Kudos to DUKE!! He put together a kids tourney this past Saturday for about 2 dozen Jr High kids. (There were guys there as boaters that I'ld of never guessed would have participated...but there they were!)
There weren't alot of keepers caught but every boat caught 15 - 20 shorts. The kids got to go fast, got free tackle packs aranged by DUKE, nobody fell in that I know of and a great time was had by all.
Nice job. :)
I had a good time, should have seen the look on my kids face the first trip across the water. He said the fastest he had been in a boat was about 30mph. I asked him if he minded going a little faster, he said no problem, so I crused it up to about 72. He was hooked. I took the principal out for some picture taking with about 15 min left. She got some greast shots. I think if the wind had been a little calmer they would have done even better. I let the kid I had keep the rod and reel he used at the end of the day.
Mark & Bob, I truly appreciate your willingness to come and help out. You and all the anglers did a fantastic job representing yourselves, sponsors, and promoting the sport. The buzz from the kids is still alive and well today. I have had so many compliments given to me about everyone that helped that it would be impossible to tell them all.
This was one of the most rewarding things I've ever been a part of in fishing. I think only winning a tournament is as rewarding. The list of anglers who participated includes many of the area's toughest competition. And each one of these guys wanted to help out - even at gas nearly $4!! So a big thank you to each of these guys:
Jack Schulk
Bob Allen
Dave Quiggle
Ken Gull
Kevin Rybicki
Ron Fabiszak
Jerry Roher
Mark Regina
Larry Regina
Jamie Lovely
Mickey Thomas
Kevin Fletcher
Mark Nelson
Dave Steed
Larry Thomas
Ken Rybicki
Robbie Roe
Shawn James
I'd really like to post some pictures, but each time I try it tells me the file is too big, so here's a link to some photos and story for all to enjoy. It was truly an awesome experience!! http://fishtalkfishingreports.yuku.com/topic/2247?page=2 (http://fishtalkfishingreports.yuku.com/topic/2247?page=2)
Duke, I never publicly added my thanks for making a difference! These are the things that make a real difference to all of us [u[for now and for the future[/u]!! THANK YOU SO MUCH. I'm very glad and fortunate to have you here as a member.
Anytime you have something like this you need help with such a good cause for pictures, contact me and we'll get it taken care of. As I mentioned some time ago, I want to make sure everyone gets exposed to wonderful ideas like this!
And thanks so much to all of the volunteers who took time out of their lives to also make a difference. Minimal effort can still lead to maximum good.
Thank you Dan!!
I'm a proud member of this board. We'll be doing it again this upcoming May. What we can always use is free tackle. I like to get the kids a free tackle pack in the am to learn how to use on the water. Overall, I was disappointed with who would not give to this cause.
Budgets are only getting tighter. I can probably help get some tackle. Let's collaborate a month or two before the event. Maybe I'll be in the position to help some next year too if I quit spending more than I take in ;D