I LOVE THIS GUY...

This is Ishama Monroe, from Hughson, CA. You probably have no idea who dude is. He is one of the top professional bass fishermen in the world, and is competing in the BassMasters Classic here in Shreveport-Bossier City this weekend.

I heard this story on the local news last night, and found it today. Yesterday, during the first day of the tournament one of the favorites, Kevin Wirth's engine overheated on him when he was 3 miles from returning to the dock. "So what?" you may ask. Well, it seems that fishermen are charged a penalty of one pound per minute that they are late back in.

Wirth was carrying about 15 pounds of fish, which put him within striking distance of the eventual leader yesterday. You can do the math, and imagine the panic Wirth must have been going through (don't forget, these guys are fishing for 500 grand top prize).

Then along came Ish! From ESPN's coverage of the tournament:

Kevin Wirth was three miles from checking in with 15 pounds, 3 ounces in his livewell when his engine got bogged down and stopped.

"About the time I got shut down, I heard a boat fly by and it was Ish [Monroe]," Wirth said. "I waved, he wheeled back around, I grabbed my fish and we were gone. It probably didn't take us 30 seconds."

He still wasn't out of trouble.

"Once I got in Ish's boat he goes, 'I'm running on fumes,' and I'm thinking, 'We've still got a ways to go,'" Wirth said.

They made it to the ramp with, according to Ish's GPS, exactly 2 minutes and 50 seconds to spare.

"You can't say enough good things about a guy when he does something like that," Wirth said of Monroe, who only weighed in 6-8.

But he still wasn't out of trouble.

Floating roughly three miles downriver was Wirth's empty boat. A couple sitting in their boat, watching the anglers come in inquired as to why there were four people in one boat. Wirth told them the story and they took off.

"They went all the way down there and started towing me," Wirth said. "Before BASS or the Coast Guard could send somebody to get it, they were halfway back to the ramp."

Wirth said his boat was fine, it just overheated and he didn't have time to let it cool down. He'll use it on Saturday.

What's interesting to me is that Ishama was interviewed by several news agencies, and never mentioned one word about saving Wirth's cookies out there on the River. Only after Wirth started talking did Ish get questions about it. He said, "Well, it doesn't look like I'm in it right now, but if Wirth wins...maybe at least he'll hit me with a case of Kentucky's finest."

Well done Ish! You give bass fishing a good name...and Californians for that matter...