80 NIGHTS AWAY FOR A 9-FOOTER

Note: The following story is from industry veteran Alan McGuckin.   

15 weekends a year away from home.

80 nights a year apart from my wife.

And my dog, my porch, my fireplace, my gym, my church, my couch, my friends, my favorite Mexican restaurant, and my favorite Oklahoma fisheries.

Lonely airport gates.

Countless pre-dawn alarm clocks.

Thousands of miles alone on Interstate 40.

To be out here.

Living the single greatest line of advice my dad ever gave me.

"I don't care what you do for a living, just promise me you'll do something you love."

That was the summer of 1986.

I'm 41 now.

I was 16 that day.

He knew.

He knew that work isn't near as much like work, if you're doing what you love.

He knew that passion would supersede sacrifice.

Like today, while half the country shivers, I'm privileged -- privileged -- to be in sunny and 75-degree weather in Key West.

I'm here hosting a Media Event for a client i love serving -- The Zebco Brands.

Lotta work went into this event.

A pile of planning.

And today passion, sacrifice, and reward all came together as i caught the single biggest fish of my Life.

A 9-foot long, 250-pound, Lemon Shark, caught on a slab of meat cut from the sides of a 20+ pound barracuda that i caught on a topwater lure, four hours earlier.

The fight lasted 20 - 30 minutes, i started sweating, my left bi-cep screamed, my back hurt.

Legendary saltwater stick Tom Rowland, host of the SaltWater Experience television show on Versus was my guide.

The wrestling match and caution that melt together in a mess of emotion once the shark is stretched on deck drowns in adrenalin.

But mostly, my Soul was saturated in satisfaction.

Because fishing is my profession, my dream, my fiber.

Has been since back around the time Dad gave me that line of advice.

And today, nearly 26 years later, i caught the biggest fish of my Life.