Matt Arey had plenty to smile about after day one concluded for the TNT Fireworks Bassmaster Elite on Smith Lake. Not only did the Team Toyota pro bring over 12-pounds of spotted bass to the scales, which has him firmly inside the cut in this tight-weight tournament, he was also gifted two custom tumblers (drinking mugs) for his daughters Reese and Wren.
Arey had just finished weighing his fish and was walking back to his boat when he saw a familiar face with two gift bags in her hands.
“I met a sweet lady named Rhonda and her husband at Pickwick Lake two years ago and she gifted me the coolest custom mug,” Arey explained. “When I say custom, I mean straight up one of a kind. It had an almost exact replica of the sponsors on my jersey, and I just thought it was the coolest thing. Her business is called Custom Creations by Rhonda Mae. Today, I saw Rhonda again but this time she had two homemade tumblers for my daughters Reese and Wren. That’s gotta be the most thoughtful gift I’ve ever been given by a fan.”
The Shelby, North Carolina native is proud girl dad and isn’t ashamed to tell you just how much his Taylor Swift-loving daughters and wife Emily mean to him. While a gift for himself would have gotten Arey excited, it was plain to see that he was touched by the gesture because these mugs were for two of the people he loves most.
It took his mind off the Alabama heat and tricky fishing for a moment, which he welcomed. While his day one catch and 30th place standing wouldn’t reflect it, Arey explained he was somewhat struggling mentally with the way he is catching his fish on Smith.
