On Friday, Ish Monroe was competing in a tournament in Cullman, Ala., Saturday morning, he was standing in the Greenville Convention Center.
His motivation: Representing his sponsors and visiting with fans of the sport he loves.
A former Bassmaster Elite angler, Monroe currently competes on another circuit. Business commitments, he said, transcend competitive boundaries.
“It was a five-hour drive, but I’m here for my sponsors and for the fans,” Monroe said. “It’s not about the (fishing) leagues, it’s about where the fans are.
“The Bassmaster Classic Expo is still the biggest show in fishing and the fans are here. You can see it — there are thousands of fans here. They’re the ones who go out and buy our products, so I have to go out and support my sponsors any way I can and this is one of the best ways of doing it.”