Glenn: Hi. I'm Glenn May with bassresource.com and I'm here with Aaron Martens. Aaron, good to have you aboard today.
Aaron Martins: Glad to be here Glenn.
Glenn: Aaron, how many years have you been fishing now?
Aaron: I started professional bass fishing when I was 21, so I guess it would be 16 years, fishing bass 10 years.
Glenn: Did you start when you were a kid?
Aaron: I started bass fishing when I was 11 or 12. I trout fished a lot. I fished my whole life since I can remember. I have pictures of me when I was a baby, trout fishing. My family was into trout fishing. Back packing trips three or four times a year, two week-long trips in the woods and catching trout in streams in the Sierra Madras in California. I was 11 or 12 at Malibu State Park in Malibu I fished for crappies and stuff. I had my Penn fish rod. I think the first bass I caught was a 2-pounder on a bed, I actually got it on a crappie jig. I looked at it and got excited, and let it go. That was probably the first fish that got me excited about bass fishing.
Glenn: In all those years of fishing, what was the most memorable bass that you caught?
Aaron: I know my most memorable bass that I lost, it was like a world record, but besides that one . . . I can think of a bunch of them but one of the best ones was the delta one I won. I caught an 11 pounder on 7 lb line on a drop shot. It took me like 5 minutes to land it, and she was in the reeds and stuff. I walked around the boat two or three times. She kept jumping and had a little 2/0 hook in her mouth. I got her in the boat and lipped her. Iaconelli had nothing on me that day, yelling wise. I was like "Yeah!"
Guys were watching me, 7 lb line on a 3 ft deep fish on a bed, I was pitching blind. Just the feeling of hooking it and it didn't move. I saw a big giant flash. Fighting it out and getting it in the boat and winning the tournament. It was a spawned out female. It probably weight 13 to 14 lbs full of eggs. She was as strong as a 14 lb. That's a good one. That was a good memorable fish.
Glenn: Being in California you have had a lot of big fish you've been able to catch. What would you consider to be your most unusual big bass tactic?
Aaron: I don't know. People laugh when I say drop shot for big fish. That's a no brainer for me to catch big fish. A weird tactic? Probably something like a crappie jig or something off the wall. Maybe something like I'm doing this week. Something really weird. Big ones eat anything you put in front of them. If it's an easy meal and it's small, it doesn't matter. A lot of times fish are used to eating little baits. A lot of guys think big baits, big fish but I can't tell you how many fish in the 10 lb. class that I have caught on a crappie jig. I fish a lot of small stuff for fun. I can't tell you the number of times I've hooked into 11 or 12 pounders with a little 4 lb. line with a little jig.
Glenn: So your just enticing them with a little snack.
Aaron: Yes. You're trying to catch the schoolers, it's a big fish net school, and the fish is going to eat it if it gets close enough to it. It's going to reach out and grab it. That's the most unusual bait people think you wouldn't catch a big fish on, it'd be like something real small. I'm a big bait specialist. I've been doing it for 20 years. But I've caught a lot of big fish on small baits.
Glenn: I'll have to remember that one.
Aaron: I'm hoping it happens this week, we'll see.
Glenn: Aaron, if you could fish with anybody of your choice, either past or present, who might that be?
Aaron: That's an interesting question.
Glenn: It could be a celebrity or a political figure or someone from your family.
Aaron: My grandpa, he's gone now. Awesome man, but he didn't fish. I'd like to fish with him. Probably my grandpa. I never got to take him fishing. Somebody like that. My grandpa was cool. He never was into fishing. I don't think he ever experienced it. Somebody like that I would like to go fishing with.
Glenn: So it wouldn't be Oprah Winfrey?
Aaron: Some of the pros like Kevin VanDam. I'd fish with him anytime if I ever get a chance too. But we are always so busy and when we are together we are competitive. Of all my good friends that fish like me we don't get to go fishing together because we are so busy. Somebody like that I'd like to go fishing with. VanDam is an awesome fisherman...Rick Clunn. Guys like that I would really like to go fishing with, but I've never had a chance to yet. Rick Clunn is one of those guys I would like to go fishing with, to tell you the truth.
Glenn: You and me both. That would be awesome. Besides fishing, what else do you like to do?
Aaron: Mountain bike in the summer time and when I can in the winter. What I do the most is spend time with my family and kids. I have a two year old boy and a six year old daughter. I don't mountain bike as much as I use to. I don't hunt like I like to, because of my family. I love to hunt. I love to deer hunt. I love to go duck hunting. I like to shoot elk. I would like to do all of that. I would like to go to Africa someday. But with my kids being two and six that's on the back burner. I did go to Costa Rica and salt water fish. Stuff like that is heaven. Maybe when they're older like 6 and 12, whatever, when they get a little older I can take them fishing and do fun things like that.
Glenn: What would be your dream vacation?
Aaron: A month in Costa Rica.
Glenn: That would be nice, just kicking back.
Aaron: I've been a lot of places in the world and so far nothing compares to Costa Rica. Just how beautiful and pristine it is, it's awesome. The rainforest, ocean, everything there is just awesome.
Glenn: What is one thing about you that the fans might not know about that you can share with us?
Aaron: I'm one of those guys that just can't tell a lie. I never have been able to. I tried to when I was younger and my mom always got on me about it and I got spanked or whatever, punished for it. So I can't tell a lie. I'm pretty easy going. Most people know that I am. What else? I don't know.
Glenn: What's your favorite ice cream?
Aaron: Mint chocolate chip. I love sushi. I think everybody that knows me knows that. If you'd let me take Bear Grill's position I think I could do his job. I'm that kind of guy.
Glenn: Awesome Aaron. Thank you so much for spending time with us today. I do appreciate it and we will see you out on the water.
Aaron: I'll see you out there.
