A Patti’s pork chop … mmmmm. It’s almost as legendary in these parts as Kentucky Lake, as is the restaurant that serves it: Patti’s 1880s Settlement (patties-settlement.com). This chop is 2 inches of juicy, bone-in pork cooked to absolute perfection. And did I mention the clay-pot bread? It’s flaky, it’s airy and it’s baked in a clay flower pot with strawberry butter on the side. And then there is the dessert … hang on, let me clean up the drool.

I bring up these tasty treats because as of 10:15 a.m., Feb. 4, 2011, my goal is to win a pork chop dinner at Patti’s from Shaye Baker, one of FLW Outdoors’ aspiring pros.

Shaye qualified for the 2011 National Guard FLW College Fishing National Championship to be held on Kentucky Lake in April. It will be his second championship in as many years. He’s also an EverStart Series pro and an occasional contributor to FLW Outdoors Magazine.

I recently e-mailed Shaye, along with all the championship qualifiers, to ask them to contact me if they come to Kentucky Lake (just a few minutes from our office) to practice for the championship. I’m going to blog about their experiences and maybe shoot some video or photos with them when they’re in town.

Anyway, Shaye mentioned to me that he is trying to lose weight before the championship, to help boost his performance in this event and others down the road. He thought it might make an interesting story about some of the behind-the-scenes effort that goes into becoming a bass pro. I mentioned that I was also hitting the gym on a regular basis to try and drop some weight before summer.

The next thing I know, we’re wagering a bet on who can lose the most. And the prize is dinner at Patti’s, an ironic way to cap off a weight-loss competition.

Now, I like Shaye. He’s a nice guy with a positive attitude who is working hard to achieve his dreams. I wish him the best. But I have every intention of beating him like a drum. I can work out pretty hard when I’m motivated, and now that this is public I’m motivated. This should even help me improve my often awful diet (Dear Ice Cream, It’s been real. Keep in touch.).

As for the ground rules – The bet starts today, Feb. 4, and ends on March 27, the last day before Kentucky Lake goes off limits before the championship. The winner is the one that loses the highest percentage of body weight by the end date. Our starting weights are: Curt, 205 pounds; Shaye, 234 pounds.

Shaye will be updating our progress on his Facebook page throughout this event if you care to follow along. And if you’d like to join us for dinner on March 27, come along. Shaye’s buying.