Happy-go-lucky pro Fred “Boom Boom” Roumbanis once showed up at a cold Bassmaster Classic in Shreveport without shoes. Well, actually, he had flip-flops, but because his trusted bride Julie wasn’t able to help him pack for that particular trip, the California native who now lives in Oklahoma, toughed it out with minimal footwear at that Classic.
Today at Toledo Bend, Roumbanis could be seen wandering uncomfortably under a flood light in the dark and spacious Cypress Bend Park boat ramp while other competitors launched their boats just down the hill.
“I’m a mess this morning,” said Roumbanis. “The button on my shorts popped off from all the crawfish I’ve eaten, so I’m up here hoping I’ve got a belt in my truck that’ll hold my shorts up while I fish today.”
Thankfully, Fred found a belt, but that’s not his only struggle. “My right armpit is chafed too – I guess from sweating, and all the friction from my jersey during all the casting I’ve done. I don’t think it’s my deodorant, and my left armpit is fine,” shared Roumbanis, who always seems to have a comical struggle of such.
Down at the dock Mike Iaconelli was doing all he could to make sure often challenging post-spawn fish care was no sweat.
“The water here is around 80-degrees, and these fish are beat up from the spawn, so I carry at least two bags of ice everyday to try to take good care of my catch,” said the Team Toyota pro.
“I add one bag ice to my livewell late in the morning, then after lunch, I flush out all that water from the morning, and pump in brand new water that I’ll add the second bag of ice to later in the afternoon,” he added.
Finally, adjacent to Iaconelli on the dock was the “Ice Man” himself, tournament leader, Kevin VanDam, applying sunscreen, while surrounded my cameramen. “The cameras and the microphone don’t bother me at all,” said a gracious VanDam.
“Actually, I’ve worked with cameramen Wes Miller, Brian Mason, Rick Mason, and Carey Barrett for about 17 years – so when any of those guys are with me it’s like having a friend in the boat. But I will say now that we have Bassmaster Live, you gotta stay super polished and on point with what you say,” grinned VanDam.
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