May 20, 2016 - Professional bass fisherman Randall Tharp has a confession about his growing side obsession: saltwater fishing.

But don’t fret. He’s not about to give up bass fishing…not at all. But Tharp says he’s gotten hooked on saltwater fishing in his down time. Whereas he used to obsess about bass between tournaments and in his down time, these days he’s found that the ocean offers up a whole new world for him to explore.

My bass fishing career has taken me all over the country, and I’ve seen sights and sunsets that would amaze even the most jaded person. But the ocean is a whole different world. I continue to be amazed at how diverse it is. I’m 47 years old, and I feel like so much of the saltwater experience is untapped that I don’t have time to accomplish half of what I want to do. If you think that watching a 5-pounder blow up on a frog is exciting – and it is – just wait until you see a 500-pound tuna explode on a topwater bait. Everything is just bigger and more violent.

I wouldn’t be able to chase this passion without the life that bass fishing has provided for me, and in return my time in the salt enables me to become a better all-around angler. Just as I did in freshwater, I’ve made an effort to learn as much as I can on my own about how to do things. Yes, I’m a little stubborn. The problem is that there is so much to learn, and so many different experiences to chase, that it’s hard to even figure out what area generally to focus on.

Read Tharp’s full post at Bassmaster.com.