BASSfest through the eyes of Don Barone

Don Barone takes you through his experience behind the scenes and with his Elite "family" at BASSfest.

Welcome to Chickamauga Lake and BASSfest…this shot is from the front yard of where Paul Elias, Shaw Grigsby and I stayed for the week and this...
Welcome to Chickamauga Lake and BASSfest…this shot is from the front yard of where Paul Elias, Shaw Grigsby and I stayed for the week and this…
…is from inside the place…Shaw figured out how to grill marshmallows on the electric stove which he did every night until...
…is from inside the place…Shaw figured out how to grill marshmallows on the electric stove which he did every night until…
…bedtime.
…bedtime.
Okay…so I was late…sorry…but welcome to registration day where...
Okay…so I was late…sorry…but welcome to registration day where…
…Marshals met to go over the rules and...
…Marshals met to go over the rules and…
…a little later...
…a little later…
…Elite Angler J Todd Tucker...
…Elite Angler J Todd Tucker…
…current AOY leader Mark Davis...
…current AOY leader Mark Davis…
…and Gary Klein...
…and Gary Klein…
…got briefed on the rules by this guy, Tournament Director Trip Weldon who also welcomed...
…got briefed on the rules by this guy, Tournament Director Trip Weldon who also welcomed…
…the 38 other anglers who showed up to fish against the best in the world at BASSfest.
…the 38 other anglers who showed up to fish against the best in the world at BASSfest.
I took this photo of Kevin VanDam for one reason…I never see him alone like this, this guy normally lives...
I took this photo of Kevin VanDam for one reason…I never see him alone like this, this guy normally lives…
…in a crowd. So KVD, all by his KVD self, was worth a photo.
…in a crowd. So KVD, all by his KVD self, was worth a photo.
Shout out to these two, Elite Series angler Chris Zaldain and his girlfriend, Trait Crist. The dog they are holding was abandoned by some dirtbag; these two found it, took it in, cleaned it up and named it Nebo, after the mountain they found it wandering on in Arkansas…way to go guys. And to the dirtbag…your time will come.
Shout out to these two, Elite Series angler Chris Zaldain and his girlfriend, Trait Crist. The dog they are holding was abandoned by some dirtbag; these two found it, took it in, cleaned it up and named it Nebo, after the mountain they found it wandering on in Arkansas…way to go guys. And to the dirtbag…your time will come.
After the briefing from Trip came food which for some meant dinner and for others...
After the briefing from Trip came food which for some meant dinner and for others…
…like you know who…meant something entirely different.
…like you know who…meant something entirely different.
Love that tree, would be proud to have the heart of that tree. But out past that tree, BASSfest had begun, so since I don't go out in fast boats after slow fish I stayed at the shindig on land and found...
Love that tree, would be proud to have the heart of that tree. But out past that tree, BASSfest had begun, so since I don’t go out in fast boats after slow fish I stayed at the shindig on land and found…
…this…not so much the top word as...
…this…not so much the top word as…
…DONUTS…fresh made donuts…I mean hot, fresh donuts made by...
…DONUTS…fresh made donuts…I mean hot, fresh donuts made by…
…this dude as you wait. His name is Kris Spengler and he used to be a Nuclear Propulsion Tech on the USS Constellation, from fusion to fryer, got to tell you, Kris makes some great donuts. Thanks, Man.
…this dude as you wait. His name is Kris Spengler and he used to be a Nuclear Propulsion Tech on the USS Constellation, from fusion to fryer, got to tell you, Kris makes some great donuts. Thanks, Man.
BASSfest was a great success for almost everybody who showed up and didn't get turned upside down...
BASSfest was a great success for almost everybody who showed up and didn’t get turned upside down…
…a Chicago White Sox fan...
…a Chicago White Sox fan…
…and me and Rigid Industries' Chris Brown with the ladies of the B.A.S.S. Spin-The-Wheel Booth (which I work spinning the wheel any chance I get). The ladies from left to right: April, Faith and Maria…thank you so much for letting me in the booth, appreciate all your help.
…and me and Rigid Industries’ Chris Brown with the ladies of the B.A.S.S. Spin-The-Wheel Booth (which I work spinning the wheel any chance I get). The ladies from left to right: April, Faith and Maria…thank you so much for letting me in the booth, appreciate all your help.
Yeah…I see a dog, I take a photo of it…not so much for cats.
Yeah…I see a dog, I take a photo of it…not so much for cats.
A bunch of local media turned out at BASSfest to interview the boys...
A bunch of local media turned out at BASSfest to interview the boys…
…even the national media guys like the legend, Louie Stout…and BTW the guy he is interviewing one of my
…even the national media guys like the legend, Louie Stout…and BTW the guy he is interviewing one of my “sons” out on the road, James Niggemeyer, who is having a great year EXCEPT he keeps saying he will buy me dinner, but seems to forget some…just like regular sons…
…one of the cool things about BASSfest was the seminars given by the pros…that's my buddy Skeet up there showing the crowd how to Pitch or Flip or something.
…one of the cool things about BASSfest was the seminars given by the pros…that’s my buddy Skeet up there showing the crowd how to Pitch or Flip or something.
You see that guy on the left, that's B.A.S.S Conservation Director Gene Gilliland. What he's doing is taking the temp of the holding tanks for the Bass backstage which...
You see that guy on the left, that’s B.A.S.S Conservation Director Gene Gilliland. What he’s doing is taking the temp of the holding tanks for the Bass backstage which…
…turned out to be to warm so a bunch of ice was dumped in...
…turned out to be to warm so a bunch of ice was dumped in…
…to make sure the water was the right temp for the bass, all of which...
…to make sure the water was the right temp for the bass, all of which…
…after being weighed in were taken back out to the lake and freed.
…after being weighed in were taken back out to the lake and freed.
A side note here, sometime soon I'm going to do a story with Gene about conservation, something I wasn't particularly interested in when I first got inside the outside until...
A side note here, sometime soon I’m going to do a story with Gene about conservation, something I wasn’t particularly interested in when I first got inside the outside until…
…I started looking around and seeing the beauty of the lakes and in doing so realized...
…I started looking around and seeing the beauty of the lakes and in doing so realized…
…that's it's up to us to save this stuff. To think we own it is just flat out foolish; we are just stewards of the lakes, the water, the fish; we are just guarding it for those who come after us. I now believe this to be the most important story I may do…look for my talk with Gene to come up soon.
…that’s it’s up to us to save this stuff. To think we own it is just flat out foolish; we are just stewards of the lakes, the water, the fish; we are just guarding it for those who come after us. I now believe this to be the most important story I may do…look for my talk with Gene to come up soon.
I'm not sure what you call a mess of Bass boats like this, but that's probably a million bucks of fiberglass rockets sitting there. BTW I would call them a
I’m not sure what you call a mess of Bass boats like this, but that’s probably a million bucks of fiberglass rockets sitting there. BTW I would call them a “Ton” of Bass boats but in truth that would only be technically…one boat…since each boat weighs about 2,000 pounds give or take.
And in came the anglers…Dean Rojas...
And in came the anglers…Dean Rojas…
…KJ…Kelly Jordon or
…KJ…Kelly Jordon or “Jordan” as it is sometimes misspelled…
…Stephen Browning...
…Stephen Browning…
…Edwin Evers and Randy Howell...
…Edwin Evers and Randy Howell…
…and Ike…who I only call Michael.
…and Ike…who I only call Michael.
Oh yeah, BASSfest also featured some college anglers...
Oh yeah, BASSfest also featured some college anglers…
…like these guys…now here's a problem coming up...
…like these guys…now here’s a problem coming up…
…I stuck my camera in these young men faces and asked them their names and colleges...
…I stuck my camera in these young men faces and asked them their names and colleges…
…which they told me loud and clear and which I forget loud and clear since I didn't write any of them down. So to show I care about you dudes, if you see these photos and that's you in them, message me with your name, and the name of the school your parents are writing the check to and I will go back into this and add your names…and if Mom and Dad are paying, give me their names and I'll put those names in here as well…only fair.
…which they told me loud and clear and which I forget loud and clear since I didn’t write any of them down. So to show I care about you dudes, if you see these photos and that’s you in them, message me with your name, and the name of the school your parents are writing the check to and I will go back into this and add your names…and if Mom and Dad are paying, give me their names and I’ll put those names in here as well…only fair.
I got this college kid's name, though…it's Carson Orellana of Mitchell Community College…made him stop and get out of the truck and stand next to his boat…his boat with...
I got this college kid’s name, though…it’s Carson Orellana of Mitchell Community College…made him stop and get out of the truck and stand next to his boat…his boat with…
…this saying printed on it. I wrote that saying in this <a href=
…this saying printed on it. I wrote that saying in this story. Spooked me some since I have never seen anything I wrote on anything other than paper and laptop screen. Still kind of freaked actually.
You are going to love these next few photos and story. You see, I spot those two kids fishing off the bank near BASSfest so I'm thinking…surprise time…so I go get...
You are going to love these next few photos and story. You see, I spot those two kids fishing off the bank near BASSfest so I’m thinking…surprise time…so I go get…
…Elite angler Davy Hite and bring him over to the kids...
…Elite angler Davy Hite and bring him over to the kids…
…but before he comes with me he says,
…but before he comes with me he says, “Hang on, db…” and he runs to his truck and gets the kids some bait which…
…he ties on for the kids...
…he ties on for the kids…
…and then starts fishing with them…probably been some time now that Davy has actually thrown…a bobber…but...
…and then starts fishing with them…probably been some time now that Davy has actually thrown…a bobber…but…
…by golly…Hite is also a PerchMaster…HUGE shout out to Davy for doing this…now…Davy and those two kids saw and heard me ask their names and write it down…BUT…BUT…I left the notebook in the rental car in Knoxville…so if you are these kids…send me your name and I will put it in this and I'll also send you some bait stuff just because I can't seem to remember squat any more. 
<i> Edit: Their names are Peyton Bishop and Blake Cofer. </i>
…by golly…Hite is also a PerchMaster…HUGE shout out to Davy for doing this…now…Davy and those two kids saw and heard me ask their names and write it down…BUT…BUT…I left the notebook in the rental car in Knoxville…so if you are these kids…send me your name and I will put it in this and I’ll also send you some bait stuff just because I can’t seem to remember squat any more.
Edit: Their names are Peyton Bishop and Blake Cofer.
Check this out, you ever wonder what it is like to drive up to the stage on Championship Sunday…well, here you go...
Check this out, you ever wonder what it is like to drive up to the stage on Championship Sunday…well, here you go…
…I'm inside one of the Toyota Tundras in line…and no...
…I’m inside one of the Toyota Tundras in line…and no…
…I'm not driving…Lisa Talmadge is…so we are moving down the line and stop where...
…I’m not driving…Lisa Talmadge is…so we are moving down the line and stop where…
…these people start waving to Lisa…except that guy in green who just had his subscription to Bassmaster Magazine mysteriously disappear...
…these people start waving to Lisa…except that guy in green who just had his subscription to Bassmaster Magazine mysteriously disappear…
…we are inching up...
…we are inching up…
…to the weigh-in stage...
…to the weigh-in stage…
…and the crowd is getting bigger...
…and the crowd is getting bigger…
…check out the mirror, that's Hackney reaching in for his fish…but it wasn't enough weight to beat...
…check out the mirror, that’s Hackney reaching in for his fish…but it wasn’t enough weight to beat…
…this guy…Jacob Wheeler…and this is...
…this guy…Jacob Wheeler…and this is…
…how it looked when he won and I was to close to the stage having just jumped out of the truck.
…how it looked when he won and I was to close to the stage having just jumped out of the truck.
But to me, the coolest part of BASSfest was found right here...
But to me, the coolest part of BASSfest was found right here…
…and here...
…and here…
…and here...
…and here…
…here, too. It was Father's Day, and in the crowd and behind the scenes, lots of...
…here, too. It was Father’s Day, and in the crowd and behind the scenes, lots of…
…Elite dads and their children...
…Elite dads and their children…
…lots of Elite children showed up to watch...
…lots of Elite children showed up to watch…
…and dream.
…and dream.
Even B.A.S.S. employees got to be with their dads. That's Jim Sexton, the guy who mainly has to deal with me at B.A.S.S and his dad, Lynn…a Hall Of Fame High School Basketball coach in Knoxville.
Even B.A.S.S. employees got to be with their dads. That’s Jim Sexton, the guy who mainly has to deal with me at B.A.S.S and his dad, Lynn…a Hall Of Fame High School Basketball coach in Knoxville.
But the absolute coolest part of backstage at BASSfest was when this young man, my editor at B.A.S.S. Chris came up to me as I was standing by a power generator and told me,
But the absolute coolest part of backstage at BASSfest was when this young man, my editor at B.A.S.S. Chris came up to me as I was standing by a power generator and told me, “db, we haven’t told many people yet, but I’m going to be a dad.” I will always remember BASSfest for the fine folks of Tennessee, for the great lake, for Davy Hite and the kids, but the one thing from it etched in my soul was being able to welcome Chris and Whitney’s baby, the newest Elite to the family, B.A.S.S.
And yes, I was born on Father's day in 1952…so Sunday was my birthday, thank you for all the birthday and Father's Day wishes…as you can see, as soon as the tournament was over, I hopped on a plane and headed home to…PAR-TAY!!!
And yes, I was born on Father’s day in 1952…so Sunday was my birthday, thank you for all the birthday and Father’s Day wishes…as you can see, as soon as the tournament was over, I hopped on a plane and headed home to…PAR-TAY!!!