ILLUSTRATION BY JOE MAHLER
He was 32 , but it hardly mattered to him . Rather than do the quick math , Aaron just said what he was thinking – a dangerous proposition for those of us who lack that innocence and purity of spirit , but it worked for him .
a unique kind of genius
Aaron was a genius , but not the kind that solves pointless calculus problems . He solved bass problems , and he made people feel better about themselves . One proof of his genius was his tournament record , which ranks among the eternal greats .
Yes , there is a certain genius to bass tournament success ; there are special abilities , challenges and aptitudes . Aaron had those in a fascinating mix , unlike any other angler .
Another proof of Aaron ’ s genius that I admired very much was his ability to think outside the constraints that bind most of us . We live in our own cranium-sized world and only rarely find ways to escape it . I think Aaron lived outside the box and not merely thought outside of it .
At a tournament on the Alabama River about 10 years ago , he was on stage , weighing his catch , when the announcer started saying something about tournament pros being big kids playing a game . It was a silly comment – a time filler – and it led to a sillier question .
Announcer : “ What do you want to be when you grow up ?” Aaron : “ A tiger .” The crowd roared . Aaron ’ s answer was way outside the proverbial box , and it was perfect . Why not a tiger ? Why would anyone want to be a cowboy , doctor , ballerina or President of the United States if you could be a tiger instead ? Sign me up for tiger !
And Aaron ’ s explanation was even better . When asked why he wanted to be a tiger , Aaron said , “ Because you get to pounce on things .”
In 2004 , Aaron finished second in the Classic on Lake Wylie . He caught most of his fish around bridge pilings using underspins with fluke-style trailers . At the end of the final day , his boat deck was littered with soft plastics , and each of them was customized with Sharpie pens , Aaron-style .
They all had a pair of black eyes , a pair of red gill plates … and a smile .
If you fish those types of baits , you ’ ve probably done your own customization and have likely drawn similar eyes and gill plates . I know I have .
And so , I had to ask . “ Aaron , I understand the eyes and the gill plates , but what ’ s with the smiley face ?” “ I felt like they wanted a happy bait ,” he explained . And they probably did . I miss my friend .
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