BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - Aaron Martens is no
stranger to professional bass fishing success. The six-time B.A.S.S. winner was
the 2005 Toyota Bassmaster Angler of the Year, the
2012 Toyota Trucks All-Star Week champion, and he's finished second in a record
four Bassmaster Classics. But when he accepted the
trophy for the 2013 Toyota Angler of the Year award, Martens called it the highlight
of his career.
"I think this one was even better than the 2005 AOY because I had such a
bad start and turned things around," he said. "I never lost focus or
got distracted."
Martens claimed his second AOY title in dramatic fashion. He started the season
with a dismal 85th-place finish at the Sabine River Challenge presented by
STARK Cultural Venues. Thoughts of AOY seemed unrealistic.
"At that point, I was just focused on making the Bassmaster
Classic," he said. "I didn't think I had a chance at Angler of the
Year. It was the fourth straight season that I started slowly, but things went
great after that. My worst finish in the next seven events was 24th, and I made
the top 12 five times."
Going into the Elite finale - the Plano Championship Chase on Lake St. Clair
and the Detroit River - Martens trailed Oklahoma's Edwin Evers by 30 points,
and few gave him much of a chance at the title. Evers' worst finish all year
had been 30th place, and if he could match that, he'd take his first AOY crown.
But the schools of bass Evers had located during practice sessions disappeared,
and he was left scrambling. A small limit on the first day put him in 75th
place while Martens settled into third. Evers rebounded on the second day and
moved up to 54th place, but he missed the cut to fish the third round, and with
it lost control of the race. Meanwhile, Martens had another banner day and
moved up to second. If he could finish the tournament 23rd or better, he'd lock
up the AOY title.
On Day 3 - his 41st birthday - Martens posted another big catch and ended the
round in third place, well inside the final cut to the Top 12 anglers. His
second AOY crown was secure, and last year's champion, Brent Chapman, handed
him the trophy. Martens became just the 10th angler in B.A.S.S. history to win
multiple titles, joining such greats as Roland Martin, Bill Dance and Kevin VanDam.
In the end, the 2013 AOY title should be remembered as one Martens won, not one
that Evers lost. The Oklahoma pro put together a historic season, but Martens'
torrid pace in the final five tournaments was just too much to withstand. His
five consecutive Top 12 finishes are only one less than the record set by Skeet
Reese in 2006-07. Martens will have a chance to tie that mark in the 2014
season opener.
Already one of the most successful B.A.S.S. pros in the modern era, Martens has
collected more than $2 million in B.A.S.S. winnings alone, including the
$100,000 paycheck for winning Toyota Angler of the Year last week. He has won
six Bassmaster events and finished second on a dozen
occasions.
The Top 8 finishers in the Toyota Angler of the Year race automatically qualify
to compete in the Bassmaster Elite Series postseason
event, the Toyota All-Star Week and Evan Williams Bourbon Championship.
1. Aaron Martens, Leeds, Ala., with 652 points
2. Edwin Evers, Talala, Okla., with 640 points
3. Kevin VanDam, Kalamazoo, Mich., with 624 points
4. Bobby Lane, Lakeland, Fla., with 619 points
5. Keith Combs, Huntington, Texas, with 608 points
6. Alton Jones, Lorena, Texas, with 599 points
7. John Crews, Salem, Va., with 578 points
8. Chris Zaldain, San Jose, Calif., with 562 points
The All-Star competition will feature 14 Elite Series pros and will take place
Sept. 27-29 on Michigan's Muskegon Lake with the finale on White Lake. Joining
the Top 8 are Cliff Place of Petal, Miss., winner of the 2013 Bassmaster Classic, and Hank Cherry of Maiden, N.C., who
won Rookie of the Year for 2013.
The pros who did not qualify for one of those 10 spots are vying for fans' votes
in the Toyota All-Star Fan Favorite Angler Sweepstakes at Bassmaster.com/vote. Voting online
continues through Sept. 6.
Fans also have a chance to win just for voting, no matter which pros get in.
Every person who casts a vote at Bassmaster.com/vote
between now and Sept. 6 is entered into a sweepstakes. Fourteen names will be
drawn, and the Toyota Fan finalists will then each be virtually paired with one
of the All-Star Week competitors. The fan who is paired with the winner of the
event will take home a 2014 Toyota Tundra truck.
2013 Bassmaster Elite Series Official Sponsors:
Toyota, Bass Pro Shops, Berkley, Evan Williams Bourbon, Humminbird,
Mercury, Minn Kota, Nitro Boats, Skeeter
Boats, Triton Boats, Yamaha
2013 Bassmaster Elite Series Supporting Sponsors: Carhartt, Diet Mountain Dew, Livingston Lures, Lowrance, Luck-E-Strike, Power-Pole, Ramada, Shimano
2013 Bassmaster Elite Series Proud Partner: Mustang
Survival
About B.A.S.S.
For more than 45 years, B.A.S.S. has served as the authority on bass fishing.
The organization advances the sport through advocacy, outreach and an expansive
tournament structure while connecting directly with the passionate community of
bass anglers through its Bassmaster media vehicles.
The Bassmaster brand and its multimedia platforms are
guided by a mission to serve all fishing fans. Through its industry-leading
publications - Bassmaster Magazine and B.A.S.S. Times
- comprehensive website Bassmaster.com and ESPN2 and Outdoor Channel television
programming, Bassmaster provides rich, leading-edge
content true to the lifestyle.
The Bassmaster Tournament Trail includes the Bassmaster Elite Series, Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster
Open Series, Carhartt Bassmaster
College Series, Bassmaster Wild Card, B.A.S.S. Nation
events and the ultimate celebration of competitive fishing, the Bassmaster Classic.
B.A.S.S. offers an array of services to its more than 500,000 members and
remains focused on issues related to conservation and water access. The
organization is headquartered in Birmingham, Ala.
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