The amateur ranks of the various BASSMASTER tournaments attract anglers from all walks of life - from famous people to just plain folks. The allure of spending three days guided by America's top bass pros has proven to be magnetic for fishermen of all types.
At the recent South Carolina BASSMASTER Southern Open the amateur division included a prominent figure in racing. Just a day before practice began on Lake Murray, Kevin Blanch celebrated his second consecutive Indy Racing League championship as crew chief for driver Sam Hornish's Pennzoil Panther Racing Team.
"We won the championship on Sunday," Blanch said. "I flew home Monday, got in my truck and pulled my boat down here. I was fishing on Tuesday."
The fact that Blanch was out practicing in his own boat is an indication of just how serious he is about the sport of competitive fishing. The amateurs in BASSMASTER events rarely practice on their own. Yet, he towed his boat all of the way from Indiana so that he could scout Lake Murray on his own.
Blanch did the same thing last season when he drew an amateur spot in the Tour event on Lake Tohopekaligia.
"I drew Jimmy Houston the first day," he recalled. "I knew Jimmy. I had done a TV show with him. We had a ball, and I actually took Jimmy to my fish. And he caught a limit in an hour on my fish. That made me feel like at least I knew what I was doing. I sure was nervous taking him there, though.
"When I drew Jimmy, he asked me if I had anything. I said 'Well, I made one pass down this spot and caught eight fish. Then I left.' We went there first, and he had his limit in one pass. He caught five more fish off it the next two days. So I felt pretty good about it."
The Lake Murray tournament could not have come at a better time for Blanch, who works in a high-pressure job in the hyper-speed sport that involves competing in 15 races over a nine-month period.
"It was just a great season for the Pennzoil Panther team all around," said Blanch, who directed Hornish to five victories this season. "On the Sunday before, we won the race by 8.9 inches. Then we went to Texas and won the race by 12 inches. So in two weeks, we won two races by less than 2 feet. I'm ready to go fishing."
It would seem that the sports of tournament fishing and Indy racing could not be more different. But Blanch sees some similarities between the two.
"Everybody thinks the two are so different, but really they're not," he explained. "You have to concentrate so heavily in the racing part of it, and you really have to concentrate here if you want to feel the bites and get the fish. And you're looking for spots here to fish, where in racing we're looking for the right springs or the right this or the right that to make the car go quick.
"In both sports, you're always making adjustments. You get up the next morning and the car doesn't run as fast as it did before. It's the same thing here. Here, you might catch five fish in 15 minutes today and then go out and struggle tomorrow. So you've constantly got to make adjustments. It's really similar to what we do race-wise."
Blanch, who somehow manages to fish a local team-tournament circuit during the racing season, is more than just an avid bass angler. In addition to being on the waiting list for future B.A.S.S. events, he has designs on a fishing career.
"It's my ultimate goal to do this maybe in the next four or five years," Blanch said. "It's just the matter of getting the time to do it."
But can a guy who lives his life in the professional fast lane get the same adrenaline rush from tournament fishing?
"I probably get more out here because when we go racing, I set out to win," Blanch said. "And if we don't win, we get upset. We finished second seven times in the last two years, but that's not what we went out there to do. We came out to win.
"Out here, I'm just coming out to get in the top 50. Just meeting these guys and getting in the top 50 would be great. This is kind of relaxation, but being competitive, I still want to compete."
DID YOU KNOW?
In the 32-year history of B.A.S.S. tournaments, six bass have been caught that topped the 12-pound mark: 14 pounds, 9 ounces, Mark Tyler, California Delta, 1999; 13-9, Mark Menendez, Richland-Chambers Reservoir, 1997; 12-13, Bob Tyndall, St. Johns River, 1973; 12-13, Dean McDaniel, California Delta, 1999; 12-8, Rick Clunn, Sam Rayburn Reservoir, 1996; and 12-8, John Sappington, Lake Toho, 2001.
PRO BIRTHDAYS
Alabama pro Tim Horton will be 30 on Oct. 3. Mark Davis (39), Tony Couch (52) and Gary Klein (45) all share Oct. 11 as their birthday. Two days later, Carl Maxfield and Marty Stone turn 50 and 37, respectively.
IF I HADN'T BECOME A BASS PRO...
Former B.A.S.S. Angler of the Year Jimmy Houston might still be selling insurance in Oklahoma. Say, wasn't there another famous former insurance salesman who went on to find fame and fortune in bass fishing? (Ray Scott)
THEY SAID IT
"I'm an old dog in this hunt, but I'm in good physical condition. I was thinking about getting me some Doan's pills and some Dextrin and coming back. What do you think?" Legendary pro Tom Mann jokes about making a comeback at age 69.