On a sunny day in May last spring, Mark Cavanaugh did something that only a handful of bass fisherman can say they’ve ac- complished: he finished the three day Academy Sports + Outdoors B.A.S.S. Nation Eastern Regional fishing tournament in Tennessee on top of the leaderboard, with a total weight of 45 lbs., 3 oz. The accom- plishment earned him a fully paid berth on the Bassmaster Elite Series Tour this past year which is no small feat when you consider that the Port Perry native landed ahead of competitors from 17 States, as well as his fellow competing Canadians. “It was an honour,” I managed to ring out of him, disproving the theory that all fisherman are prone to exaggeration. Mark’s modesty vanishes en- tirely, however, once we start talk- ing about his next big challenge. He is currently the Youth Director and Treasurer of the Port Perry Bassmasters, a club with a grass- roots fellowship of anglers from all over the world who are dedicated 6 FOCUS - JUNE 2017