Hamilton Reef
07-17-2005, 12:33 PM
Zona's ESPN gig a result of gift for gab, passion for fishing
Sunday, July 17, 2005 By Bob Gwizdz
http://www.mlive.com/outdoors/statewide/index.ssf?/base/sports-0/1121249453202230.xml
STURGIS -- Most folks would take offense at being called a loudmouth.
Not Mark Zona.
``I'm OK with it,'' Zona says. ``I've been called a loudmouth before. Now, I'm getting paid to be one.
Indeed, he is. The 32-year-old southwest Michigan bass angler is the state's newest fishing star. Not because of what he does with his rod and reel, but because of what he does with his mouth.
Zona co-hosts ``Loudmouth Bass,'' ESPN-TV's Saturday morning talk show that follows the world of competitive bass angling. He teams up with Jay Kumar, founder of bassfan.com, to inform viewers of tournament bass fishing.
It's part serious, part silly, part interview and a lot of opinion, something Zona is never short of.
Always a threat to win when fishing in the smaller tournaments in the Michiana area, Zona is a gifted bass angler who just didn't want to chase the national circuits.
He's done extremely well when he's tried -- a couple of years ago, he was Angler-of-the-Year on the Everstart circuit, after three second-place finishes -- but he never wanted to leave his wife and twin sons home and join the cast-for-cast circuit full time. He always returned to his day job as a boat salesman.
But, when ESPN called -- Zona says he thought it was one of his buddies playing a joke on him -- he decided maybe he could make a living out of tournament fishing.
``I'd been selling bass boats all my life,'' says Zona, a quick-witted, outgoing person. ``It was the toughest decision I ever made in my career. But, it isn't every day ESPN comes knocking on your door.''
So Zona went, as they say in the poker world, all in.
For a guy who fished his first bass tournament when he was 9 years old, it's been a perfect fit.
``I'm a fan of (tournament fishing),'' he said. ``I followed it religiously since I was 12 years old. I talk about the same things I did with fishermen or at the tackle store. The only difference is there's a camera.''
Bass fishing has always been Zona's favorite sport.
``In high school, the (baseball) coach said, `Hey, man, you've got to make a decision whether you're a bass fisherman or a ballplayer.' Well, I was already making a little money bass fishing so I dropped baseball right when I got to high school. Fishing's been the source of my income ever since.''
Zona tapes his show in Charlotte, N.C., or at the site of any big tournament that might be going on, so he has access to the pros. He'll talk about fishing tactics or tournament strategy or even the politics of competing bass circuits. Or, he'll go off on a completely different tangent.
``We're serious about it, but we're poking fun at it, too,'' Zona says. ``It can go from the most serious conversation to absurd in one minute.''
Zona admits to being something of a ``deer in the headlights'' when he started doing the show, but has the natural talent to hold an audience. ESPN tapped him to host it's Greatest Angler Series and, at other times, he's substituted for other angling show hosts.
``One of the biggest honors was sitting in for Jerry McKinnis on the Bassmasters show,'' Zona said, ``Sitting in his seat! That was huge! Just an honor to do that!''
Zona is doing the kind of television show he says he would have liked to watch when he was growing up.
``The whole thing is a blast,'' he says. ``I'm having the time of my life.
``I'm stunned by it all. If this thing ends tomorrow -- and working in television, I know it could -- it has been worth it. So worth it.''
Zona credits Kalamazoo superstar angler Kevin VanDam, one of his heroes, for putting his name in play when ESPN began looking for talent.
``I owe Kevin a lot for this job,'' he says. ``It's obvious he went to the plate for me. When KVD talks, people listen.''
In fact, Zona said, he was little disappointed when fan voting in the Greatest Angler Series resulted in VanDam being selected as the fifth best all-time bass angler.
``To me, that was the biggest surprise -- looking at what he's done, absolutely worst case scenario, he should have been No. 2.''
Although Zona has hit the big time, he still tries to get out when he can and fish some of the local night tournaments on southwestern Michigan lakes with his buddies. But, he no longer feels a need to cash a check (though he often still does) in the events. Zona has made it.
These days, when he's standing around talking with the guys at a national tournament, fans come up to him and ask for his autograph.
``It's kind of funny, to be honest with you,'' he says. ``But, it's all been as fun as it could be.''
Sunday, July 17, 2005 By Bob Gwizdz
http://www.mlive.com/outdoors/statewide/index.ssf?/base/sports-0/1121249453202230.xml
STURGIS -- Most folks would take offense at being called a loudmouth.
Not Mark Zona.
``I'm OK with it,'' Zona says. ``I've been called a loudmouth before. Now, I'm getting paid to be one.
Indeed, he is. The 32-year-old southwest Michigan bass angler is the state's newest fishing star. Not because of what he does with his rod and reel, but because of what he does with his mouth.
Zona co-hosts ``Loudmouth Bass,'' ESPN-TV's Saturday morning talk show that follows the world of competitive bass angling. He teams up with Jay Kumar, founder of bassfan.com, to inform viewers of tournament bass fishing.
It's part serious, part silly, part interview and a lot of opinion, something Zona is never short of.
Always a threat to win when fishing in the smaller tournaments in the Michiana area, Zona is a gifted bass angler who just didn't want to chase the national circuits.
He's done extremely well when he's tried -- a couple of years ago, he was Angler-of-the-Year on the Everstart circuit, after three second-place finishes -- but he never wanted to leave his wife and twin sons home and join the cast-for-cast circuit full time. He always returned to his day job as a boat salesman.
But, when ESPN called -- Zona says he thought it was one of his buddies playing a joke on him -- he decided maybe he could make a living out of tournament fishing.
``I'd been selling bass boats all my life,'' says Zona, a quick-witted, outgoing person. ``It was the toughest decision I ever made in my career. But, it isn't every day ESPN comes knocking on your door.''
So Zona went, as they say in the poker world, all in.
For a guy who fished his first bass tournament when he was 9 years old, it's been a perfect fit.
``I'm a fan of (tournament fishing),'' he said. ``I followed it religiously since I was 12 years old. I talk about the same things I did with fishermen or at the tackle store. The only difference is there's a camera.''
Bass fishing has always been Zona's favorite sport.
``In high school, the (baseball) coach said, `Hey, man, you've got to make a decision whether you're a bass fisherman or a ballplayer.' Well, I was already making a little money bass fishing so I dropped baseball right when I got to high school. Fishing's been the source of my income ever since.''
Zona tapes his show in Charlotte, N.C., or at the site of any big tournament that might be going on, so he has access to the pros. He'll talk about fishing tactics or tournament strategy or even the politics of competing bass circuits. Or, he'll go off on a completely different tangent.
``We're serious about it, but we're poking fun at it, too,'' Zona says. ``It can go from the most serious conversation to absurd in one minute.''
Zona admits to being something of a ``deer in the headlights'' when he started doing the show, but has the natural talent to hold an audience. ESPN tapped him to host it's Greatest Angler Series and, at other times, he's substituted for other angling show hosts.
``One of the biggest honors was sitting in for Jerry McKinnis on the Bassmasters show,'' Zona said, ``Sitting in his seat! That was huge! Just an honor to do that!''
Zona is doing the kind of television show he says he would have liked to watch when he was growing up.
``The whole thing is a blast,'' he says. ``I'm having the time of my life.
``I'm stunned by it all. If this thing ends tomorrow -- and working in television, I know it could -- it has been worth it. So worth it.''
Zona credits Kalamazoo superstar angler Kevin VanDam, one of his heroes, for putting his name in play when ESPN began looking for talent.
``I owe Kevin a lot for this job,'' he says. ``It's obvious he went to the plate for me. When KVD talks, people listen.''
In fact, Zona said, he was little disappointed when fan voting in the Greatest Angler Series resulted in VanDam being selected as the fifth best all-time bass angler.
``To me, that was the biggest surprise -- looking at what he's done, absolutely worst case scenario, he should have been No. 2.''
Although Zona has hit the big time, he still tries to get out when he can and fish some of the local night tournaments on southwestern Michigan lakes with his buddies. But, he no longer feels a need to cash a check (though he often still does) in the events. Zona has made it.
These days, when he's standing around talking with the guys at a national tournament, fans come up to him and ask for his autograph.
``It's kind of funny, to be honest with you,'' he says. ``But, it's all been as fun as it could be.''