COLUMN : BASS HISTORY
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Ken Duke has been writing about all aspects of bass fishing for 40 years . When he ’ s not reading about , writing about , thinking about or talking about bass fishing , he ’ s usually bass fishing . a is for aaron
Sometimes “ history ” is about preserving the memory of those who shaped us
W here can I start when trying to tell you even a little bit of the story of someone like Aaron Martens ?
Well , first I should point out that there never was and never will be anyone else like Aaron . He was unique in some of the best ways imaginable . Obviously , he was a great bass fisherman – one of the best of all time – but he ranked at least that high as a person . There wasn ’ t a malicious or disingenuous bone in the body that eventually let him down , despite the great care he gave to it .
Aaron had a lot of nicknames . Some were flattering ; some were not : “ The Natural ,” “ Deuce ,” “ Spin ,” and “ Rain Man ” were just a few . That he was the best natural angler many ever knew is undisputed and explains the first . Four runner-up finishes in the Bassmaster Classic cover the second . His skills with a spinning rod and finesse fishing are well known , and that ’ s the third . And his savant-like powers in bass fishing are legendary .
There was an innocence and purity about Aaron that made you love him and want to be more like him . If he was preoccupied with petty interpersonal politics or silly posturing , he hid it well . Aaron could certainly get distracted , but he kept his focus on the important things – his family , his God , his fishing , his friends – and if you spent time around him , you knew he was “ present ” in that moment , and you knew he cared .
When he won his first of three Bassmaster Angler of the Year awards in 2005 , it was my job to get him from the stage at Table Rock Lake to a makeshift media center , a long cast away . Once there , he had a seat , put his new trophy on a table and opened a bottle of cold water . Reporter : “ Aaron , how old are you ?” Aaron : “ Oh dude , I should know that !”
28 MAJORLEAGUEFISHING . COM | FEBRUARY-MARCH 2022