![](https://www.bassmaster.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/5-hour_1.jpg)
If you visit Bassmaster.com often, you know we have a dedicated crew covering all our tournaments. For this week’s Southern Open on Lake Norman, Ronnie Moore is manning the camera, Craig Lamb, Steve Wright and Mark Hicks are doing the writing. Covering a bass fishing tournament probably sounds like a blast to most of you, and it is, but it also makes for some seriously long days.
We’re generally up by 5 a.m. to cover the launch, then spend the day chasing anglers all over the map. And we’re usually working well into the evening posting the stories, photos and videos of the day.
So how do we stay fired up on these 14-hour workdays? I used to be a coffee guy, drinking a couple of cups in the morning, and another cup of two in the afternoon. But there are some problems when you combine coffee and fishing — one, if the water is rough, having a cup of hot coffee nestled between your legs is not an awesome experience. And putting my coffee mug into the boat’s cup holder has been problematic at times. At one tournament, after a rough ride, I noticed my coffee mug rolling around the deck of the boat leaking its steaming contents. And two, most of us need regular bathroom breaks when we’re drinking coffee. That’s not exactly convenient when your office is in a bass boat.
Last season I tried 5-Hour ENERGY® for the first time, and I’ve loved it for a few reasons. I can toss a couple of the small bottles in my pocket and hustle out the door in the morning. No need to stop for coffee, which means I can sleep a little longer. It gives me a nice, sustained boost of energy for much of the day. I don’t have to worry about where to store that coffee mug in the boat. And in terms of bathroom breaks, well, I don’t need to stop as often now. Which means we can spend more of our time bringing you all the action from Bassmaster tournaments!