As serious anglers, all of us can forget sometimes that it’s all for fun! Serious tournament anglers can get wrapped up in the competition and forget the true purpose of the recreation. Fishing a very limited tournament schedule I try to take advantage of the freedoms that life should be all about. For many years I have been fishing with Ernie and Ken Pate who are well known in the area to be two of the best bass tournament anglers that the area has to offer… bass experts if you will ! Regardless of who you are fishing with, we all can learn things from each other, but the experience and privilege to fish with two of the best is truly a great experience. I’ve learned a great deal from the Pate’s over the years and always look forward to another day on the water with them. I’ve taken several trips to Lake Erie so far this year on their boat and the fishing has been phenomenal as Erie is known. Taking traditional bass tackle and simplifying the bait and presentation to a natural form is their forte. For many years they have been doing this around the area and country and are always at the top of their game every time they head out onto the water. Between the three of us in our trips we have landed literally several hundred bass using their time tested techniques and persistance in search of our favorite gamefish. The trips are always entertaining and very productive and a real experience for both the serious angler and weekend angler alike! Here’s some video of underwater camera shots on the big water!!