ONE BOAT NETWORK CHALLENGE: FROM A/C REPAIRMAN TO BASS ANGLER
His parents came to the United States taking the gamble of a lifetime hoping to start a family in a better place. Briefly settling in New Jersey, then onto the much more desirable climate of Florida’s Panhandle, Charlie Breitenbach’s fate for his love of fishing was only a matter of time.
“Starting out we didn't have much. We had a home, yes it was a trailer, but it was home and it gave me an appreciation of what it takes to start out and go places in life” reflects Breitenbach. “Both my parents worked their tails off at the local Winn-Dixie grocery store to make ends meet and I would later follow their footsteps as my first job as an Air Conditioning repairman. Over time, I would service this location and thousands more as I hired people and built a successful A/C repair service across the southeast.
All that effort, hard work, and endurance would one day pay off on what would be the fishing trip of a lifetime that would also include a series of challenges where Charlie would need to rely on his work ethic if he would have even the remotest chance to succeed.
The Challenge Of A Lifetime
Humminbird and Minn Kota chose Charlie as one of 8 anglers paired into four teams for a one of a kind ‘reality format’ fishing challenge. The “One-Boat Challenge” web series scooped up Charlie and he was soon on his way to perhaps the greatest bass fishery on planet Earth – Billy Chapman Jr.’s Angler’s Inn on Lake El Salto, Mexico. There was only one problem though. Charlie wasn’t a bass fisherman. Even though Florida is home to tremendous and diverse fishing, Charlie hadn’t fished for largemouth in any serious way in his life, instead opting for a fly rod and aiming at targets like tarpon and redfish.
From Runway to Foot Pedal
“Five hours my feet touched the runway in Mexico, I found myself partnered with Captain Seth Funt, an off-shore saltwater captain of local legend on Florida’s east coast, but being true saltwater guys neither of us had ever operated a foot-controlled trolling motor. So, when I stepped on the ULTREX foot pedal it was so intuitive. It took about fifteen minutes to feel comfortable and then the motor felt like just another extension of my body. It was so comfortable and so intuitive that it took a lot of the pressure off and I was able to settle in and focus on the fishing.” shared the newly converted bass angler.
The OBN in action
“We scouted for hours every day using our auto chart live function in our Solix units. With Lake El Salto not having any real lake map, it was important for us to get an idea how the underwater structure laid out. We felt that if you understood how the lake was laid out, we have a better chance of patterning the fish, especially when it really mattered. So, we used the Auto Chart Live feature on the Humminbird Solix. We spent time each day graphing the areas of interest long before we ever wet a line.”
“As we mapped the lake, we marked waypoints where we saw fish or good structure. So when it came time for the competition all we had to do was choose a waypoint and press “Go To” on the Solix touchscreen and the One-Boat Network took over and the Minn Kota Ultrex drove us automatically to our next spot – hands free!”
“Keep in mind I've never run a foot-controlled trolling motor, never fished for bass, and never had a graph attached to a trolling motor to do anything like this. About 45 minutes was all it took for me to feel confident. Little did I know how much that would pay off.”
Against The G.O.A.T.
“We had so many challenges throughout the competition, but the best challenge by far was fishing against Kevin Van Dam. It was simple - catch the biggest bass and win immunity or lose and go home. Even saltwater guys like us know Kevin and meeting him was amazing, but competing against him was something else.”
“Hours into the challenge we still hadn’t caught a fish, and with only thirty minutes left my partner Seth said, “Let’s make a move”. The move was a potentially challenge-ending, 22 minute boat ride to an area where we had used Auto Chart Live and saw a few good fish. It was a total ‘Hail Mary’, but I reluctantly agreed. It was our only chance to stay in the competition.”
“With about 4 minutes left, Seth’s line got tight and we could tell it was a big fish. That was exactly what we needed. So, when the fish hit the net, we turned our bass boat into a dance floor. We still look back and can’t believe that on that day, that one afternoon, we actually caught a bigger fish than Kevin Van Dam.”
A Win With Purpose
The gamble paid off and Breitenbach and Funt went on to win not only that challenge, but also crowned winners of the One-Boat Challenge – Lake El Salto. In their honor, Humminbird and Minn Kota donated $10,000 to the charities of their choice. Seth Funt chose the Coastal Conservation Association (CCA), best known for their work along America’s coastal environment for clean waters and thriving fisheries.
Charlie’s charity of choice was Captain’s For Clean Water, an organization of local captains who, as their name suggests, have banded together to keep coastal water clean and free from devastating effects of red tide and other hydro tragedies.
“Their singular focus making sure our waters are clean is what really drew me to them. Living in Florida's Panhandle, my family and I have encountered all too many instances where freshwater released into the saltwater environment created an environment for red tide, killing fish, stinking up the air making your eyes burn, and creating an altogether toxic environment making for a noxious experience for humans. That's why I wanted to partner with them.”
“As I look back, it was one of the most amazing experiences of my life and I still can’t believe it turned out how it did. I guess hard work and preparation really do pay off, and I know I have my folks to thank for that.”
To experience more content from the One Boat Challenge web series and to learn more about the Minn Kota and Humminbird fishing system, visit the One Boat Network Challenge site. Johnson Outdoors is proud to highlight the impact our family of brands have on the sports we actively participate in and the positive influence we have on the communities we interact with. To learn more about how our brands are impacting communities in other sports, visit our Outdoor Adventure Blog.