Bass Fishing Apr - Jun 2019 | Page 23

PROFILE: AARON BRITT understanding the love/hate relationship that is the California pro T here’s no middle ground. You either love Aaron Britt, or you hate him. And hon- estly, he doesn’t care which camp you’re in. That might seem blunt or harsh or arrogant, because it is all those things; because Britt is all those things. He’s a 32-year-old who curses frequently, never holds his tongue, refers to him- self as “Legit Britt” and wears his emo- tions on his sleeves, which happen to cover a tapestry of tattoos. By his accounts he eats and breathes bass fishing, and his one and only goal is to be the best fisher- man in the sport, “period, because I know I can be.” Basically, in a sport whose tradi- tions venerate the old-guard model of modesty and quiet confidence, he’s the polar opposite. He’s everything the sport loathes. In fact, based on what you’ve read thus far, you might even loathe him, too. If you do, that’s OK. The California pro is used to people making snap judgements about him. As he says, when you’re “so vibrant, so passionate and so emotional” as he is, you’re an easy target for judgement. But he wants to stand out; to be different. All he asks is that if you are going to judge him, actually get to know him before you do. “I’m about as straight and honest as they come,” says Britt. “I am who I am, and I like who I am. Yet, people misunderstand me. “I don’t mind, though. I under- stand, being who I am, it’s a tougher price to pay. Some people get me. Some don’t. You can’t expect every- one to understand.” THE arT oF FIsHIng His neck, his knuckles, his fore- arms – Britt’s canvas of tattoos is extensive, which only helps him play the role of West Coast punk in many people’s minds. sprIng 2019 I FLWFIsHIng.com “People see the tattoos, and they immediately frown upon them and me,” Britt says. “They don’t even both- er to read them. They should, because every one of them is important to me.” There’s the garden of roses on his left forearm and hand. There’s the pocket watch on the back of his right hand. A lock and his birth year on his right wrist. A heart with the word “Mom” on his left hand. And then there are the others; the ones where he professes his passions and mantras. “My knuckles say ‘Stay True’ because that’s what I always want to be, every day,” Britt says. “And on each finger is a fish jumping.” He has the Star of David prominently dis- played because “I’m Jewish, and I’m proud of my religion.” His right forearm features a giant bass with the word “Addicted,” and in among the roses on his left forearm is “Chase Your Dreams.” He also has “Never Give Up” inscribed on his neck. “I chose places for those tattoos because I wanted people to see them,” Britt says. “They’re important to me. I want peo- ple to see what drives me every day; what I’m all about.” As noted, some people get him, and some don’t. One who does is Michael Iaconelli, which should come as little surprise. Iaconelli pioneered the persona of being too brash and bold for the sport. It got him intense notoriety and intense scrutiny, and to this day, despite all of Iaconelli’s suc- cess in pro fishing, many still consider him an outcast. The two have shared the boat on a number of occasions, and Iaconelli’s message to Britt has stayed the same. By Sean Ostruszka “He gets it,” Britt says. “He gets what it’s like to be this passionate about fishing, and he has tried to teach me there’s a fine line that I’m still learning. But there’s a reason people call me the ‘West Coast Iaconelli.’ I take it as a compliment.” sTIrrIng EmoTIons If you couldn’t tell, Britt is an emo- tional guy. Then again, you probably would be, too, if you had Tourette syn- drome, ADHD and an impulse disorder. Trying to keep all those issues under control on a daily basis is not easy, and obviously, they get the bet- ter of him at times, resulting in blunt- ness and outbursts of emotion, which some fans noticed when Britt was on FLW Live at Lake Toho. Just ask him what it’s like to be a profes- sional fisherman. “Stressful! But I wouldn’t want to do anything else.” Or ask him about his one and only MMA fight; one which has gone down in infamy for ending in a double knockout 14 seconds in. “Unbelievable! I just thank God it didn’t go longer. My car- dio sucked.” Or about him being disqualified from the Lake Lanier event for violat- ing FLW’s no-information rule during the off-limits period. “It damn near brought me to tears. No info was exchanged, but I made a mistake so it’s my fault.” That episode still stirs plenty of emotional reactions from Britt, though most of them are positive now. “I had so many pros reach out after,” Britt says. “Guys like Jason Reyes and Cody Meyer and John Cox. It gave me a warm feeling to know guys like that were there for me.” “I wanted to play baseball, but that all changed when I was 16 and my dad, Ron, and I went on a guided trip to Clear Lake.” 21