I find myself in total quiet. This does not happen much in my world! The dogs are taking a morning nap. The cat is curled up next to them. It would be very easy for me to do the very same thing. Catching up on a bit of rest would be really good for me. But there are simply too many fishing-related details finish.
My wife and daughter have taken a trip to visit Grandmother Nina. This is the reason for all of the quiet. My son is on the school bus heading to kindergarten. Once he gets home, he and daddy are going to have some fun!!
There will be no appearances this weekend. This means no travel! I’m thrilled as I have logged some serious miles in the first month of the year. Frequent flyer miles and hotel points are definitely been banked. That is one of the benefits of being a professional angler. Vacations for the family generally don’t cost me much. I will have racked up most of our vacation needs by traveling on tour.
Last week, I made a stop in Campbellsville, KY, to speak to the Taylor Co. High School Bass Club. They are a very energetic bunch of young fishermen to say the least. The school administrator is a fisherman. The club sponsor is a big fisherman. This group is very lucky to have a strong support system in boat captains as well. This High School movement in bass fishing is really cool. I’m seeing young ladies involved in fishing as well. It is a great thing to see these kids getting involved in something they can do the rest of their lives! It will serve them very well!
There is a new program to help these kids with getting fishing equipment. Lew’s has a program to help these young anglers buy rods and reels, open to any High School or College bass club.
The club sponsor needs to go to
www.Lews.com. Click on the Team Lew’s logo. A drop down box will appear. The sponsor will need to file the club roster and additional paperwork with Lew’s. Lew’s will review all of the paperwork.
After the review the club will be able to purchase Lew’s rods and reels at a discount for one full school year. The next year the club will have to file the application again to receive the same benefit.
I am so proud to be associated with a company that is stepping out to help the school fishing clubs. We can make a difference to these children through fishing!
Tournament season is just around the corner for me. I’m constantly working on my equipment or me. I started the fishing season with a New Year’s Resolution. I have dropped fifteen pounds since the first day of the year! My goal was twenty. I have just five more pounds to go! Dietary changes and moderation has been the key. I have added some light exercise to my daily routine. It has been a job to balancing my diet. It is extremely hard to eat the best things while on the road. I find it rewarding not to eat something out of a wrapper from a fast food place. I sure do feel better!
I am also pleased to announce a new sponsor relationship. For the last two years, I have been doing a little experiment. The research was directed in solving the puzzle called line. An angler’s line is the only direct link to the fish. One’s confidence is only as strong as the line on the reel.
I have not had a line sponsor in recent months. Testing different brands of line has been a long process. I have purchased various brands of line for Elite Series Events as well as PAA events. This effort has lead me to a line brand that I feel very comfortable in competition. The Seaguar family of lines has every category of line. Seaguar was the first to produce fluorocarbon line. Their braid, monofilament, and fluorocarbon have met every expectation in the field. It earned my confidence under pressure. Seaguar will be spooled on all of my Lew’s Speed Spools for this season.
All of this quiet has left me a lot to do around the house. Beds need to be made. Dishes must go in to the rinse cycle. The dryer just buzzed. So much for that nap! I will have a new appreciation for my wife after this week!
Mark Menendez is a professional Bass Fisherman. You may follow him on Facebook, Twitter, or at Markmenendez.com