One More Tournament Season for Mark Nicolette
Mercury’s go-to technical guru is retiring after 2016 Costa FLW Series is complete
It’s been said of Mark Nicolette that he can do more with a few power tools than an entire maintenance crew can accomplish. Whether or not that’s an exaggeration, it doesn’t diminish Nicolette’s stature in West Coast fishing circles and only heightens his fans’ sense of loss at the news he’s retiring as Mercury’s California tournament service manager.
For 36 years, Nicolette has been Mercury’s go-to guy for countless tournament anglers, though Nicolette officially “retired” from Mercury in 2008 after 28 years with the company. He’s been working under contract for the outboard giant since. In fact, 2015 was supposed to be his last year, but Mercury compelled him to stay on for the three tournaments of the 2016 Costa FLW Series Western Division.
“It’s getting more physically demanding on me,” he confesses. “It’s a little harder to stay out there on a tarmac in 100-degree weather, and there’s not nearly as much to do since Mercury developed the OptiMax engines.”
The 72-year-old resident of Rio Vista, Calif., makes his curtain call with no regrets and good memories that stretch back far beyond his years as a service manager. The first Mercury service-training seminar he attended was in 1957, when he was still in high school, and he took refresher courses along the way as the company evolved from the era of carbureted engines to today’s fuel-injected models.
In the ’60s, Nicolette joined the Peace Corps and helped train outboard owners in Asia, which explains why he is still conversant in a few Asian languages, including a smattering of Cantonese and Mandarin Chinese.
Mainly, though, he speaks like somebody who knows what he’s talking about when it comes to Mercury outboards – which he does. That’s what has made him a fixture of the California tournament scene and a friend of three generations of the West Coast’s top sticks. He’s even managed to rescue a few of them who have been victimized by motor problems at the worst possible times.
“Repairs on Mercury products at tournaments have involved minor things usually, but they don’t seem so minor at the time to the guy who has to depend on the motor working perfectly the next day,” observes Nicolette.
A case in point occurred a few years ago at the U.S. Open on Lake Mead in Nevada. Then-California pro Aaron Martens was leading the event, but had an issue with his power trim that threatened to derail his bid for the title in the final round. The problem was so rare that Nicolette didn’t have the part necessary to repair the trim, but his experience and ingenuity kicked in to save the day.
“Not to get too technical about it, but there was a small pin that held some parts together that was worn out,” recalls Nicolette. “I looked at it and thought, ‘Surely I’ve got something that could replace it.’ I did. It was the pin out of my trailer hitch. It was a perfect fit. Aaron went on to win the Open.”
Nicolette will take such memories with him as he leaves the tournament scene for good. Chances are he’ll still attend weigh-ins, but not in an official capacity as a Mercury serviceman. It suits him; he’s ready for a rest.
“I know I’ll regret leaving, but I just felt like it was time to retire and let somebody younger have a shot at it,” adds Nicolette. “I’m not going anywhere, though. I’m retiring, but I hope to still be able to visit with a lot of my old friends at tournaments from time to time.
“I’ve enjoyed myself and got to know a lot of fishermen. Bass fishing is a challenging sport, but those who do it have fun at it. That’s the kind of crowd I like to run with.”
No doubt the anglers he’s served and befriended through the years would express the same sentiments about Nicolette.