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B.A.S.S. PRO'S ARE WESTWARD BOUND

By: Ron Wilson

April 2, 2003....Team Yamaha and Stratos touring professional black bass angler Mark Menendez, of Paducah, KY, came out to fish the B.A.S.S. California Delta tournament that is taking place this week in Stockton, CA. I last saw Mark a few years ago in Pine Bluff, AR and while his features are the same he has now become a slim fishing machine. The Atkins diet he went on after we last met has shed about 50 pounds off his frame.

Mark and I chatted about his dog Barkley, who tours with him back east. Barkley had to stay home for the western swing as Mark chose to fly out instead of drive for the western events. Local Pro, Norval Pimentel of Modesto, CA offered the services of his boat for Mark’s use while he was on the west coast, making the decision to fly an easy one.

On Sunday Norval took Mark and myself to Lake Don Pedro to wet a line. On the way we stopped off at the Fruit Yard Restaurant, where we met up with Karen Hartung and Darrell McDaniel who also were going up for the day. From there it was off to the lake.

There was a nice breeze blowing at daybreak as Mark suited up. Mark said, now that he has lost the excess weight, once he gets cold he stays that way. That's a problem that Norval and I don't have! We will see if the diet helps Norval, as he is also on it, along with just about everyone else I know!

We took off and headed into Hatch Creek where Norval hooked a small bass and Mark busted a fish off. Once the sun came up and hit the water we started looking for bed fish. We found a tricky little buck bass that picked up the bait several times before Mark nailed him. It wasn’t a monster like Miss Patty though, his 13.9-pound lunker that was caught in a B.A.S.S. Tournament. I have seen a lot of bed fish caught, but never one that would hit the bait like this one was doing but yet not suck the bait in. Mark released the fish and it went back to protect the bed.

Mark said they don't do much bed fishing back east as it hasn't caught on that much there. He said these fish act differently from those back there. In that I presumed that when they eat a bait back east they eat it! I guess the west coast bass are educated more than the eastern bass with all the pressure we put on the fish out here.

Mark would rest off and on during the day but when we found some fish he was up and after them even as tired as he was.

He liked Don Pedro and I think he even learned a little about dart heading for bass from me. We talked about lakes back east where he could use this method to catch that one fish needed for a weigh in. Anglers are not only fishing for money but also points. They need to place in the top 45 so they can make the classic at the end of the fishing year. With 4 more tournaments to go, Mark has a good chance to qualify for the event again this year!

By 2 p.m. Mark was exhausted from traveling and the days fishing, and he still had a long day left as he had to put all his fishing equipment in Norval’s Stratos Boat. Mark would start prefishing the Delta on Monday and would leave immediately for Clear Lake once the Delta was finished.

Now, you would think that being a touring professional fisherman, who spends $18,000 a year just to fish the B.A.S.S. circuit would be the ideal lifestyle to have, but personally it would not be one that I would pursue.

Mark told me that so far this year he has been able to sleep in his own bed 5 times to date! Sounds crazy, but with all the glamour you see on TV of these guys catching bass, one does not think of all the money they spend, and the sacrifices they make to chase these little green fish.

I know from personal experience how tough it is each week for them, as I have had the pleasure to ride with the professional anglers in B.A.S.S. and Red Man Tournament Championships over the years. If I had to work as hard fishing as the tournament anglers do, I would quit!

Their day of work could start at 3 or 4 a.m. especially if they need to do some last minute tackle assembling. There bedtime is usually 9 to 11 p.m. depending on dinners and other obligations from sponsors etc. Nothing like trying to have a good game plan on catching bass day after day with 4 to 6 hours sleep. Add nasty weather where you get bounced around all day in a boat and what looks like fun to everyone else really starts to take its toll on a fisherman, not only physically but mentally and socially.

One of the toughest things about being a professional black bass fisherman has to be all of the sacrifices their families have to endure while the significant other plies his trade. Even with a good relationship this has got to be an emotional roller coaster for their loved ones!

Here is the B.A.S.S. 2003 CITGO Bassmaster Tour schedule that Mark is fishing. Look at the dates, the number of days, travel and factor in the expense required and you can see how taxing professional fishing can be.

Site: *Harris Chain of Lakes - Leesburg, Fla.
Competition Days: Jan. 9, 10, 11, 12, 2003
Practice Days: Jan. 6, 7, 8, 2003

Site: Lake Okeechobee - Okeechobee, Fla.
Competition Days: Jan. 16, 17, 18, 19, 2003
Practice Days: Jan. 13, 14, 15, 2003

Site: Lake Seminole - Bainbridge, Ga.
Competition Days: Feb. 6, 7, 8, 9, 2003
Practice Days: Feb. 3, 4, 5, 2003

Site: *Toledo Bend Reservoir - Many, La.
Competition Days: Feb. 20, 21, 22, 23, 2003
Practice Days: Feb. 17, 18, 19, 2003

Site: Lake Eufaula - Eufaula, Ala.
Competition Days: Mar. 6, 7, 8, 9, 2003
Practice Days: Mar. 3, 4, 5, 2003

Site: Santee Cooper Reservoir - Manning, S.C.
Competition Days: Mar. 20, 21, 22, 23, 2003
Practice Days: Mar. 17, 18, 19, 2003

Site: San Joaquin River Delta - Stockton, Calif.
Competition Days: April 3, 4, 5, 6, 2003
Practice Days: Mar. 31, April 1, 2, 2003

Site: *Clear Lake - Clearlake, Calif.
Competition Days: April 10, 11, 12, 13, 2003
Practice Days: April 7, 8, 9, 2003

Site: Lake Hamilton - Hot Springs, Ark.
Competition Days: May 1, 2, 3, 4, 2003
Practice Days: April 28, 29, 30, 2003

Site: *Alabama River - Montgomery, Ala.
Competition Days: May 22, 23, 24, 25, 2003
Practice Days: May 19, 20, 21, 2003

Its to bad that Mark never took the time to come out late last year to visit us, local Pro’s Norval and Anthony Pimentel could have given Mark some insight on our huge delta waterway. Now all we can do is wish him luck on finding fish and figuring out what to use to catch them because anything solicited by the competitors know is grounds for disqualification!

How will Mark do on a tidal waterway that he has never seen or fished! That's a good question, as he has lots of water to cover and only three days to figure out the fish, what they are doing and what they will eat! Time on the water could be a big disadvantage for Mark, but with rain forecast for the next few days, that probably takes care of the site fish. So just maybe Mark’s skill will pull him through with a good finish as I know he has all the skills required to not only figure them out but possibly win it!

My pick of top finishers for this weeks event are Robert Lee, Mike Reynolds and Skeet Reese all Californians with years of knowledge about the delta and the fish that swim in it!