Traditional wedding vows speak of two individuals remaining committed to one another “for better, for worse; for richer, for poorer; in sickness and in health.” Safe to assume Olivia and Casey Baroffio are down with all that, but this week, they newlyweds are adding relevant details such as “for big bites, for small bite; for limits, for no limits; for calm water, for rough water.”
Married two weeks ago on the shore of Lake Champlain, the Baroffios are competing in their first B.A.S.S Nation regional — the Northeast on Lake Erie. Both co-anglers for the Vermont team, these newlyweds from Northfield, Vt. are enjoying an extended honeymoon doing what they love.
“I’ve been looking forward to this for awhile,” Olivia said with a beaming smile. “In probably 2017, I was thinking about doing tournament fishing, so this is the biggest step I’ve taken so far.”
Casey recently acquired his U.S. Coast Guard Master Captain license and hopes to start guiding on Champlain soon. He played hockey during his youth, but considers himself less focused on the competitive side of tournament fishing than on the learning experience.
Olivia’s a different story. She played softball and basketball and competed in cross country events during high school and college, so she wants to win. Like, really wants to win.
“We’ll joke it up at home, but we’ll throw little punches here and there,” Olivia said.
So here’s where it gets interesting. Day 1 found Casey leading the Vermont non-boaters with 9 pounds, 15 ounces. Olivia started Day 2 in third place with 9 even.
Of their tournament strategy, Casey said: “We fish together on Champlain all the time, so we’re always talking to each other and helping each other.”
Comparing fishing styles, Olivia said she’s a patient dropshot fan, while Casey’s more of a run-and-gunner. Both employed the dropshot yesterday and will likely keep it in their hands through today’s competition.
Ultimately, it may come to come down to who does the best job dropping in front of big fish, but one thing’s for sure: Casey and Olivia Baroffio are hooked on one another.
Cue the “Awwwws.”