What If VanDam, Clunn Laughed At You…

…Just Before Takeoff?!

What what that do for your confidence?

Well, it happened to a guy named Tim Sainato, a Missoura stick and I believe Table Rock guide at least at one point (can someone check me on that). The whole, amazing story (took place in 2000 maybe?) is too long for here, but bear this in mind:

> The night before day 1 of official practice (of a Bassmaster event), his boat caught on fire. Seriously. So no sleep, no boat, no tackle.

> VanDam, Stacey King, Curt Lytle, others, gave him a bunch of tackle, the fire chief lent him his bass boat…and the batteries died after 10 minutes. He replaced the batteries, got a half day of practice in that day, then a full day the next day.

Day 1, his trolling batteries died after 30 minutes. He headed back in to get new batteries…and then his big motor blew up. Literally.

He drifts out, and an hour later gets towed back in, finally gets trolling motor batteries, has 3 hours left to fish and starts trolling out to catch some…when the trolling motor breaks.

He has a few fish, Ron Shuffield tows him in and he just makes the weigh-in.

Believe it or not, here’s where the laughter comes in.

The boat he manages to land for the next day is a 17-footer with a 115. Not terrible, BUT the partner he draws is 6′ 6″ and 350 lbs, an ex football player. The giant plus all his gear make the boat tilt noticeably to port. At takeoff, VanDam, Clunn and probably everyone else is laughing their butts off.

Humiliating, funny, whatever. But it doesn’t end there.

On the first cast Tim’s partner drops his rod into the lake, leans out to grab it and Tim goes out of the boat.

That day he does get a limit, but falls out of Classic qualification.

Holy macks. Is that insane or what?