01-28-2012, 09:10 PM
Ashmore's new rig gets glowing reports: In his new boat wrap, Scott Ashmore might run at 90 mph, but he sure can't hide.
As in other years, the Bassmaster Elite Series pro's wrap is an eye-catching green-on-black motif for title sponsor Kershaw Knives. But the latest edition goes one better: a light system makes the green accents appear to glow when the boat is on its trailer.
The LED lights by Bluewater make his rig a rolling billboard after the sunsets. But even in daylight, few could miss the rig, a Legend Alpha 211 powered by Yamaha. Besides the green Kershaw logo, bright green trim surrounds his Lowrance electronics units and covers his MotorGuide trolling motor casing. Even his dual Power-Poles are green.
The color scheme matches his tournament jersey and shoes, the item that started it all.
"Years ago, I bought a pair of tennis shoes I loved the color of. I said it would be the color of my next boat. When they mixed the colors, they said it was 'Scott Ashmore green,' and that's what we still call it," said the pro from Broken Arrow, Okla.
Ashmore is the third Elite Series pro to run a Legend; Jason Quinn and Chris Lane also each have one. With the LED uplighting, Ashmore has gone all-out to make his rig stand out, but it's technologically advanced as well. This season he'll have an iPod in a waterproof mount on the dash. He can't use it (or any phone) while he's competing, but at other times, the iPod will keep him connected, he said.
"My boat is, after all, my office," he said.
Ashmore's boat/office will get a full workout in the 2012 season. Besides the eight-event Elite schedule, his regular season will include six Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Open events, three in the Southern division and three in the Central division. Formerly a sales manager for a boat company, Ashmore said 2012 will be the first season he will compete full-time.
Racing Fish Heads Triumph at Ragnar Relay: Bassmaster Elite Series pro Aaron Martens of Leeds, Ala., triumphed last week in his debut as a marathon relay runner. Not that his team won, but in an overland race from Miami to Key West, Fla., finishing is cause enough to celebrate.
"The whole thing was awesome," Martens said after the Jan. 6-7 Ragnar Relay. "It was everything I expected and more."
Martens was a member of the Racing Fish Heads team, which finished in the top third of a 493-team field. Racing Fish Heads' total time was 30 hours, 45 minutes, an average of 9 minutes and 18 seconds per mile over the 199-mile course, according to team captain and experienced runner Eric Lopez, who is also director of site operations for B.A.S.S. The team's runners also included Ben Ashby, B.A.S.S. operations manager, and Martens' nephew, Justin Martens. (Another team in the same event included Martens' wife, Leslie, and Robin Howell, wife of Elite pro Randy Howell of Springville, Ala.)
Praising the entire team, Lopez singled out Martens as a big contributor to their success. Martens, said Lopez, ran three segments that added up to 21 miles, a mile more than even Lopez himself ran. Martens tackled the most difficult segment. It was 11.8 miles long, had to be run in the dark, over a bridge. No van support was allowed on the segment.
"Aaron was hard-core," Lopez said. "He had the run of his life."
On his own for the 11.8 stretch, Martens carried a 16-ounce bottle of water (he finds hydration packs irritating), and tucked packets of a nutrition supplement into his running clothes. He said he had to eat as well as drink during the segment or he would not have made it.
"I can't run for an hour, hour and a half, without eating. I burn too many calories."
He averaged 8 1/2 minutes a mile.
"The bridge slowed me down," he said, "but everything worked out perfectly."
A well-conditioned mountain biker when he lived in California, Martens began to train as a runner in July after the 2011 Bassmaster Elite Series postseason was over. He ran every other day, then stepped up the pace to running every day in the month before the Ragnar race. At first, about three miles was the most he could do. He gradually pushed it to eight or nine. He fought flare-ups of his old nemesis, plantar fasciitis, but he stuck to his regimen.
The training and the race sharpened his competitive edge, built his physical stamina and left him lean. Those results will pay off at the top levels of competitive fishing, the 39-year-old angler said.
"It is hard on your body, fishing for a living," he said. "Your body gets out of balance (casting from a boat deck all day). With running, I'm trying to make up for that. When I won Toyota Tundra Angler of the Year in 2005, I was a mountain biker. I was really healthy that year. You're quicker, you feel better, and you're more efficient. Feeling like that again really helps."
Ish app: The message was short: "Just wanted to let everyone know I have a new Android ap. Check it out! https://market.android.com/details?id=co...96.app8937."
The emailed promo was signed "Ish Monroe, 2012 Bassmaster Classic Qualifier."
Priced at 99 cents, the app allows users to follow the California angler as he competes in 2012, including at the Classic - his first Classic appearance since 2009 - and on the Bassmaster Elite Series trail.
Crew's company: Known as "the Crews Missile," Bassmaster Elite Series pro John Crews didn't have to look far for a good name for his new lure company.
His startup, Missile Baits, initially is offering soft plastics in five models at a $3.99 "value" price point. The shapes are two craws (the Missile Craw and Drop Craw), a twin-tail grub, a hefty beaver and an 8.75-inch worm.
Like Crews, Missile Baits is based in Salem, Va. One of the company's first pro team members is Crews' fellow Elite Series pro Ish Monroe.
"The designs we have with Missile Baits are dialed in perfectly," Monroe said.
Walker travels to the Far East: Bassmaster Elite Series pro David Walker of Sevierville, Tenn., is in Japan and China in connection with work with one of his sponsors, LiveTarget Lures.
Short videos on some of his experiences are being posted almost daily on YouTube. The segments include his encounter with a unique vending machine, and his kid-in-a-candy-store reaction to a big Japanese tackle store's selection.
About B.A.S.S.
For more than 40 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, 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, B.A.S.S. Federation Nation events presented by Yamaha and Skeeter Boats 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.
Media Contact<br />
Dave Precht at 205-313-0931 or dprecht@bassmaster.com
As in other years, the Bassmaster Elite Series pro's wrap is an eye-catching green-on-black motif for title sponsor Kershaw Knives. But the latest edition goes one better: a light system makes the green accents appear to glow when the boat is on its trailer.
The LED lights by Bluewater make his rig a rolling billboard after the sunsets. But even in daylight, few could miss the rig, a Legend Alpha 211 powered by Yamaha. Besides the green Kershaw logo, bright green trim surrounds his Lowrance electronics units and covers his MotorGuide trolling motor casing. Even his dual Power-Poles are green.
The color scheme matches his tournament jersey and shoes, the item that started it all.
"Years ago, I bought a pair of tennis shoes I loved the color of. I said it would be the color of my next boat. When they mixed the colors, they said it was 'Scott Ashmore green,' and that's what we still call it," said the pro from Broken Arrow, Okla.
Ashmore is the third Elite Series pro to run a Legend; Jason Quinn and Chris Lane also each have one. With the LED uplighting, Ashmore has gone all-out to make his rig stand out, but it's technologically advanced as well. This season he'll have an iPod in a waterproof mount on the dash. He can't use it (or any phone) while he's competing, but at other times, the iPod will keep him connected, he said.
"My boat is, after all, my office," he said.
Ashmore's boat/office will get a full workout in the 2012 season. Besides the eight-event Elite schedule, his regular season will include six Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Open events, three in the Southern division and three in the Central division. Formerly a sales manager for a boat company, Ashmore said 2012 will be the first season he will compete full-time.
Racing Fish Heads Triumph at Ragnar Relay: Bassmaster Elite Series pro Aaron Martens of Leeds, Ala., triumphed last week in his debut as a marathon relay runner. Not that his team won, but in an overland race from Miami to Key West, Fla., finishing is cause enough to celebrate.
"The whole thing was awesome," Martens said after the Jan. 6-7 Ragnar Relay. "It was everything I expected and more."
Martens was a member of the Racing Fish Heads team, which finished in the top third of a 493-team field. Racing Fish Heads' total time was 30 hours, 45 minutes, an average of 9 minutes and 18 seconds per mile over the 199-mile course, according to team captain and experienced runner Eric Lopez, who is also director of site operations for B.A.S.S. The team's runners also included Ben Ashby, B.A.S.S. operations manager, and Martens' nephew, Justin Martens. (Another team in the same event included Martens' wife, Leslie, and Robin Howell, wife of Elite pro Randy Howell of Springville, Ala.)
Praising the entire team, Lopez singled out Martens as a big contributor to their success. Martens, said Lopez, ran three segments that added up to 21 miles, a mile more than even Lopez himself ran. Martens tackled the most difficult segment. It was 11.8 miles long, had to be run in the dark, over a bridge. No van support was allowed on the segment.
"Aaron was hard-core," Lopez said. "He had the run of his life."
On his own for the 11.8 stretch, Martens carried a 16-ounce bottle of water (he finds hydration packs irritating), and tucked packets of a nutrition supplement into his running clothes. He said he had to eat as well as drink during the segment or he would not have made it.
"I can't run for an hour, hour and a half, without eating. I burn too many calories."
He averaged 8 1/2 minutes a mile.
"The bridge slowed me down," he said, "but everything worked out perfectly."
A well-conditioned mountain biker when he lived in California, Martens began to train as a runner in July after the 2011 Bassmaster Elite Series postseason was over. He ran every other day, then stepped up the pace to running every day in the month before the Ragnar race. At first, about three miles was the most he could do. He gradually pushed it to eight or nine. He fought flare-ups of his old nemesis, plantar fasciitis, but he stuck to his regimen.
The training and the race sharpened his competitive edge, built his physical stamina and left him lean. Those results will pay off at the top levels of competitive fishing, the 39-year-old angler said.
"It is hard on your body, fishing for a living," he said. "Your body gets out of balance (casting from a boat deck all day). With running, I'm trying to make up for that. When I won Toyota Tundra Angler of the Year in 2005, I was a mountain biker. I was really healthy that year. You're quicker, you feel better, and you're more efficient. Feeling like that again really helps."
Ish app: The message was short: "Just wanted to let everyone know I have a new Android ap. Check it out! https://market.android.com/details?id=co...96.app8937."
The emailed promo was signed "Ish Monroe, 2012 Bassmaster Classic Qualifier."
Priced at 99 cents, the app allows users to follow the California angler as he competes in 2012, including at the Classic - his first Classic appearance since 2009 - and on the Bassmaster Elite Series trail.
Crew's company: Known as "the Crews Missile," Bassmaster Elite Series pro John Crews didn't have to look far for a good name for his new lure company.
His startup, Missile Baits, initially is offering soft plastics in five models at a $3.99 "value" price point. The shapes are two craws (the Missile Craw and Drop Craw), a twin-tail grub, a hefty beaver and an 8.75-inch worm.
Like Crews, Missile Baits is based in Salem, Va. One of the company's first pro team members is Crews' fellow Elite Series pro Ish Monroe.
"The designs we have with Missile Baits are dialed in perfectly," Monroe said.
Walker travels to the Far East: Bassmaster Elite Series pro David Walker of Sevierville, Tenn., is in Japan and China in connection with work with one of his sponsors, LiveTarget Lures.
Short videos on some of his experiences are being posted almost daily on YouTube. The segments include his encounter with a unique vending machine, and his kid-in-a-candy-store reaction to a big Japanese tackle store's selection.
About B.A.S.S.
For more than 40 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, 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, B.A.S.S. Federation Nation events presented by Yamaha and Skeeter Boats 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.
Media Contact<br />
Dave Precht at 205-313-0931 or dprecht@bassmaster.com