’ve been close almost every year, it’s just usually I have a bad tournament. The last five or six years, I’ve been really consistent. I try to stay in the Top 5.”
So Martens will fish on Sturgeon Bay this week with the other Top 50 in the AOY standings. While he has nothing to lose, he hopes to gain.
“It will count as a bass victory, so I’m going to try to win it,” he said. “It should be fun. I’ll fish normal.”
Martens hopes to continue his run, leaving the field to chase him.