It's a shame you feel that way, because I think everyone could get something out of it. I thoroughly enjoyed my time on the water for 2 days. Were there times it got boring? Sure, but there are times I get bored on my boat fishing. The experience as a whole was awesome! I am very much looking forward to my ride this August for 3 days.Originally Posted by 5-limit
And this thread is about Marshall stories, not an opportunity to talk trash about something you are obviously way above trying.
I Marshaled for Dave Wolak and Zell Rowland. I was never once bored, Wolak was bed fishing and made it perfectly clear he needed quiet..I gave it to him. He talked when he could and I learned more from him talking to himself than to meHe kept going over what he ad to do, where he needed to go, how he needed to fish, and so on. He talked to me when he could but he was super focused. Zell was not bed fishing and I got a good dose of "just fishing" Zell talked all day and I learned from a master. You get out of it what you choose to pay attention to. If you'd rather be fishing and have a sour attitude, don't sign up. I'm not star struck with any of the Elite Series Anglers but you have to admit, they got this game figured out at a much higher level than us. Any chance I have to peek into their heads 1 on 1 is $$ well spent.
TOXIC
Some great stories for sure, but I have a couple of questions. Why do you have to pay $$ to be a Marshall??? Shouldn't they be paying you for your service??
If I am not mistaken, years ago it was a paid position. Can't blame BASS. It is a no brainer to go from paying money to getting paid for the same service.Some great stories for sure, but I have a couple of questions. Why do you have to pay $$ to be a Marshall??? Shouldn't they be paying you for your service??
You don't "HAVE" to pay to be a Marshall. The option of "not being a Marshall" is totally free!!Some great stories for sure, but I have a couple of questions. Why do you have to pay $$ to be a Marshall??? Shouldn't they be paying you for your service??
Commitment
I didnt mind at all the fee. Im a fan and watch these guys on TV every chance I get. I record shows and buy DVDS. I also subscribe to MLF and Pro Patterns, So for a person with these kind of habits being a Marshall is a front row seat to watch them fish. I probably am star struck and always have been. Ive posted twice on this thread but I still remember things about the experiance. One thing sticking out today is how hard they work. I was at the same motel as alot of these guys and it was very exciting for me to see each of the boats. I didnt realize they that were up by at least 430 a. m. every morning and stayed in the parking lot until 10 or so at night working on their tackle. They did this on practice days and tournament days. One of the hardest workers I saw was Charlie Hartley. The man went a 100 miles a hour from his truck to his boat never leting up. I took tons of pictures of their trucks and boats but I mostly left the anglers alone because they were so busy. While I was taking pictures on one day Pete Ponds got out of his camper and took a pic of me standing with his boat. He talked fishing with me for awhile and shared about his boat. I was also shocked to see the service crews because you might see the Nitro service crew working on a Triton Boat. But I was most amazed how much work and what they put into this . Almost every angler was dark til dark going hard.
I can't wait...I'll be doing this in August on St.Clair and I do understand they do the same thing as us as Anglers, yet to see what they do when the fish aren't biting or not getting the right bite will be interesting...
John 17
Another Denny Brauer story.....
I had been paired with Denny for the second day. They have a board with contact info to get in touch with your pro and they in touch with you. So Denny calls and ask me where I was at. At the time I was watching the weigh-in. He was on the ramp as he had just pulled his boat off the water. I walked over to the ramp and up to his boat and he is sitting working on his tackle with his wife, who had just helped him get his boat out. He sticks his hand out and introduces himself and his wife. We make a little small talk and then he ask where I am staying and if I want to meet him at his hotel. He says "I am staying at the Days Inn" his wife is quick to correct him that he is at the Best Western. They go go back and forth a few times, both of them saying they are right. He then digs out his wallet that has a room key in it to prove he is right. Well you should never doubt your wife is right. We talked for a little while longer and every couple of minutes she would ask "where are we staying again"
I was a Marshall on Kentucky lake in 2010 (I think that is the right year) I was staying at the same motel as Kevin Wirth and Zell Rowland. I hung around at thier boats while they were getting ready for the next day. They treated anyone that walked up as if they were old friends. These guys busted each others balls as bad as any two guys I have ever been around.
I drew out with Rick Clunn on day one. I did not think that he would be much fun to ride with all day. Was I ever wrong, he met me at the dock, he was staying at a campground and drove his boat over to Paris Marina. We were something like boat #95. He got on pad and ran about 100 yards and shut it down and said if nobody else is going to fish this rip rap I am. He picked up a square bill and put on a clinic about fishing a square bill crank bait. If he came up on a piece of wood he made 15-20 cast at it at least. He had 4 pretty good fish in the live well when he caught #5 it was a 3-3 1/2# fish. About the time he got the hook out of the fish's mouth the fish flopped out of his hand hit the deck and back in the water. He did not say a word (I didn't either) he picked up his rod and started throwing the square bill like nothing happened. After about 20 mins of silence he caught another fish about the same size, as he was getting the hooks out he looked at me and said "if I drop this one back in the water you come up here and kick me square in my butt" we both laughed and the rest of the day he talked more than I ever expected him to talk and explained in detail everything he was doing and why.
I drew out with Kevin Wirth on day two, after hanging out around him and Zell for a couple of nights I knew this would be a good day. Kevin is a great ledge fisherman and would explain the answer to any question I had. He would call me up to the front deck to show me things on his depth finder and explain exactly what we were looking at. I enjoyed that day as much as any I have spent on the water.
Then came day 3!!!! I drew out with Pete Ponds. Pete is a great guy and treated me like a true friend. BUT, the next morning the wind was blowing out of the south at about 20-25mph and we ran from Paris to the Kentucky Lake damn just as hard as his Ranger Z520 would run (62 mph) the ride was by far the worst boat ride I had ever taken (at that moment) He caught a limit of fish and about noon was going to head back toward Paris and finish the day close to the landing. We had not run far heading back (water was a lot rougher than that morning now) when his motor started bogging down and finally shut down. The compressor had gone out. He called Steve Kennedy and talked him into bringing him his boat (519 Ranger) and this is when the "Ride From HELL" began. Pete ran that 519 like he just stole it all the way back. I don't know how big the waves were, but I do know they were to damn big to be running a 519 Ranger WOT . About half way back we were running right down the middle of Kentucky Lake with it white capping as far as you could see, and he had to stop to fill the livewells back up(all the water had splashed out). I though about telling him that I was just going to get out and swim for it. I hope that I never have to take a beating like the one I took that day again in my life. My back hurt for two weeks because of that boat ride. Over all it was a good experience, but that boat ride is not something I ever want to experience again.
I enjoy reading these stories. I've always wanted to be a co-angler or a marshall but couldn't afford to, and now that I can I'm to immobile and disabled to even think about it. Some of the boat rides I hear about would probably do me in.
these are great stories. Wish I lived close enough to an event sign up for this
Has anyone marshalled with Casey Ashley?????
I have a friend that has done this several times. He has a motto to never marshal on big water. Just not worth the chance of some of these boat rides.
Ditto
I observed For Casey in a PAA event. Great guy talked and joked all day. I'm a big guy and like my samiches! Casey caught 4 fish in a real short time so I tell him that when I get a limit I celebrate by eating a sandwich please hurry up and catch that fifth fish. Well a hour and a half goes by and he finally catches that fifth keeper. I grabbed my sandwich gobbled it down and said thank god I was begining to think you thought I was from Ethiopia. I thought he was gonna fall out of the boat laughing! it was a great day and he taught me to skip a jig with baitcasting tackle.
Fished as a co-angler with him at the Harris Chain back in 08'. Great Guy
The above information may be speculative, based on misinformation, contain inaccurate data, or could be entirely full of it. Value of information may depend on how much liquor I've consumed, or the degree of gullibility exhibited by any poster/reader. Void with any other offers. FL residents add sales tax.
Thanks guy's, I bought a 92' Ranger 361V recently and was told by a previous owner that Casey's dad owned it and it was the boat he started fishing out of when he was 10. I went to the Mississippi slam last year with a deck lid for him to autograph. He missed the cut and left for Green Bay and I missed him on Saturday. They will be back this summer. I hope to meet up with him there. "Good Luck"
I talked to Denny Brauer about 4-5 years ago at Warners Dock in Wisconsin. He is a great guy and will give you as much time as you need to talk about fishing or life in general.
Reply With Quote