Kids have dreams growing up to be the star quarterback on a professional football team or the pitcher that pitches a shutout at the World Series.
Some of these kids follow their passion and play little league sports, eventually playing their favorite sport in high school with the hopes of making it to college doing the same.
The same goes with fishing.
As a teenager, my brother and I watched every episode of Bill Dance that came on the television each weekend as well as the Roland Martin shows. These gentlemen followed a passion of fishing and became role models for many guys and girls to follow their dreams of fishing to one day make it to the stage of the Bassmasters Classic.
I had the opportunity to ride along for a day with one of the professional bass fishermen, Dean Rojas, during an Elite 50 tournament a few years ago.
Rojas didn”t talk much at first, his concentration on winning that tournament to help him qualify for the Bassmasters Classic.
The blastoff happened and we were sitting in the lock waiting for the gates to open and the boat ride down to the Aliceville pool. I felt like a kid, watching Rojas talk to the other pros like Ish Monroe, Rick Clunn and Mark Davis.
It was an exciting 20 minutes.
Once we arrived to his first location, the game face came back. Rojas was doing things I would have never have thought, placing lures in places I would have never even tried to fish.
After his limit of five fish was in the boat”s livewell, his game face calmed and the conversation began.
Rojas had the same dreams I had earlier in life. The difference was that he followed his passion at all cost to make it to the “big leagues.”
“Do you fish tournaments?” asked Rojas. I told him I did and I had the dream of fishing the Classic one day.
Rojas smiled and said he could remember fishing smaller tournaments with the same dream.
“It is a little different now that I am here though,” explained Rojas. “It has become more of a typical job, trying to keep sponsors happy by going to speaking engagements and traveling all over the country while leaving the family at home. But my love of the sport has never gone away.”
Rojas has fished in several Bassmaster Classics but has not succeeded in taking home the trophy. This is probably why he still has that “sparkle” in his eye when he puts a rod in his hand on tournament day.
Sure, he has the same daily life that we have — wife, kids, mortgage, and making a paycheck. The difference with him is that he has that and using his passion for the sport to make it all happen.
“There are a lot of things to consider if you try to go pro these days,” said Rojas, “with all of the traveling and having to stay on the water over 200 days a year.”
Rojas said that it was a hard life on the road. He further went on to say there were many days that it just wasn”t “fun.” It became a job to him in many ways, but the dreams were still there.
I think that as long as you keep the passion in your heart for the sport you enjoy, you will play your best, fish when it”s cold, and hunt when it”s warm. Continue to sharpen your skills whether it is throwing the ball into a clothes basket or pitching a lure when you”re bundled up like an Eskimo.
Kevin Forrester is The Dispatch”s Outdoor Writer. You can contact him at [email protected].
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Quality, in-depth journalism is essential to a healthy community. The Dispatch brings you the most complete reporting and insightful commentary in the Golden Triangle, but we need your help to continue our efforts. In the past week, our reporters have posted 32 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.
