Jose Chavez
DAY JOB: MICROBIOLOGIST MOONLIGHTING: PRO ANGLER, PHOTOGRAPHER, OUTDOOR WRITER
Flip through the pages of Kayak Angler and you’ll see Jose Chavez’s name next to many of the best photos. After looking at the quality (and quantity) of his camera work, many people assume kayak fishing photography is Chavez’s full-time job. Truth is, when Chavez isn’t wearing polarized shades and board shorts, he’s wearing safety goggles and a lab coat as a microbiologist for Zimek Technologies, a firm that makes touchless sterilization devices. “Work is certainly not monotonous,” Chavez says, “I split my time between my office, conducting studies in the field or in my lab testing antimicrobials.” Balancing work and fishing isn’t easy for Chavez. “I obsess about fishing most of the time, so I go fishing at every chance… I tend to lose a lot of sleep.” Chavez struggles with the double- edged sword. “Work keeps me from fishing,” he admits, “but financially it allows me to go fishing.” Chavez is always looking for a challenge on and off the water. After a hard week at work, most anglers would be happy to spend a quiet day fishing, but Chavez spends most of his free time taking pictures. “I complain about work,” he says, shaking his head, “but the job I currently do is very challenging. It requires perseverance and problem solving, the same qualities that make me a better fisherman.”
50…KAYAK ANGLER
Benton Parrott
DAY JOB: MACHINE SHOP FOREMAN MOONLIGHTING: TOURNAMENT ANGLER, OUTDOOR WRITER
Benton Parrott is a master of water and fire. As a Hobie tournament pro and published writer and photographer, Parrott is an expert on fishing the skinny waters of Texas. As a machine shop foreman, he uses the force of fire to bend and cut metal into a wide range of products like T-top towers and custom handrails.
“I’m lucky that I have a boss who understands my passion for kayak fishing,” he says. As long as projects are finished on time, Parrott has freedom to set his own schedule. He describes himself as a methodical angler and machinist. “If I know something works I will keep at it until I see success,” he adds. It takes a strong will to shape metal and catch fish. Parrott’s fluid work schedule has allowed him to compete in two Hobie
World Championship events and contribute to the Kayak Fishing U Facebook community. “I’m so glad I was able to have the experience of fishing in a big tournament and meet anglers from all over the world,” he says. From the start, Parrott was up-front with his employer about his priorities. He recommends kayak anglers looking to mix business and pleasure find a job they like and let their employer know that kayak fishing is a big part of their life. “There has to be a balance between enjoying the outdoors and still being responsible to your employer.” While Parrott enjoys working with metal and completing projects under deadline, he still suffers fish-withdrawal on occasion. “There are mornings in the Gulf Coast when the wind is calm and the sun is shining that it is hard to come into work,” he admits.
PHOTO: FRANCES RIVERA
PHOTOS: COURTESY BENTON PARROTT
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