An Ode to Scott Martin after his Bassmaster Open win at Lake Okeechobee

Scott Martin celebrates after winning the 2024 Bassmaster Open at Lake Okeechobee. (Photo: @bassmaster on X)

In early February, pro bass angler, longtime fishing TV host and burgeoning Youtube star Scott Martin won the Bassmaster Open at Lake Okeechobee, where he grew up and lives to this day, surrounded by his family, including his dad, fishing legend Roland Martin.

It’s no secret why this was a monumental and emotional victory for Scott and his family. But you may wonder why it matters to me, and why I think it could matter to you. Let me explain.

Growing up in Connecticut in the 90s, pro bass fishing was as far from my personal experience as you could get. I spent most of my fishing time as a kid fly fishing for wild brook trout. But without Youtube, Instagram and the many other outlets modern anglers use to consume fishing content, in those days we were limited to books, magazines and the occasional fishing TV show.

Fishing TV was not ever-present. It usually only came on in the early mornings on weekends, and you were stuck watching whatever the few channels that offered fishing shows decided to show that day. I devoured all I could get anyway.

Much of the time it involved bass fishing, especially tournament fishing, and Roland and Scott Martin were fixtures. That’s how I first got to know them.

But five years ago, I came across Scott’s Youtube channel, and everything changed.

For those who aren’t familiar, Scott posts lots of fishing videos, from TV segments to sessions with his family and friends on Okeechobee. But his most popular videos, and by far my favorite, follow his tournament fishing career.

First with the FLW Tour and now with the Bassmaster Elite Series, Scott uploads a series of professionally-shot and expertly-edited videos for each tournament, usually one covering the travel to the event, one focused on his practice days, and then one for each tournament day.

There’s something about these tournament videos that get me more excited than just about anything else on the Internet or TV.

First, the Scott Martin you’ve come to know on TV via the Scott Martin Challenge is not the same Scott Martin featured in his tournament videos. Gone is the overly-produced TV sheen, and what’s left is more stripped-down, honest, human, relatable and likable leading man.

While following his intense tournament days, where he rockets from exuberant highs to crushing lows, is addicting, and leaves you living and dying on every ounce alongside him, the best moments are often found off the water.

A endearing cast of characters, including fellow pros Matt Arey and Scott Canterbury along with his family and cameramen, join Scott as he travels around the country, eating, fishing, ribbing and pranking each other along the way.

If you’re not familiar with Scott’s tournament videos, I can’t recommend them enough. And there’s no better place to start than his Bassmaster Open win, the first of which you can find below.

A few notes on that win, and just how meaningful it was. First, as Scott’s tournament videos have increased in quality and popularity over the last few years, one thing has eluded him that rarely did before: a win.

Tournament after tournament, he tried and failed to capture a W, and the agony came through in his videos clear as day. I honestly don’t know who was more anxious for him to lift a trophy again, Scott or his Youtube fans.

Furthermore, this particular tournament was on his home lake. The last time a Bassmaster event launched from his hometown over 20 years ago, his dad won it. And he, along with his mom and entire family were there to follow along the entire time.

But most importantly, Scott is at the forefront of an effort to save and conserve Lake Okeechobee, which, unlike many pro tournament venues, is a natural lake, a massive one at that, and one of our country’s true ecological gems. It also plays an essential role in keeping the Everglades healthy, a role that was been threatened by mismanagement, dams, diversions and farm runoff, to name just a few of the problems currently facing the lake. Scott started the Anglers for Lake Okeechobee organization to protect it, and you can learn more about their efforts here.

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