Fishing friends

For most, fishing has relaxation and tranquillity written all over it. An escape from work and responsibility, a bastion from the hustle and bustle of life.

But for local bass masters Joe Discerni and Joel Martin, fishing can be all those things - but it's also so much more.

"I fish because it's what I love and what I always wanted to get into, said Martin. "I want to turn pro some day. I got into competition fishing this year. It's a lot of money, a lot of hard work and no sleep, but it's just about the thrill of catching them - catching bass."

Today, the two will be doing what they do best at a place they both know all too well, as Mosquito Lake plays host to this weekend's Bassmaster Weekend Series event.

Martin, a 20-year-old from Braceville and a Southington graduate, and Discerni, a 23-year-old from Warren, both compete in the series, where Martin is in 18th place in the co-angler division, while Discerni is in first in the boat owner division. Both are in Division 20, which represents Ohio.

For Martin, who has been fishing for 12 years, the event being held at the local lake could be a big advantage in the competition.

"There's an advantage, especially if you have your own boat because you know where to go," Martin said. "But overall, I think there's an advantage all-round (for local competitors). (Mosquito Lake) is usually where I come to fish no matter what, around two or three times a week."

But for Discerni, who has been fishing all his life and been doing it competitively since his family bought a boat when he was 15, he sees the home lake advantage as a bit of a double-edged sword.

"I don't know," Discerni said when asked if he felt he had an advantage at today's competition. "In this lake, the fish are biting pretty good, so anyone can get on. I honestly feel that I have an advantage traveling because I don't know the lakes and I can just get out there. You want to be everywhere all the time at a local lake. So I just don't know."

Not only do the two local anglers share a spot on on the Series, even though they are in different sections, they are also friends. For Martin, it was Discerni's influence that helped him make a splash on the competitive level.

"It's actually really great," Martin said of knowing and fishing with Discerni. "He's kind of my mentor and picked me up and got me involved. He's also first in Ohio in the series, so it's definitely an advantage to have his knowledge."

On the other side, Discerni, who also said that he got into the sport when a friend brought him in, loves sharing the lake.

"It's kind of nice," Discerni said of his and Martin's fishing friendship. "I like to have someone with me. It's cool to have someone to travel with and listen to and feed ideas off of."

The tournament pits the fishers in the two sections as each angler attempts to catch five "keepers", as the angler with the top overall weight gets the win. Martin will be attempting a top showing at his home lake to move up in the ranks, while Discerni will be trying to stave off the competition as he clings to the top spot.

"Right now, it's cool because I've never been in this position before," Discerni said of his top spot. "I've qualified for a lot of stuff, but I couldn't go to because of school. But now I can just go out and do it, now that I have consistency. Just going and catching fish, not to win, but to just catch fish. But if you can catch some good fish, you can get a check, so that's cool as well."

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