Tuesday, October 09, 2007

ESPN's Don Barone: TunaMaster Skeet


ESPN's Don Barone has been fishing again. This time he takes his "butt replacement doctor" and 2007 BASS Angler of the year (AOY) Skeet Reese on a tuna fishing trip.
Picture this: I'm sitting on the rail/facing/whatever the front of the boat is called, and in my hand (running parallel to the back of the boat), is this fully-loaded tackle thing with a fairly peeved 30-pound fish swimming away as fast as it can from the exact spot where I'm sitting, feet dangling, just minding my own non-fishing-at-the-moment business.
And Skeet then lets GO of the rod.

Mac, too far away to save what he calls "his hips" (implanted in me, mind you) can only stare.
Santini and the Captain are frozen in space — I, unfortunately, am not.

Somehow, in a momentary alignment of the fish planets, the striper seems to sense the AOY isn't holding the stick anymore. And that in some stroke of luck the MOY (Moron of the Year) is now controlling his bass fate, and so it pops into fish fifth gear, which completely swings me around, stands me straight up, and frankly almost over the damned Skip-A-Dory side.

Behind me, Skeet is laughing, running around looking for a camera. I manage to get my other hand around and onto the rod at about the same time the fish realizes the stupid one is actually at the other end of the line. And so he dives. Straight down.

My left leg and $23,413.37 hip comes off the ground. Out loud I curse Steve Bowman, knowing that somehow this must be his pet fish about to drown me.

Then Skeet says "Here, put it in your groin."
Read the rest of the story at ESPN.com Photo Credit Don Barone.

No comments: