FIRST CAST : JOEL SHANGLE
until we see you again
They say that there are multiple stages of grief , and that those stages are the most intense when a person is mourning the loss of someone they love . As has so frequently been the case since around 7 p . m . PST on Thursday , Nov . 4 – the moment we all got the news that Aaron Martens had passed after an 18-month battle with brain cancer – all of those stages seem to be competing for attention inside my brain , my gut and my heart .
Aaron ’ s untimely passing at the age of 49 – untimely in that Aaron was 100 percent the healthiest , most wellnessconscious person I ever knew – didn ’ t come as a surprise , unfortunately . We had known for months that the final outcome of Aaron ’ s glioblastoma ( that awful-sounding name given to one of the most merciless forms of cancer ) would not be good , and that we would all eventually have to deal with that moment when our beloved friend was called home .
But that moment struck most of us as though we didn ’ t even know that Aaron was sick . It felt like a physical punch in the gut .
I don ’ t know where you were or what you were doing when you heard that Aaron Martens had passed away , but I sat down right where I stood in the living room and cried . Aaron was a dear friend – a man who would start every conversation with “ Heeeeey , bro ” and end most of them ( especially in the past 18 months ) with some form of “ I love you ” – and it ’ s been impossible to overcome the sorrow and weight of his loss ever since . I don ’ t expect that to change soon . But that ’ s as far as I ’ ll take that thought today , because Aaron could simply not stand the thought of a friend ( or anyone , for that matter ) suffering on his behalf . Aaron was a man of joy . He laughed and smiled easily , and took great delight in lending a helping hand , and in making people happy .
In the days immediately following his passing , I reached out to some of the people who knew him best , simply to hear their memories and share thoughts of Aaron . I asked multiple , multiple people “ What ’ s your best memory of Aaron Martens ?”, and every single person was effusive in their praise of him as a kind , caring , honest , loving person .
I heard plenty of talk about his otherworldly skill as a bass fisherman – rightfully so , because Aaron was perhaps the most astoundingly talented angler the world has ever known – but anyone who ever spent any time around him in person remembers him most vividly for the sweet , goofy , genuine soul that he was . I heard endless stories of simple kindnesses that Aaron bestowed on people , seemingly every day of his life .
If you didn ’ t feel well , Aaron called you to make sure you were okay . If you needed anything – a battery cable , a spare propeller , a pair of sunglasses , a hat , a beer , $ 100 , the literal shirt off his back ( I saw him give his shirt to somebody at a tournament in Louisiana ) – and Aaron had it in his possession , he would give it to you and not accept “ No thank you ” as an answer .
And even as we learn to adjust to life on Earth without Aaron Martens , he continues to give generously . His spirit and love of life are out there to witness with just the click of a mouse . His knowledge can be found in these pages , and in thousands upon thousands more .
Hey , bro . I love you , too . Until we see you again .
joel shangle , executive editor
6 MAJORLEAGUEFISHING . COM | DECEMBER-JANUARY 2022