Joining BassResource has been one of the greatest decisions I have ever made. People are not lying when they say you are joining a new family. I am an easy-going country boy from central Louisiana who dreams of becoming a professional Bass Fisherman. I pride myself on hard work and on having an outgoing personality. I had no clue that joining BassResource would create significant opportunities for me.
In the summer of 2009, I joined when I began getting serious about tournament fishing. I would spend hours reading articles, watching videos, and chatting on the forum. I created a thread asking members if they knew of any information on marine biology, as I was considering pursuing it as a career. It was on this thread that I first spoke with Bob Lusk. He gave me his phone number to speak more about this career.
I told him that my true passion was tournament fishing and that my dream was to “go pro,” but I wanted a backup plan to fall upon. He told me that people with a backup plan often never live up to their full potential. He asked if I had ever been to a Bass Master’s Classic. When I told him that I had not, he promised that he would help me out if I could make it to Lay Lake, Alabama, that year. I begged my parents for six months straight and finally convinced them that we should go. I believe my dad was more excited about going than I was.
I was instructed by Mr. Lusk to find Ray Scott’s booth and to speak with a man named Jim Kents. I found Mr. Kents and was surprised to learn that he had an ESPN pass for me. It allowed me to have live-well seating and even helped me slip through the gates at the boat launch. I had the time of my life and met many of the pros. The entire trip was a great learning experience for me as well. Little did I know, things would only get better from this point forward.
After another year of posting on BassResource’s forum, I became anxious to go to the Classic in New Orleans. I had spoken with Mr. Lusk again in December in an interview for a school research paper. Soon after, I received a message from him stating that he had spoken with Glenn May about me tagging along with them at “Media Day” on Thursday before the Classic. I contacted Glenn through the website and could not believe the great opportunity.
I was as excited as a child at Christmas. After making arrangements and learning how to drive in the “Big Easy,” I met up with Glenn and Keri for breakfast at their hotel. As my mother and I waited in the lobby, Iaconelli, Duckett, Biffle, and many other pros began to stroll right beside me. I was going insane! I did not want to be that annoying teenager that always gets on everyone’s nerves, so I sat quietly in my chair and awaited my BassResource friends.
When I met Glenn and Keri, I was extremely nervous, but their welcoming personalities soon calmed my nerves, and I began to feel as if I had known them for years. After breakfast, we boarded the media shuttle and headed to what I like to call Heaven. Every big shot imaginable was there. I helped with interviews and took pictures for the website. I was as close to the Bass Pros as I would ever be. Every Pro that qualified for the Classic was sitting at a small round table, allowing the media to get interviews and pictures.
I soon found that the Pros are very humble men willing to speak with anyone. Kevin VanDam gave me pointers on Caddo Lake. I had a tournament scheduled there in a few weeks. I even retrieved a tissue for Todd Faircloth to blow his nose on. It just does not get any better than that! I only have one regret, though. I did not take the time to talk to many of the pros because I was nervous.
I met many great people who are very “big” in the bass fishing industry throughout the day. Ed Bassmaster and I had a picture taken, showing our ugly faces. He is a very cool guy who has many great tricks. The day was going great, yet it was flying by at lightning speed. Glenn and I were about to get back on the media shuttle when I realized I had not gotten to meet Mike Iaconelli. Lucky for me, Glenn also needed to speak with him. We hurried back inside for a quick interview and a snapshot of Ike and me, now on my bedroom wall.
Glenn and I finally made it onto the media bus. We began discussing my dreams of becoming a professional and how Glenn has gotten to where he is today. He told me was; “To reach my goals in life, I must first face my fears head-on.” He told me that he feared heights, so he went skydiving. Since then, I have been pushing through my nervousness and feel that I am becoming a more confident individual.
Due to a fog delay, I went to the first-day boat launch and got some great photos of the Pros and their families. I went to every weigh-in and watched as KVD dominated on the third day with a twenty-eight-pound sack of bass. The vision of confetti falling on my head fills my dreams every night. As I was headed back to the hotel after the last weigh-in, I pulled right next to Iaconelli at a stoplight. I looked over at him and said the usual “You da man Ike!” but just as I was pulling away, I promised him that I would be fishing against him one day. He looked over and said, “Come on, man. We need you.”
I have never broken a promise and plan to keep everything I make. That is why I am going to pursue my dream until I succeed. There is no way I could have done these things without the help of BassResource, Mr. Lusk, Glenn, and Keri. They are genuinely great people who take pride in what they do. I thank the Lord every day for the doors he has opened for me. Thank you, BassResource!