Life’s funny, you know. Last week I was talking about how hard I worked and how that was necessary for success in this business. That’s true but it isn’t the whole story. Sometimes I just chill and have a good time.
As I write this I’m in Tampa Bay with the pro staff and employees from Power-Pole waiting for ICAST to start. I’d like to say that we’re working real hard testing new products and all that sort of thing, but the truth of the matter is that we’re not working at all. We’re fishing an informal redfish tournament among ourselves, and having a ball doing it.
The Power-Pole systems we’re using are indispensable. They serve at least as much of a function out here as they do on the bass fishing tournament trail. Actually, this is where they were originally developed so that shouldn’t come as a big surprise.
They’ve become as much a part of standard fishing equipment as a trolling motor. When I stop to think about it I can’t believe we caught as many fish as we did back before we had them. It’s amazing, hard to believe.
Back to the tournament: There’s nothing more than pride on the line. I say nothing more than pride but we all know that can be a powerful motivating force. It is here, anyway. We’re (anglers) competitive by nature so it doesn’t take much to get us going.
The show in Huntsville went very well last weekend. The crowds were heavy and the interest was high. If the sport shows are any indication of the health of fishing and hunting, we’re in pretty good shape. That’s reassuring to me. The continuation of our outdoors heritage is mighty important.
I got to meet Jep and Jessica from Duck Dynasty. That was a big deal, at least for me. I’m a big fan of the show, especially the family values they display. They have a unique ability to tease each other and mess with each other but, at the same time, they never forget they’re all part of the same family. Blood is thicker than water, as they say. You have to respect that.
I’ll be working nonstop at ICAST until it’s over on Friday and then I’ll head back to my hometown to celebrate Arnie’s wedding to Brittany. (Talk about a guy getting lucky! Go figure…)
After the wedding I’ll be working on our annual fish camp in Guntersville and then it’ll be time to get ready for the last two Elite Series tournaments. I’m not fishing the Open on Lake Champlain so that frees up a few extra days to prepare for them. It’s time I’ll need. The Delaware River and Cayuga Lake are two very different fisheries. One is a huge tidal river and the other is a natural New York lake. We’ll be shifting gears quickly in August.
Before I go I want to respectfully remind everyone to spend some time in the outdoors this summer, especially fishing. One of the greatest things about our sport is that you can enjoy it at different levels. You don’t have to have a fancy boat or be an expert with the newest and best tackle to catch a few and have some laughs.
Chris Lane’s column appears weekly on Bassmaster.com. You can also find him on Twitter and Facebook or visit his website, www.chrislanefishing.com.