PASSING THE TORCH

CHANGE IS CONSTANT IN THE SPORT-FISHING COMMUNITY. Through discovery, innovation and conservation, we’ve seen distinct periods of great change over the years. According to some, we’ve entered a time that will be remembered as the Age of the Mate. Whether this period will be marked by the rise or fall of the sport-fishing mate as we know it remains largely up for debate, but one truth remains: What happens next is up to the young people who choose to pursue these careers on the water and the seasoned captains who will train them.

“THERE HAS NEVER BEEN A TIME THAT I CAN REMEMBER WHEN GOOD MATES WERE NEEDED MORE IN OUR INDUSTRY. THE OPPORTUNITY FOR ASPIRING MATES HAS NEVER BEEN BETTER.”

Capt. Mike “Glaze” Glaesner understands the value of the captain-mate relationship. He’s proved it time and again over the course of an impressive 40-year career. He too sees the writing on the wall, saying: “There has never been a time that I can remember when good mates were needed more in our industry. The opportunity for aspiring mates has never been better.”

This should be a sign of good things to come. Now more than ever, there are opportunities to learn the ins and outs of professional sport-fishing operations. For seasoned captains, this is a time to provide guidance, critique and support to the next generation of fishermen. Captains like Glaesner do just that, offering newcomers the tools they need to have successful careers as mates and eventually, as captains.