It’s not uncommon for professional bass angler Dave Wolak to pack-up his Toyota Tundra, kiss his wife and young child goodbye, and head-out for three straight weeks on the road. In fact, Wolak says he’s even completed a few five week stretches away from home that included a string of tournaments, taping TV fishing shows, attending media events and working retail dealer promotions.
It takes Wolak an average of 10 hours of driving to get to each tournament, and logging 35,000 total miles a year on his odometer isn’t uncommon. So aside from all the rods, reels, spare lures and fishing line, what else does the 32 year-old, former physical therapy professional take along to make the monstrous mix of road miles more tolerable?
Here are some of the items Wolak takes on his many roadtrips:
A big fluffy blanket – call him Linus if you want to, but Wolak says he has to have his own blanket, as opposed to overused hotel linens.
A box of whole grain cereal – He eats it mostly for breakfast, but also dry as a snack in the truck and in the boat. It’s high in protein and high in fiber. Wolak went through a stage early in his career where he gained 20 pounds by slacking off on exercise and eating junk while traveling. He vowed to never let that happen again, and takes healthy foods along in order to keep healthy habits.
A bin of every lake map he’s ever owned– even for bodies of water you may have never heard of, like Lake Lillinonah. It’s a lake in Connecticut where Wolak used to fish team tournaments.
A monster jug of Whey protein – Wolak drinks it as a supplement around meals because the ‘road diet’ is mediocre at best in terms of good nutrition. Plus, whey protein is readily digested by the body and contains tons of essential amino acids.
A bag of unsalted almonds – Like many of us, he too craves an evening snack, but he doesn’t want junk. Almonds are high in fiber, protein, and good calories.
Golf Clubs – Wolak has no aspirations of trading BASS for the PGA, but he does like to visit the driving range along his travels. He hardly ever has time to play a full round of golf, but hitting a bucket of balls helps him stretch his muscles and get a little exercise. He feels less flexible when he’s on the road after driving long days. To a minor degree, the mechanics of a golf swing stretch and strengthen just about every muscle.
Tools – lots of tools, ranging from screwdrivers and wrenches to rotary cutting and grinding tools he can use on fiberglass, wood or whatever the job calls for.
Wherever the place, whatever the case, from body maintenance to boat maintenance, and fishing in between, Wolak is packed and ready for the rigors of life on the road.
