db: Elites answer fan questions

Don Barone hits the parking lot at BASSfest and asks Bassmaster Elite Series anglers fan questions from Facebook.

Okay, okay, so I somehow talked Bassmaster.com into doing an experiment, yep, here’s the premise, outside my door where I’m staying for this BASSfest stuff, outside my door I have a ton of anglers also staying at the same joint, alright, so I’m thinking what if I just put my slippers on and walk out and start talking to them, but, but, but wait, let’s have some fun with this so...
Okay, okay, so I somehow talked Bassmaster.com into doing an experiment, yep, here’s the premise, outside my door where I’m staying for this BASSfest stuff, outside my door I have a ton of anglers also staying at the same joint, alright, so I’m thinking what if I just put my slippers on and walk out and start talking to them, but, but, but wait, let’s have some fun with this so…
…so, so I get this idea, I’ve talked to these Elite dudes hundreds of times, maybe actually 3,014 times, so, I’m thinking they may be sick of me asking questions, but, but, they’ve never heard you ask them anything, so I go on Facebook and I say something like, “Hey here’s your chance to ask the Elites a question, but don’t be asking any dumb questions or I will unfriend you,” and then I sit back watching Facebook and drinking root beer, and BOOM…you got bunches of questions, great questions so I pick two Facebook friends and their questions, I pick...
…so, so I get this idea, I’ve talked to these Elite dudes hundreds of times, maybe actually 3,014 times, so, I’m thinking they may be sick of me asking questions, but, but, they’ve never heard you ask them anything, so I go on Facebook and I say something like, “Hey here’s your chance to ask the Elites a question, but don’t be asking any dumb questions or I will unfriend you,” and then I sit back watching Facebook and drinking root beer, and BOOM…you got bunches of questions, great questions so I pick two Facebook friends and their questions, I pick…
…this dude…Andy Lawrence because of the great question he would ask the Elites if he was staying in my cabin and not me, here’s his question…Question #1: “Do you leave it all on the water?” Boom great question he wants to know if the Elites give 100 percent all the time…I know the answer to that, but this is Andy’s gig so…then I pick another Facebook friend and his question, I pick...
…this dude…Andy Lawrence because of the great question he would ask the Elites if he was staying in my cabin and not me, here’s his question…Question #1: “Do you leave it all on the water?” Boom great question he wants to know if the Elites give 100 percent all the time…I know the answer to that, but this is Andy’s gig so…then I pick another Facebook friend and his question, I pick…
…this guy…John Foster, by the way I’m basically stealing these photos off their Facebook page or John here would be looking at me, but John’s question was also very cool, if he was in my cabin instead of me he would ask the Elites out there this, Question #2: “Is fishing still fun or is it work?” Dude hits it out of the park with that one, okay, so the experiment is working, I write down both Question #1, and #2, grab a pad and pen and walk outside to ask the Elites what Andy and John would like to know. John, Andy…here’s your answers…
…this guy…John Foster, by the way I’m basically stealing these photos off their Facebook page or John here would be looking at me, but John’s question was also very cool, if he was in my cabin instead of me he would ask the Elites out there this, Question #2: “Is fishing still fun or is it work?” Dude hits it out of the park with that one, okay, so the experiment is working, I write down both Question #1, and #2, grab a pad and pen and walk outside to ask the Elites what Andy and John would like to know. John, Andy…here’s your answers…
Matt Lee:

<br>Question #1: Do you leave it all on the water?

<br>“No because I have to have some left when I get off the water to prepare for the next day, have to have something left to sit in my boat for a couple hours after weigh-in and get everything ready and what my strategy will be for the next day.”

<p>Question #2:  Is fishing fun still or is it work?

<br>“It’s fun, if you are not having fun at what you do you don’t have the right job.”
Matt Lee:

Question #1: Do you leave it all on the water?

“No because I have to have some left when I get off the water to prepare for the next day, have to have something left to sit in my boat for a couple hours after weigh-in and get everything ready and what my strategy will be for the next day.”

Question #2: Is fishing fun still or is it work?

“It’s fun, if you are not having fun at what you do you don’t have the right job.”

Keith Combs:

<br>#1:  “I couldn’t look in the mirror if I knew I didn’t give it 100 percent.”

<p>#2:  “It’s fishing, how could it not be fun.”
Keith Combs:

#1: “I couldn’t look in the mirror if I knew I didn’t give it 100 percent.”

#2: “It’s fishing, how could it not be fun.”

Bill Lowen:

<br>#1:  “Yeah I do, what good does it do to not give 100 percent.  I’m a grinder I fish to the last second, I never stop until they make me stop.”

<p>#2:  “It is fun, doesn’t feel like I’m going to work, but on the other hand, it’s the hardest job I’ve ever had.”
Bill Lowen:

#1: “Yeah I do, what good does it do to not give 100 percent. I’m a grinder I fish to the last second, I never stop until they make me stop.”

#2: “It is fun, doesn’t feel like I’m going to work, but on the other hand, it’s the hardest job I’ve ever had.”

Tommy Biffle:

<br>#1:  “If you don’t give it your all out here, don’t bother launching.”

<p>#2:  “It’s work, with so much on the line it takes a lot of the fun out of it.”
Tommy Biffle:

#1: “If you don’t give it your all out here, don’t bother launching.”

#2: “It’s work, with so much on the line it takes a lot of the fun out of it.”

Kurt Dove:

<br>#1:  “No way you always leave it all on the water all the time, you have the intent to do that, but something will cross your mind that will take your attention away for a second or longer and that’s all it takes to lose that edge.  I always give it my best effort.”

<p>#2:  “Fishing is always fun, I go fishing because it is fun, every part of this sport is fun for me.”
Kurt Dove:

#1: “No way you always leave it all on the water all the time, you have the intent to do that, but something will cross your mind that will take your attention away for a second or longer and that’s all it takes to lose that edge. I always give it my best effort.”

#2: “Fishing is always fun, I go fishing because it is fun, every part of this sport is fun for me.”

Jared Miller:

<br>#1:  “Definitely 100 percent, I try to do everything the best I can, why wouldn’t you.”

<p>#2:  “I love to fish, yeah it is hard work out here, but it’s fishing and I love to fish, fishing is what I was meant to do.”
Jared Miller:

#1: “Definitely 100 percent, I try to do everything the best I can, why wouldn’t you.”

#2: “I love to fish, yeah it is hard work out here, but it’s fishing and I love to fish, fishing is what I was meant to do.”

Dave Smith:

<br>#1:  “Yeah I give it 100 percent, I begin at 100 percent.”

<p>#2:  “It’s fun because we love to fish, but it’s hard work, but hard work is fun if you do well at it, I love working hard.”
Dave Smith:

#1: “Yeah I give it 100 percent, I begin at 100 percent.”

#2: “It’s fun because we love to fish, but it’s hard work, but hard work is fun if you do well at it, I love working hard.”

Jacob Powroznik:

<br>#1:  “Yes I give it 100 percent, if you don’t it will screw everything up out here when you try and compete against all these other guys who give at least that.”

<p>#2:  “Fishing is a blast, I love it, love every day I’m on the water.”
Jacob Powroznik:

#1: “Yes I give it 100 percent, if you don’t it will screw everything up out here when you try and compete against all these other guys who give at least that.”

#2: “Fishing is a blast, I love it, love every day I’m on the water.”

Cliff Prince:

<br>#1:  “Yep, if I felt like I didn’t give 100 percent I would feel like I was cheating myself, cheating my fans, my sponsors and my family.”

<p>#2:  “It’s fun when you catch them, but when it is a grind out there, then it’s work.”
Cliff Prince:

#1: “Yep, if I felt like I didn’t give 100 percent I would feel like I was cheating myself, cheating my fans, my sponsors and my family.”

#2: “It’s fun when you catch them, but when it is a grind out there, then it’s work.”

Jordan Lee:

<br>#1:  “I leave everything out there, I try to always give 110 percent.”

<p>#2:  “It still is really fun, tough days sting some and I’m never really satisfied yet with my performance, but yeah man, I love fishing.”
Jordan Lee:

#1: “I leave everything out there, I try to always give 110 percent.”

#2: “It still is really fun, tough days sting some and I’m never really satisfied yet with my performance, but yeah man, I love fishing.”

Zell Rowland:

<br>#1:  “You have to leave it all on the water, always give it at least 100 percent of what you’ve got if not you have 0 percent chance of success.”

<p>#2:  “Always fun, but it’s my job, if you don’t love your job, don’t do it because you won’t be great at it.”
Zell Rowland:

#1: “You have to leave it all on the water, always give it at least 100 percent of what you’ve got if not you have 0 percent chance of success.”

#2: “Always fun, but it’s my job, if you don’t love your job, don’t do it because you won’t be great at it.”

Alton Jones:

<br>#1:  “Yes I do, it doesn’t always lead to success, but you have to find the right balance where you can be your best, but my identity isn’t based on how I do on the water, my identity as a person is based on my faith and belief in Jesus Christ.”

<p>#2:  “Fishing is still fun if you do something you love you never work a day in your life, you never lose the passion for it.”
Alton Jones:

#1: “Yes I do, it doesn’t always lead to success, but you have to find the right balance where you can be your best, but my identity isn’t based on how I do on the water, my identity as a person is based on my faith and belief in Jesus Christ.”

#2: “Fishing is still fun if you do something you love you never work a day in your life, you never lose the passion for it.”

JTodd Tucker:

<br>#1:  “100 percent, I live and die over this, it is pretty much all I think about.”
<p>#2:  “My best hobby is fishing, I still love to fish, even when I’m not competing I still go out fishing, love fishing which makes this the best job I’ve ever had.”
JTodd Tucker:

#1: “100 percent, I live and die over this, it is pretty much all I think about.”
#2: “My best hobby is fishing, I still love to fish, even when I’m not competing I still go out fishing, love fishing which makes this the best job I’ve ever had.”

Hank Cherry:

<br>#1:  “100 percent, I have spent more time on the water out there then I have ever spent in my life on any water, how about 200 percent.”

<p>#2:  “Fishing is real fun for all of us when it is going good but it becomes worrisome when the wheels start coming off and the fishing is hard, I don’t know of any other job where you can work your butt off all week and still not make a paycheck.”
<p>Andy and John…thank you guys…here’s the deal I’ve got over 60 other Facebook friends with questions for the Elites…and more coming in all the time…so, if this here experiment works and Bassmaster.com doesn’t give me a time out in the corner…we will do this again…I’ll pick two more questions and I’ll go ask some other Elites what you want to know.

<p>Thank you for all the questions, thank you for all the answers, thank you for doing Live Talk Radio without, you know, the radio, or the talk, or the live stuff…

<p>Peace,
<br>db
Hank Cherry:

#1: “100 percent, I have spent more time on the water out there then I have ever spent in my life on any water, how about 200 percent.”

#2: “Fishing is real fun for all of us when it is going good but it becomes worrisome when the wheels start coming off and the fishing is hard, I don’t know of any other job where you can work your butt off all week and still not make a paycheck.”
Andy and John…thank you guys…here’s the deal I’ve got over 60 other Facebook friends with questions for the Elites…and more coming in all the time…so, if this here experiment works and Bassmaster.com doesn’t give me a time out in the corner…we will do this again…I’ll pick two more questions and I’ll go ask some other Elites what you want to know.

Thank you for all the questions, thank you for all the answers, thank you for doing Live Talk Radio without, you know, the radio, or the talk, or the live stuff…

Peace,
db