EUFAULA, Ala. – No one thinks about the middle seat of a bass boat. Mostly because they rarely exist. I know this because that hard-bottom center console offers no cushion when bouncing down the lake at 70 mph with $75,000 worth of camera equipment in my hands.
The middle seat can be a brutal and emotional place to watch a tournament unfold, to watch careers being made, to watch dreams come alive, or nightmares become reality. It’s a place where tungsten whizzes past your head, crankbaits steal your hat, and Iaconelli runs you over on his way to the back of the boat to land his latest “giant.” It can be a dangerous place, but the danger is what makes it worthwhile.
This is my Job…
“You’ve got the greatest job in the world!”
“Man, you have a dream job!”
As a cameraman on the MLF Bass Pro Tour, we hear it all the time, and I have to agree. The middle seat of the bass boat is better than any seat you could ever get at any kind of sporting event. You can’t be in the huddle at the Super Bowl, dodge baseballs next to the umpire at the World Series, or stand under the basket at the NBA Final. But I can get hit in the chest with a fish at REDCREST (two-minute penalty)!
This “greatest seat in bass fishing” comes with a hefty price that people don’t talk about, though. It comes with bulged disks and busted backs, hooks stuck in random places, fogged and broken lenses, 30 pounds of shoulder action for nine hours, and an awkward limp after six days of a heavy camera on your right shoulder.
Not everyone can do this. Not everyone would want to do this. In fact, I’m starting to think that I’m a little off my rocker…no…I know that I’m off my rocker. Even with the bumps, bruises, physical therapy and handfuls of Ibuprofen, I can’t wait to get back out there.
Let’s Tell Some Stories, Shall We?
We camera guys are adrenaline junkies. We love the rollercoaster ride of emotion throughout the day. We love to tell you the story of the sport because we love this sport as much as you do. The hour-long runs through the freezing cold are worth it, the scalding sun and the heavy camera are worth it, and the week of painful, sleepless nights are worth it to bring this sport to life and put it in your home. We love to tell the story.
I can’t wait to pass along the piles of stories that never make it to air or get talked about in articles and blogs. This sport is so caught up in tips and techniques that personalities often get overlooked. The stories of triumph and the stories of perseverance get overshadowed by the latest bait modification. Well, maybe we can change some of that.
The MLF Bass Pro Tour is kicking off right now. It has been a long offseason and we’re all ready to get on Lake Eufaula. It’s time to get back into camera shape, stretch the old shoulder, and hope the creaky bones have another year in them. I have missed my MLF family, and I’m ready to grab my middle seat and hang on for the adventure.