Ever wonder what it would be like to experience one of America’s most storied largemouth and smallmouth fisheries? In a boat with two of the top pros in the country? While enjoying resort comfort?
It isn’t just a dream anymore.
ESPN Outdoors’ Ultimate Experience is fitting that bill with an exciting and exclusive excursion program bound to set new standards in the outfitting world.
On Sept. 8-11, Ultimate Experience is taking bass fans to the bass-rich Thousand Islands region in upstate New York. And travelers will spend those four days in the company of world-class BASS pros Mike Iaconelli and Peter Thliveros. The two veteran pros will provide the fishing lessons — both in the lodge and on the water.
“I love for people to learn from me and this is more of an opportunity for that to happen without the constraints of a tournament … and the fishing should be really good, whether it's for largemouth or smallmouth,” said Thliveros. “It's more of a one-on-one where it can be more instructional than just sitting back and watching somebody fish.”
And since the lodging is in the rustic Edgewood Report in Alexandria Bay, this will be far from roughing it.
As imagined, space for a dream trip like this is very limited. To learn more about this Ultimate Expedition, log on to www.bassmaster.com/ultimate or call 1-877-551-4647.
The price is $4,795 and includes: four-day/three-night accommodations; morning-through-evening access to the pros; fishing and personal instruction from Iaconelli and Thliveros; five sessions of fishing, including eight hours with the pros; tips and techniques seminars; deluxe meals with the pros; and ground transportation to and from the Syracuse Hancock International Airport.
NOT JUST A TALKING HEAD. We know that he can talk a good game, but Mark Zona proved this weekend he can fish a good game as well.
One of the two talking heads on Loudmouth Bass, the Sturgis, Mich., angler caught 15 bass weighing 54 pounds, 2 ounces, finishing third in the CITGO Bassmaster Northern Open on Lake Champlain. That was just a little more than 2 pounds from victory.
Interestingly, Zona was paired with veteran South Carolina pro Todd Auten in the first round (some pros were paired together because of a shortage of non-boaters). They together worked well enough to finish in the top 10 on that day.
Nice going, Zona. Now if co-host Jay Kumar could just catch a fish …
JOB CHANGE. Like many young pros, Bradley Stringer was wrestling with the decision to continue holding down a real job or take the plunge into full-time fishing. While he was struggling for an answer, his employer helped point him in the right direction.
“I was driving a truck for a food delivery truck, a tractor trailer pulling two trailers,” the Texas pro said. “I got laid off. I came in after a tournament in February of ’04 and I was mad because I should have won it. I was planning to quit if I did, but I finished eighth. When I went back to work, I found out I was laid off.
“I drew unemployment for six months and used that for my fuel bill and kept fishing. Then I won the Open championship in December. Getting laid off was the best thing that ever happened to me because I knew right then and there what decision I should make. I was 31 and I had to either try (professional fishing) for good or just keep doing it locally.”
WEIRDEST CATCH. Jimmy Mize is a man of few words.
When asked to name the strangest thing he has ever caught with a rod and reel, the Arkansas pro replied simply: “A pair of underwear.”
Prodded to elaborate, he revealed that the garment, which had once belonged to a man, was hooked on a jig as he fished the Arkansas River in Pine Bluff. “The bad thing about it was I had a fish hooked and it went out around a piling and hung me up,” Mize recalled. “When I finally got to him, all I had was a pair of men’s drawers. I didn’t get the fish. All he left me was his underwear. Just a pair of Hanes.”
DID YOU KNOW? Although his recent CITGO Bassmaster Classic victory enabled Kevin VanDam to match Roland Martin’s record of three consecutive BASS wins, the similarities end there. VanDam’s heroics involved three limited-sized fields (50 or less), while Martin’s wins in 1980-81 occurred against full-sized fields of competitors.
IF I HADN’T BECOME A BASS PRO … Oklahoma’s Tim Carroll would likely still be a lineman with the Verdigris Valley Electric Cooperative.
THEY SAID IT. “I wish it would have been a tie.” ESPN Greatest Angler Debate presented by John Deere winner Rick Clunn, during a quiet moment after it was announced that he had topped Roland Martin in the final fan voting.
BASS is the world's largest fishing organization, sanctioning more than 20,000 tournaments worldwide through its Federation. The CITGO Bassmaster Tournament Trail is the oldest and most prestigious pro bass fishing tournament circuit and continues to set the standard for credibility, professionalism and sportsmanship as it has since 1968. Coming in 2006 are an expanded Tour schedule to 11 events, three Majors tournaments and the Women’s Bassmaster Tour.
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