TIPTONVILLE, Tenn. - How many dogs have graced the cover of a major newspaper at a championship event and been well-known enough that strangers ask about him?

How many have appeared on the back of a bass boat that travels the country, a lovable mug looking at anyone in a vehicle behind the boat wondering why a beautiful yellow Lab would be on a speedy watercraft?

If you've ever heard of Barkley, you know which Lab I'm talking about.

Mark Menendez and I were catching up Monday morning here at the Strike King writer's confab at Blue Bank Resort. He was filling me in about Barkley's health woes and said it probably was "a matter of two or three days."

Less than 90 minutes later, Menendez got the call from his wife, Donna, he didn't want to receive but knew would eventually come.

Barkley was a rescue animal, obtained at an Atlanta animal shelter in 2001 when Menendez was in a previous relationship. He kept Barkley after it ended, and Barkley became his traveling companion starting in 2002. Thousands upon thousands of miles across the nation, Barkley would travel with Menendez to tournaments or events.

"He was cool as a cucumber ... didn't bounce around or run around the boat," Menendez said, "but he loved to ride. He loved the wind in his ears and he loved going fast.

"I'd love to know how many miles he rode with me. I've driven a gazillion miles in my truck with his head on my lap, just petting him and rubbing his head as I drove down the road. His ears were like velvet ... I called him Mr. Velvet Ears because they were so soft."

Menendez and Barkley were virtually inseparable. When he practiced for Bassmaster Elite Series tournaments, Barkley was in the boat. Sponsor events or visits to friends? Barkley was there. He was just a cool dog.

In 2003 at the New Orleans Classic, Menendez led after the first day and brought Barkley on stage at the weigh-in. He looked snazzy in his red bandana. He barked and enjoyed the attention. The city's newspaper and television stations didn't miss that opportunity and more folks knew about Barkley the Cool Fishing Dog.

"He fished tournaments from 2003 to 2006 anytime I did not have a co-angler," Menendez said. "Many co-anglers actually requested he go in the boat with us. I actually drew a good friend from Florida at the Wheeler tournament in 2003, and Frank was who I left Barkley with in Florida when I had to fly out from there. But BASS wouldn't let him in the boat with us due to the liability."

I asked Menendez for a couple of good Barkley stories and he recalled one I'd forgotten. One day my father and I were on Guntersville Lake when the Elite Series guys were practicing for a tournament, and we bumped into Menendez and Barkley. My father had a new Stratos, which Barkley though looked pretty cool. As I was shooting some photos, Barkley jumped into our boat.

"Then he threw up on the deck, looked at your dad like 'There you go' and jumped back into my boat," Menendez said, laughing. "Your dad didn't let me forget that for a long time."

"Barkley liked to go on walk-abouts. He always would do it when I'd leave home for a tournament or something, and would take off to visit other dogs behind our neighborhood. All he had to do was wait 10-15 minutes, sniffing and smelling, and he'd show up at the same houses. They'd hang on to him until Donna could go pick him up."

Before the Menendez family grew with the birth of their daughter, Caroline, he said if someone knocked on the front door Barkley's biggest threat was to beat them to death with his wagging tail. After she was born, something clicked.

"Anytime someone came to the door, he'd start barking," Menendez said. "He barked and went into protection mode. Then he taught Scooter to bark when someone knocked."

Scooter is the new Maltese pup that Caroline picked out recently at a pet store. Menendez knew there was no way he could say no, even with the end drawing near for his longtime companion and friend. This was the dog that had joined him as a road warrior, a quiet co-angler in the boat who never cast over his line, a solace after a tough day in another hotel room.

Barkley still will be with him in memory, of course, and on the back of Menendez's Skeeter boat. Barkley's face and the phrase "Get off my tail" is on both sides of the rear sandwiching the outboard.

"It'll be a long time before I ever find another one like him," Menendez said. "I won't find another one like him ..."

(Pass along a kind word to Menendez on his Facebook fan page by going to Facebook.com and searching for "Mark Menendez.")

- Alan Clemons

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