Article
Date: 11/1/2005
Inside BASS: Roland Martin Retires from Bass Tournament Fishing
Roland
Martin’s name has been synonymous for 35 years with BASS tournaments
and tournament records. But that link has come to an end with the
retirement of the 65-year-old Florida pro.
“It’s
time,” Martin said from his Naples home. “I’m
65 and my fishing has gone to pot. I haven’t done very well.
“I’m
a really proud person, but I came to the conclusion that I can no
longer compete with guys like (Michael) Iaconelli because they’re
just fishing better than I am. It’s just the consistently
crummy fishing I’ve had lately.
“Plus,
I had a glorious fall season without worrying about tournaments.
I killed a couple of moose in Alaska and a big elk in Utah. And
I did all kinds of neat fishing. I went tuna fishing in Mexico.
And I’m really enjoying myself. So I felt like it was time.”
Martin’s
retirement harkens the end of an era.
It
is fair to say Martin had as much to do with the growth of tournament
bass fishing as any person. He was one of the pioneering anglers
who toured the country with BASS founder Ray Scott, conducting fishing
seminars and singing the praises of the fledgling organization.
His
fishing exploits are unrivaled. A young Martin jumped on Scott’s
fledgling circuit in 1970 by finishing second at Toledo Bend Reservoir
in Many, La., and his career took off — finishing first or
second in 14 of his first 23 tournaments. Today, his resume includes
BASS records for victories (19), runner-up finishes (19) and CITGO
Bassmaster Angler of the Year titles (nine). A member of the BASS
millionaires club, Martin finished second to Rick Clunn in last
summer’s ESPN Greatest Angler Debate presented by John Deere.
In
2005, Martin’s best finish was 16th place. “It’s
time — in fact, it’s probably way past time,”
the 25-time CITGO Bassmaster Classic qualifier said. “But
I enjoyed it up to the end. I still enjoy the fishing.”
Martin
will continue to film his long-running Fishing With Roland Martin
television show and plans to compete in the Oh Boy! Oberto Redfish
Cup, which airs on ESPN.
HAMILTON
HEALING. 1992 CITGO Bassmaster Classic champion Robert Hamilton
of Brandon, Miss., is recovering nicely from rotator cuff surgery.
“I tore it back in July but had to wait for an opening in
the schedule to get the surgery,” he said.
WELCOME
HOME. Denny Brauer, the 1998 Classic champ, once returned home from
a road trip to find his street’s name changed to conform with
the 911 emergency system in the Camdenton, Mo., area.
The
street sign reads: Bassmaster Drive.
“I
had no clue they even knew who I was,” Brauer said. “But
obviously they did.”
WEIRDEST
CATCH. The weirdest item Chad Brauer ever caught was something that
would undoubtedly please one of his sponsors.
“It
would have to be on Lake of the Ozarks when I caught five cans of
Budweiser out of a six-pack,” said the Missouri pro, who is
sponsored by Anheuser-Busch Cos. “It was along the side of
a dock. There was one can missing and I hooked the open ring with
a jig, and dragged the rest of them in.
“I
did not drink them. They were covered with algae and the ‘born
on’ date had expired.”
DID
YOU KNOW? Roland Martin finished fourth in his first (1971) and
last (2003) Classic appearances.
PRO
BIRTHDAYS. Randy Blaukat of Lamar, Mo., turns 44 on Nov. 24. Florida’s
Jim Bitter (63) and Connecticut’s Terry Baksay (45) share
Nov. 28 as their birthday.
IF
I HADN’T BECOME A BASS PRO … Former Classic champion
Davy Hite of Prosperity, S.C., would likely be a career officer
in the South Carolina National Guard.
THEY SAID IT.
“I’m just one of those people that, whatever I do regardless
if it’s hunting or fishing or anything, I have to do it the
best. It can’t be 99 percent. It has to be 110 percent. I
think that’s what drives me the most. The other thing is my
love for the sport. Fishing is my biggest passion and it has been
most of my life.” CITGO Bassmaster Elite Series pro Greg Hackney.
News exclusives,
audio and video clips of bass fishing's biggest stars, loads of
discounts and more are all part of BASS Insider, an exclusive membership,
now available at www.bassmaster.com.
BASS is the
worldwide authority on bass fishing, sanctioning more than 20,000
events through the BASS Federation annually. Guided by its mission
to serve all fishing fans, BASS sets the standard for credibility,
professionalism, sportsmanship and conservation, as it has for nearly
40 years.
BASS stages
bass fishing tournaments for every skill level and culminates with
the CITGO Bassmaster Classic. Through its clubs, youth programs,
aquatic resource advocacy, magazine publishing and multimedia platforms,
BASS offers the industry's widest array of services and support
to its nearly 550,000 members. The organization is headquartered
in Celebration, Fla.
Inside
Bass, Courtesy BASS
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