So there I was, 15-feet behind one of the greatest fishermen of all times, looking over his shoulder while he competed in the world’s biggest bass fishing tour. In this surreal moment, a thought occurred to me. Let’s say you were a huge football fan–a passionate Packers fan. What would you pay to spend an entire game on the field–not on the sidelines, on the field? You’d be included in every huddle. You’d hear all of the instructions from the coaches. You’d see tackles happening right in front of you (and you would never be touched). You’d hear every comment made between teammates and opposing players. Aaron Rodgers himself would tell you what the next play would be. What would that experience be worth to a real fan?
Alright, let’s say you loved Brad Paisley. For four consecutive nights of the tour, you got to sit right in the middle of the stage during the concert. You got to hear the music, but you also got a chance to feel what it was like to have 20,000 adoring fans aimed at you. You heard every joke or comment Brad made to his bandmates. He laughed and told you (only you) when he missed a note. You got to dodge flying hotel room keys (or whatever else Brad Paisley had to dodge). What would a music fan pay for that experience?
How about riding along with your favorite NASCAR driver for 500 miles of Talladega?
What would these experiences be worth to the true fans? Unfortunately for them, price wouldn’t matter. The opportunities just aren’t available at any price. But fortunately for me, I’m passionate about tournament bass fishing. By signing up as a Bassmaster Elite Tour Marshal, I got the opportunity to spend three days on the river at LaCrosse, WI in the boats of some of the world’s greatest bass fishermen. It was absolutely surreal and impossible to match in any other activity!
For super bass geeks like myself and my brother, Craig, the experience began as we pulled into town and started to see the Elite pro rigs everywhere. “Hey, there goes Chris Lane!” “Dang! Look at the size of the truck Skeet drives!”
Even the pre-tournament meeting was exciting. The same pros we’d seen on TV and in the magazines were just walking around everywhere. The room was buzzing with anticipation, everyone wondering who they’d be paired with. It was easy to overhear discussions of top 5 preferred pick lists throughout the room. G-Man, Ike and KVD seemed to be mentioned more often than most, but the fact was there wasn’t a bad draw in the group. Any interaction I’d ever had with these guys revealed that bass fishermen are generally nice, approachable, good guys. Read more of Kurt experiences….