Hooked
By Besty Bair

Most of us will post an "out-of-office" auto-reply message on our e-mail later this week as we celebrate the Thanksgiving holiday. It's the modern-day equivalent to hanging out a "Gone Fishing" shingle.

That Gone Fishing image conjures up much in our collective subconscious...relaxing afternoons waiting for the fish to bite or, more simply, taking a break from the work world to pursue a passion. Recently, I got a chance to do just that--fish--that is, when I was invited to take part in the first Executive Experience Program and Bass Fishing Tournament held November 10 to 13 at the Walt Disney World Resort in Lake Buena Vista, Fla.

Yes, bass fishing. Who knew (not me--although Byron, the current "Bachelor," is a pro bass angler) that this sport had grown into such a phenom, with ESPN Outdoors TV broadcasting many of the big-prize-money tournaments. Turns out there are plenty of passionate fisherpeople out there, and I had the pleasure of getting to know a few and experiencing just a slice of the excitement that they feel every time they fish.

And by the way, it didn't take a journey to some inland river on the outskirts of Orlando. Right in the lakes surrounding the Grand Floridian Resort and Spa, where we were staying, are two lakes--one man-made and one natural--filled with bass (which you must release upon catching). Leave it to Disney to succeed at the newest spin on a group event. Move over golf, spas, and low-ropes teambuilding, let's replicate a pro tournament--with the pro anglers who win tournaments televised on ESPN Outdoors TV. I mean, anybody can fish, but not everyone can do it well.

These gentlemen--and one lady--anglers made the tournament. Patience is a virtue in fishing, and they showed it many times with us beginners--tangled, weeded lines and all. By the end of the two days, most of us had caught a fish and some more than one. Everyone was smiling.

According to George Aguel, senior vice president, Walt Disney Parks and Resorts, "I think the success was rooted in the people--our participants and our anglers. More than a few participants stepped outside of their comfort zones to put themselves in the hands of strangers (the pros), and I heard several pros say that having participants with them made the tournament a whole different experience for them.

"It was testimony to trying new things.” Aguel continued. "We set the stage for people to engage with others and, in doing so, to experience themselves in new ways. But all we can do is set the stage. It's the participants who determine the ultimate success or failure, and there were incredible people in attendance who seemed to draw on the energy of one another. You don't get that kind of alchemy all that often, but it's absolutely electric when you do. "