ORLANDO, Fla. (Dec. 3, 2015) – In 2015, Aaron Martens won his third Bassmaster Elite Series Angler of the Year title with stunning dominance. During the Elite Series season, Martens recorded five top-10 finishes, including two victories. In the end, he won the coveted Angler of the Year award by a historical 112-point margin.
Now Martens is auctioning off the very Enigma rods he used to win the 2015 Angler of the Year award. All of the proceeds received from the auctions will go directly to the Wounded Warriors In Action Foundation (WWIAF) to fund world-class outdoor experiences for these Heroes.
“I can’t think of a better cause to contribute these rods to than an organization dedicated to getting Wounded Warriors in the outdoors,” Martens said. “Those injured soldiers put our freedoms above their own personal safety to protect our way of life. No price can be put on that.”
In all, some 30 rods will be auctioned off on eBay. Some of the rods are casting, some are spinning and they vary in actions and sizes.
“All of these are the Enigma rods I used all season on the Elite Series,” Martens said. “Some of them are one-of-a-kind prototypes that I was experimenting with when designing the rods. Some of them are the ones I used to win on Havasu and on the Chesapeake. They are special rods to me, but I want people across the country to bid on them to raise money so we can get these amazing Warriors into the great outdoors where they can experience miracles.”
All of the money raised in the auctions will be donated to WWIAF, a nonprofit organization, whose mission is to provide world-class outdoor sporting activities to wounded combat veterans who have received the Purple Heart Award.
WWIAF was founded in 2007 by retired Lieutenant Colonel John McDaniel who served in the U.S. Army for 20 years. McDaniel’s vision was to harness the healing powers of the great outdoors by arranging exceptional fishing and hunting experiences for combat wounded veterans at no cost to them.
Today WWIAF serves more than 200 Wounded Warriors a year across 36 states and three foreign countries. The sporting adventures are vast and varied; some of the more popular destinations include muskie fishing in Wisconsin, bass fishing in Texas, offshore fishing in Mexico, bear hunting in British Columbia, pheasant hunting in South Dakota and even gator hunting in Florida.
“We are extremely humbled and honored that Aaron would think of the Wounded Warriors In Action Foundation as a place to donate the contributions from his Enigma rod auctions,” McDaniel said. “When great champions like Aaron and quality companies like Enigma team up and work together to do good things, everybody wins – and this partnership is tremendous example of that.”
“Our foundation works very hard to get wounded combat veterans back in action in the outdoors,” McDaniel added. “The activities of fishing and hunting serve as tremendous catalysts for the healing process for these great Heroes. And because of partnerships like this, these outdoor pursuits do not cost them a single penny. So to all who bid on these proven tournament-winning rods, I wish you the best of luck.”
In all there will be four sets of auctions for Martens’ Enigma rods. The auctions will be held each quarter on eBay. Every rod will include a rod sock, Enigma hat, and a certificate of authenticity as a rod used by Martens during his 2015 Angler of the Year campaign.
The first set of auctions will be held Dec. 4, 5, 6 and 7. Two rods per day will be auctioned off. Each of the auctions will last for a period of 7 days. Rods in this December auction will ship before Christmas.
Some of the highlights of the first auctions will include Martens’ famous dropshot rod (6’10” medium-light), his favorite shakey head rod (6’11” medium-light), a cranking rod (7’2” medium), a flipping stick (7’8” heavy), a jig and toad rod (7’3” heavy) and several more.
For more information on the auctions visit www.enigmafishing.com
For more information on the Wounded Warriors In Action Foundation visit www.woundedwarriorsinaction.org
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