It's early January and a lot of the country hasn't seen much of the sun in a while, but Mark Menendez has been feeling its effects every day. The veteran Bassmaster Elite Series angler from Kentucky is undergoing his second chemical peel in a decade to remove cancerous skin from his face, and it's not an enjoyable process.

"If you looked at me right now, you'd wonder what kind of a fight I'd gotten into," he said. "I've got a scab the size of a 50-cent piece on the right side of my face and another one the size of a quarter on the other side.



"The treatment is quite painful and it really wears on you. It goes on for 5 weeks, you can't shave and just about everything irritates it."

So, even though it's wintertime and many people won't regard the sun's rays as a problem for several months, he warns every angler – professional or amateur – to always be cognizant of its long-term potential.

"We fishermen need to be careful. The only other (Elite Series angler) who takes the steps I do is Shaw Grigsby. A lot of guys just get burned like french fries."

Preventive Measures Worthwhile

According to the Skin Cancer Foundation's fact sheet, more than 3 1/2 million cases of skin cancer are diagnosed each year. One in five Americans will get it at some point during the course of their lifetime and the incidence is much greater for those who spend a great deal of time outdoors, such as professional (or even avid amateur) anglers.

"My condition is basically just from wear and tear," Menendez said. "The sun's rays are getting stronger due to a lack of ozone in the environment, and we're exposed to them more and more when we're out there fishing."

To minimize the sun's impact, he clothes himself from head to toe – even on the hottest days of the season.

"I use full-body coverage," he said. "That includes a hat, glasses, a buff (a bandana-like head garment that provides UV protection), a long-sleeved shirt and long pants.

"I use sunscreen on my hands and face, and I use a lot of it on my ears. Everything else is covered by technical clothing with at least a 30 SPF (sun protection factor)."

The chemical peel is a self-applied treatment under the supervision of a doctor, who prescribes an ointment of a specific strength depending upon the severity of the patient's affliction. Two additional doctor visits are required during the course of the regimen.

"I'm on the back side of it now and the results are going to be good, but it isn't a lot of fun."

Seeks a Better Start

Menendez couldn't blame his mediocre 2010 campaign (a 50th-place finish in the Angler-of-the-Year race that followed an 11th-place showing in 2009) on any physical ailment. He got off to a bad start, logging a 90th in the season-opener at the California Delta, and he allowed that one poor finish to affect him the rest of the year.

"I put myself behind the 8-ball after that first tournament," he said. "It's like when you get a bad grade on a test in school and then you start thinking that everything else has to be really good so you can get a good grade at the end of the semester.

"You get a sense of urgency and everything begins to speed up. You start saying 'I need to catch this' and 'I need to do that,' when in reality what I really need to do is get up and put my clothes on and go out and do my job."

He'll sit out this year's Bassmaster Classic, but is confident that he'll be back for the 2012 edition. He said he also has a suspicion that his third career tour-level triumph could be in the offing.

"I very rarely set a goal to win a tournament, but I really feel like a win could be just around the corner. Everything in my life – family and business-wise – is in real good shape and I can really focus on winning again."

Notable

> Some Elite Series anglers have expressed trepidation about this season's event at Georgia's West Point Lake, but not Menendez. He won a Southern Open there in 2005. "That's one that I'm jazzed up about. It'll be the (lowest-weight) tournament we have, but I really like that lake. When I get there I'm comfortable and I know 12 to 14 pounds is a banner catch."

> He said his struggles in last year's opener were attributable to the California Delta's fluctuating tides. "Maybe I still don't have the best grasp of tidal waters – my record on them isn't that good. Those fish were in extremely tight-packed areas once you found them and if you weren't on the correct tide, it was easy to fish right over them."

> He announced a new sponsor today – Lew's reels, a brand he used throughout the early portion of his career. For the Dock Talk announcement, click here.