Matt Reed was fishing on a Texas lake when he suddenly saw the light - sort of.
"I hooked a Coleman lantern," he recalled. "That's pretty much the most unusual object I've caught.
"I was fishing a jig and snagged it on the bottom. It felt heavy, but I knew pretty quick it wasn't a bass. At least it wasn't one of those sticks that you hook in the end and it comes up and jumps."
Unassuming Kennedy Aims for Elite Double Success
Since the beginning of the 2006 Bassmaster Elite Series season, Steve Kennedy has modestly maintained that his angling abilities aren't anything worth writing about.
But after next week - when he will most certainly be the new Toyota Rookie of the Year and could possibly also be the Angler of the Year title - that all will change.
The 37-year-old angler from Auburn, Ala., first gained the attention of BASS fans by finishing eighth in the 2005 Open Championship and qualifying for the inaugural season of the Elite Series.
It was the culmination of a dream he had envisioned since graduating from college and beginning work as a mechanical engineer.
In fact, he won two national tournaments in four years on the FLW Tour.
Since then, Kennedy has been nothing short of sensational as a rookie in the Bassmaster Elite Series.
Consider this track record: Kennedy posted four top-10 showings in 10 Elite events. He added one more top 10 when he finished seventh at the Bassmaster Major in August.
His streak has him running far ahead of other rookies in the Toyota Rookie of the Year race. He's also battling with Michael Iaconelli of New Jersey for the Angler of the Year title.
And all along the way, Kennedy has repeatedly said he is undoubtedly the most fortunate angler in the sport.
"It's pretty amazing," Kennedy said. "I'm pretty surprised to be where I am."
Heading to Table Rock, Kennedy has earned nearly $165,000 this season and finds himself 45 points behind Iaconelli in the Angler of the Year race. So, Kennedy was asked to pinpoint the highest and lowest points of his impressive season.
"My highlight was probably at Amistad, the first tournament of the year," he replied. "Right off the bat, I went out and caught almost 28 pounds, which was just incredible. I caught a bigger bag at Santee, but it didn't compare."
And the low point? "There hasn't been a low point all year."
Kennedy, who once struggled to get into the Opens and qualify for a BASS tour-level card, said he's stunned to now be second in the Angler of the Year race. Maybe that's why he truly is modest in his skills.
"I had been trying to get in these things for a very long time," he said. "To come out and be second with a chance at being Angler of the Year, I didn't expect to do that."
SPEAKING OF IKE
Iaconelli is poised to win his first Bassmaster Angler of the Year title with a solid performance this week.
"It's going to be pretty interesting," Ike said from his New Jersey home. "It's a pretty close race. I'm just going to try to continue to fish like I've been fishing; hopefully not mess up and try to win this."
The expected difficult fishing conditions could play to Iaconelli's favor.
"I hope it's clear. I hope it's tough. I hope it's low," he said. "For me, the tougher the better. I'd like to get the spinning rod out during this tournament. I will try to go out and catch a limit each day and try to finish it off."
TRYING TOURNAMENT
Just looking at the box score, it appears Kimberlee Striker enjoyed a great week during the most recent Women's Bassmaster Tour event on Arkansas' Lake Dardanelle. After all, she finished fifth and moved up in the race for one of the 12 WBT Championship spots.
But off the water, the Alabama pro endured a few trying moments.
When Striker arrived in Russellville , Ark., she discovered her trolling motor had been damaged in transit. So she spent the first two practice days without it.
And then the night before the six-woman finals, Striker was on her boat preparing tackle and accidentally swallowed a bug. "It got stuck in my throat and I could feel it, but could not cough it up," she said. "It either bit me or stung me. I had a weird allergic reaction, and my throat swelled up. All I could do was cough all night and the next day."
Striker visited two doctors upon returning home to Cullman, Ala., for treatment.
But before she left - it was the final morning of competition - Striker experienced the horror that many boat owners have known: Her trailer came off of the hitch.
"I looked in my rearview mirror and all I saw was sparks flying everywhere," she recalled. "And I could hear a screeching, scratching sound.
"Thankfully it stopped before it got completely off the road. The guys from the BASS crew came along and helped me get the boat hooked back up to the truck and got me on my way in record time. [Upon arriving at the launch ramp] I immediately went to the bathroom and threw up."
Remarkably, the boat only received minor damage and she managed a stellar performance.
WRAP RAP
With his title sponsor, Mark Tyler can rest peacefully.
The California pro's boat is wrapped with the colors and logo of the Travelodge hotel chain.
"I feel really fortunate to be sponsored by Travelodge," he said. "It's a great company and my sponsorship fits in well with their marketing plans."
Travelodge is planning an on-line fishing game featuring Tyler.
DID YOU KNOW?
Don't look now, but Denny Brauer of Missouri is about to add another trophy to his impressive mantel.
He is leading the race for the Toyota Horizon Award, which goes to the pro who makes the most improvement from the previous season's performance. Behind him are Steve Daniel of Florida and Alton Jones of Texas. The winner receives $25,000.
IF I HADN'T BECOME A BASS PRO
Mike Reynolds would likely still be a long-distance truck driver. In a job that prepared him well for criss-crossing the country with bass boat in tow, the California angler drove an 18-wheeler for about 10 years "to support my fishing habit," he said.
THEY SAID IT
"Normally, if you can find a submarine this time of year, there will be a good bite on it. That's my fishing tip for the day." - Greg Hackney jokes with the television audience as he motors past a real submarine, while fishing the Arkansas River in the final round of the Bassmaster Legends.