Pro fishing champion Aaron Martens dead at 49

Aaron Martens, a champion professional fisherman who was a three-time Bassmaster Angler of the Year, died Thursday from brain cancer, his family said. He was 49.

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Martens’ wife, Lesley Martens confirmed his death in a Facebook post Thursday night.

“We are heartbroken beyond words,” Lesley Martens wrote. “I can’t imagine life without him but we take solace in knowing that he’s walked into glory -- the only glory that truly matters.”

Aaron Martens, from Leeds, Alabama, was named Angler of the Year in 2005, 2013 and 2015, according to Bassmaster’s website. He competed in 241 events and finished in the money 183 times, earning more than $3 million during his career. He won nine tournaments and had 13 runner-up finishes, according to Bassmaster. He had 71 top-10 finishes.

After suffering seizures while fishing with a friend, Martens was diagnosed with glioblastoma, an aggressive form of brain cancer, in early 2020, Outdoor Life reported. He underwent two surgeries in Birmingham, Alabama, followed by treatment, the website reported.

Martens returned to competitive fishing in 2021, competing in five events on the Major League Fishing tour, according to Outdoor Life. His final tournament was an MFL event in August, the website reported.

Martens was born on Aug. 24, 1972, according to his obituary. He made his professional fishing debut in his home state of California in 1999, according to Outdoor Life.

Martens won three Bass U.S. Open titles in 2004, 2005 and 2011, according to the Bassmaster website. He is one of five pros to win the title at least five times, tying Bill Dance and Mark Davis and trailing Roland Martin (nine titles) and Kevin VanDam (seven), according to Outdoor Life.

“He was one of the best bros ever,” Ish Monroe, who competed against Martens for more than two decades, told the website.

“I might get torn up for saying this, but I truly believe that if you took away all the info-sharing and all the (fish-finding) electronics and it was just man vs. fish, he was the best there’s ever been,” pro angler Gary Dobyns told BassFan. “He was an unbelievable fisherman and he just loved it -- he could fish seven days a week, 365 days a year and never get tired of it. He was just amazing and I can’t believe this has happened.”

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