List of people to call after placing second in a pro bass tournament:
* family.
* girlfriend.
* friends.
* fishing sponsors.
* tax preparer.
Aaron Jakub of Lincoln, who has been trying for two years to break through as a professional tournament angler, called his tax guy, Jon Grenemeier. Jakub got right to the point when his longtime friend answered the phone.
ÂIÂm going to have some income to report this year.Â
On July 22, Jakub won a new $45,000 Triton bass boat and $3,245 in cash for placing second in the Citgo Bassmaster Northern Tour tournament on the Mississippi River near Fort Madison, Iowa.
Those who watch competitive angling on TV may think fishing for a living is easy as setting hooks and rich as cheesecake. What they donÂt see is the financial grind most anglers endure for a shot at the rarefied stratum where bank accounts explode and winners faces end up on Wheaties boxes.
JakubÂs introduction to fishing for dollars four years ago was relatively easy.
As an amateur co-angler fishing from the back of a proÂs boat in 2002, he won $6,000 in an Everstart series event. In early 2003, again as an amateur, he won a Bassmaster Tour event that earned him $1,500 and a $35,500 fishing boat.
He made the jump to the Everstart Series last year. And thatÂs when easy went out the window.
To pay for entry fees, travel and equipment costs, Jakub picked up a second full-time job. His work schedule left four hours for sleep each day and he spent most of his free time fishing on the weekends.
He cashed one $800 check last year. What he lost financially, however, he figured he made up in tournament experience.
This year, Jakub jumped to the Bassmaster Northern Tour. Each of the five events carries a $1,500 entry fee, which means bigger prizes and more recognition for the winners. More importantly, those who rack up enough points in the tour series qualify to fish in the Bassmaster Elite Series, which, along with the FLW Wal-Mart Tour Championship, represents the big time in tournament angling.
After 2½ years of working two jobs, he quit one of them. The decision gave him more time, but piled on the pressure  Jakub would need to win enough money from tournaments to keep the dream alive.
ÂI was telling my girlfriend somethingÂs going to pop this year, and if it doesnÂt, maybe it wasnÂt meant to be, he said.
The first event was in June on Kentucky Lake. Jakub finished 61st out of 110 anglers and just one place out of the money.
A week before the second tournament, he drove to eastern Iowa to practice. He spent 12 to 14 hours on the water each day, catching largemouth bass and marking spots on a GPS so he could find them when the tournament started. He concentrated on locating fish 3-pounds or larger, the size it takes to place in the money.
On his last hour of practice on July 19, he found a shelf near the main river channel that quickly dropped from shallow to deep water. He threw a crankbait and caught a 3-plus pounder. A second crankbait produced a 4-pounder. Then he slow retrieved a 10-inch plastic worm and caught another 3-pounder.
ÂI was shaking, he said. ÂI knew this was my spot.Â
On the boat ride back to the ramp, Jakub knew other anglers would find it, too. The key would be getting a low number in the boat draw so he could reach the spot first.
That afternoon, 83 boat anglers entered the tournament. The tournament director drew the name for boat No. 1 Â Aaron Lee Jakub.
He was so stunned he couldnÂt speak. The director had to repeat the name twice before Jakub responded.
The next morning, he was the first angler to arrive at the spot, but within five minutes, eight other boats crowded in. But Jakub was on Âthe spot. With just 10 casts, he caught a five-fish limit. They bit on a Texas-rigged green pumpkin Berkley Power Worm with a hand-painted weight in about 8-feet of water. He spent the rest of the day upgrading his catch and weighed in at 15 pounds, 7 ounces, which put him in second place.
He weighed four fish on the second day, which added 9 pounds, 5 ounces to his total. Nonetheless, he dropped to 11th place.
On the final day, he caught five fish for 14 pounds, 14 ounces, and finished with a total weight of 39 pounds, 10 ounces  about 3 pounds behind the winner. Jakub actually tied for second place but won on a tie-breaker.
ÂTo finish in second place with 82 other anglers is an accomplishment. He should be really proud of it, said Chris Bowes, a tournament manager for the Tour Series.
The Tour Series is sort of like Triple A baseball  a few established pros compete in the tournaments, but most competitors are younger anglers who want to make the big time. The competition on the Tour Series is just a notch below that found on the Elite Series, Bowes said.
JakubÂs second-place finish puts him in 14th place in the points standings. At the end of the season, the top five points leaders qualify for the Elite Series and those who finish sixth through 25th qualify for a bonus tournament in Florida. JakubÂs goal is to be at that tournament because the winner gets a free ride in the 2007 Elite Series.
He hasnÂt yet decided whether he will upgrade to the new boat or sell it. Either way, it means his pro fishing dream is off life support.
In a few weeks, heÂll leave for upstate New York for the next tourney on the Northern Tour.
If he can keep placing in the money, some day heÂll need a tax adviser instead of just a tax preparer.
Reach Joe Duggan at 473-7239 or jduggan@journalstar.com.
Congrats to Aaron Jacob!!!!!!!!!
http://www.drydockmarine.net/aaron.html
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