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Full Story: http://basseast.com/?p=4548

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Full Story: http://basseast.com/?p=4487

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Approaching this week I knew it was going to be a busy time, so at the end of last week I took my son to the mountains of North Carolina for the first time. That was on the tail end of that big front that crossed the country, so cold there was a lot of snow on the ground and we had a great time playing in the snow and just relaxing before I had to head out to the Bassmaster Classic.

I arrived here in Birmingham, Alabama on Sunday evening and had a hard time finding a place to park my boat. It’s tough enough to find somewhere to put a boat during the Classic when just about every empty parking space is taken, but when you come in late at night, the options are even more limited. Then the minute I woke up on Monday morning, it all started.

Even when you’re not fishing in the Classic, it’s work, work, work. I had some meetings with Yamaha and worked out my promotional schedule that I’ll be doing while here, and as you know Yamaha is launching the new VMAX SHO four stroke engine, so I’m involved with helping promote that engine. Just to give you an idea how things flow, I was up at 5:30 this morning, and did three live segments for the local CBS affiliate before breakfast.

It’s mostly me and Ish (Monroe) working the Yamaha promotions. I’ve been fortunate to make four Classics in the six years I’ve been fishing, and this is one of the year’s I didn’t qualify. That doesn’t mean I get the time off. Even though I’m not fishing, I want to be out here promoting my sponsors and helping bring something back to the people who help me, and hopefully make up for not making the Classic by helping get the word out about the new products.

Read the full post @ yamahagamechanger.com

Over the next several articles we will explore and hopefully inspire everyone to consider a comprehensive fitness program as it relates to fishing. An all encompassing program that includes conditioning, sports psychology, and diet. Each topic interrelated to the other and equally as important to a complete program. We need only look back in history a short time to realize the dramatic changes that have occurred in all major sports. The NFL and NBA, for example, showcase some of the most amazing athletes we’ve ever seen. These athletes have the physiques, speed, and strength we never knew were possible. The 2009 Summer Olympics gave us several performances by Jamaica’s Usain Bolt that shocked the track and field world; smashing the world record in both the 100 and 200 meters. Meanwhile, Michael Phelps, with 8 swimming gold medals(and 8 world records) broke Mark Spitz’s 37 year record of 7 Olympic gold medals in a single Olympic games. What was once a 6-8 month season for most athletes is now a year long commitment. Today’s athletes realize that their conditioning is a lifestyle and not just a part-time job. The emphasis on continuous training and conditioning has elevated the level of play in each sport and is never overlooked.

There’s no reason why our sport of fishing should be any different. It’s sometimes been easier for us as competitive fishermen to overlook the fact that we too are athletes. While we don’t play in stadiums or on courts and often times are not in front of large crowds of fans, we do challenge our bodies and minds each time we take to the water. No doubt, there are different challenges that fishermen face compared to competitors in other main stream sports. However, the stress and the demands on the body and minds of competitive fishermen require that same commitment if we are to succeed at the highest level of competition. Improving our level of fitness will no doubt reflect positively at the end of a day on the water. We’ve heard the debate for years, usually from those who don’t fish, that fishing is not a sport but rather a hobby to pass the time and relax. There’s no denying we enjoy our sport and get a sense of relaxation from it, but for most tournament anglers it’s not just a hobby and for the elite it’s a career. Take a look around you at the next tournament and you’ll recognize guys that have always been extremely competitive their whole lives, no matter what their cause. Anyone who’s been awakened at 3:30am to get to a boat check and then spent the next 8-10 hours standing with one foot on a trolling motor pedal trying to fight the wind and the waves will certainly agree that there is no debating we’ve evolved into athletes. One aspiring young pro recently told me that he was not prepared for the physical strain a 3-4 day tournament put on the body and that it was the biggest adjustment he had to make during the tournament. It is more a sport today than ever and will continue to move in that direction with the next generation of anglers coming into the field.

Read the full post @ basseast.com