Monday, March 24, 2008

Interview with Charlie Hartley

Fishn' With Joe

  by Joe Jordan

When I heard that someone from Columbus, Ohio was going to be participating in the Bass Master Classic I said to myself, "Now there’s got to be a great story behind that". I immediately sought about tracking him down for an interview. That was before the Classic and the whirlwind first and second day that made Charlie Hartley a hero to fishermen all around the country. I was astounded at the end of the first day of competition when the unknown guy from Ohio where the fishing couldn’t be more difficult dominated other anglers from places where bass actually live in schools and tournaments are truly measured by the biggest five fish limit and not just by who can actually catch a limit. The whirlwind of the first and second day of the Classic returned to reality on the third and final day when the limits stopped coming in but, by then a whole nation of anglers caught a glimpse into what might have been and what could be. That as an unknown angler one can compete with the biggest names in the sport of bass fishing.

Anglers all around the country can rejoice knowing that even though they may lack the resources to finance a season on tour it doesn’t mean they are any less capable than the pros they see on television every weekend. Pro bass fishing isn’t exactly like basketball or baseball where anyone and everyone have the opportunity to participate on equal ground and the best participants rise to the top. We must remember that tournament bass fishing is a sport of privilege and as one who has had the opportunity to participate I’m a proponent of the idea that the greatest bass anglers are out there on the water never to see the limelight of a weigh in and the glamour of the tv screen. You reading this article right now might even be the greatest undiscovered angler ever. Watch the interview with Charlie Hartley and hold the thought close to your heart that you are the greatest of all time and if given the opportunity you would show up to the weigh in with the heaviest bag of fish ever and shine as bright as any of the stars in fishing.