It’s often perceived that professional anglers are the luckiest guys in the world. If you subscribe to the theory that making a living doing something you love is among the first steps to a happy life, then the Bassmaster Elite Series pros are a fortunate bunch.
But they, too, have hopes, dreams, fears, and concerns all interwoven into a daily pile of thoughts not drastically different than your own. And at Christmas, they have wishes. Some of their wishes are serious, some humorous, some tied to fishing – all tied to the heart.
BoatU.S. Angler member and B.A.S.S. Elite Series angler Marty Robinson feels like he’s already had a few Christmas wishes come true. First, Robinson qualified for the Bassmaster Classic this past Elite Series season. Secondly, he got his wish with a recent change in the B.A.S.S. scoring system. “B.A.S.S.’ recent rule change to award tournament points in one-point increments is a wish come true,” said Robinson. “As opposed to years past, now, guys that consistently finish in the middle of the pack will be rewarded, versus before, when the Top 12 at each event were awarded so heavily compared to the rest of the field,” he said.
Robinson thinks the new scoring rule is as fair as possible. “To me, one-point increments where the guy that finishes first gets 100 points, second gets 99, and so on down the line, is the only fair points system. If that was Jerry McKinnis’s idea, then kudos to Jerry,” said Robinson, who runs a family plumbing business from his Lyman, S.C. home when he’s not competing in B.A.S.S. tournaments.
Believe it or not, bass fishing’s funniest man, Gerald Swindle, is a deep thinker. Never at a loss for words to compliment his thoughts, Swindle rattled off a series of wishes dripping with heart, soul, and humor. “I wish that people who have plenty would give more. I wish that people who want everything for free would get a job. I wish that the federal government would stop trying to take, and give away, all my hard-earned money. Finally, I wish toothpaste would stick to my brush as well as it does my sink,” said the long-time Quantum pro.
And then came Swindle’s heart. “But what I really wish for is one more frosty November morning with my brother Tony in the deer woods and to see him smile when a whitetail buck hits the ground,” said Swindle, who tragically lost Tony to pancreatic cancer in 2008. “And Santa, if it ain’t too much to ask, how about one more summer day fishing in northern Mississippi with my Grandpa,” concluded Swindle, closing out a long list of wishes, with priority placed on things that certainly can’t be bought, and that sadly, he can only have as a memory.
Regarding the government, Edwin Evers wishes KVD would run for President of the United States. “I’m wishing that somehow Kevin would stop being so dominant on the water, lose interest in fishing, and go run for President of the United States. That way, the rest of us would have a chance to win more often, and if we can get Kevin elected, I’ll promise you, our country will be way better off. So I’ll vote for him,” grinned Evers, who, two years in a row, has settled for second place behind KVD in the Toyota Tundra Bassmaster Angler of the Year points race yet mustered ample class to spotlight VanDam’s good character.
Virginia pro John Crews wishes more folks, especially our military members, could be with their loved ones at Christmas. “Christmas is a time of the year that I always get together with my family and extended family,” said the crankbait fishing guru. “I feel blessed to spend the holiday season with my loved ones. But, unfortunately, many people, including our armed forces, cannot do that. Those people need a prayer to come home safely,” concluded Crews in heartfelt fashion, regarding a Christmas, wish we can all hope will come true.
