Millbrook Christian Bass Anglers
Stories of Interest

October 2003 Community News

Paralyzed Veterans of America
PVA Bass Tour, A B.A.S.S. Sanctioned Event
Click on the lick above for more information on the PVA Bass Tour.

A few years ago I had the priviledge of fishing the PVA Bass tournament on Clarks Hill at the Fort Gordon Recreation area. It was a two day event where the boats and non-boaters (Vets) fished the first day as a team event and then the boat served as a guide for his partner the second day. It was one of those rare opportunities that I was blessed with and shall remember always. The tournament was first class from the pre-fish meeting to the final awards dinner. I remember my partner tied on a Super Spook at the first stop of the day and used a 7 foot rod to launch the lure at least 100 yards (or it seemed). As he began retrieving the lure I remember thinking to myself, this will never work under these conditions. About five feet from where the retrieve began the water exploded with a splash that seemed to rock the boat. I looked back at my partner and the rod was bent in half and my first thought was "he's got a striper". His lure was so far out away from the boat I made another cast waiting for him to bring the fish closer so I could net it for him. Just a few seconds later he said "I think I'm hung". I turned to look back at him and immediately a fish (that looked to be in the 8 pound rage) jumped just a few feet behind my motor and spit the lure out. My partner was still holding the rod tight as he looked where the fish had been and spotted his lure drifting in the water a few feet from the boat. He turned his head towards me and with a calm voice said I think that's my lure. I didn't know what to say, so I told him let's re-tie and try it again. It only took him a few minutes to pull in his line while I netted his lure. He re-tied and made the same cast. Again, after moving the bait only a few feet another explosion occured and the fight was on. This time he landed the fish and it weighed in at 4 lbs. 3 oz. second big fish for the day. It began raining and the rest of the day was a challege for any fisherman, but my partner refused to go back to the landing. We continued to fish a few rocky points I know and he managed to learn how to catch three more fish on a Carolina Rig. He finished one place out of the money, but I still remember how happy he was because he said that was the most fish he had ever weighed in at a PVA tournment before.
It was the best $50.00 I ever spent fishing.

Proshar

Devine Intervention
A True Story
May 2003

We've all heard it and at sometime in our life's have experienced it, when it rains it pores, if it weren't for bad luck I'd have no luck at all or I've had one of those days.

Today was one of those days. It started out to be a great day fishing with my Uncle on Lake Russell. All was right with the world and we were leaving all of our troubles behind for the day. We went through our usual routine that morning, hooked up the boat, got the sodas and crackers. We stopped for gas and ice and off to the lake with a scheduled pit stop at Hardees for a biscuit.

As we pulled up to the landing we met Ray Feaster and Mike Suggs getting ready to launch their boat. After exchanging pleasentries and setting a tentative weigh-in time we both went our separate ways. My boat was running well and we started fishing about a mile from the landing. We decided to move after an hour and drove up Rocky Creek past the State Park. We fished for a couple more hours and moved several more times and then decided to head back down towards the main lake. As I rounded a point about 5 miles up Rocky Creek the motors RPM's revved really high and I lost power to the prop. Just in case you have never experienced this, I spun a prop. The shaft moves but the prop doesn't. Not good!

My first thought was to check the time and hope I could catch a ride or get towed back to a landing. The time was 10:32am and I knew Ray was leaving by 1:30pm or sooner if he wasn't catching fish. I put the trolling motor on high and heading down the lake hoping that someone would be going by heading in my direction. As it turns out everyone was going up the lake and no body was going down the lake.

I began calling Ray on my cell phone which only allowed me to leave a voice mail. Then I called Don and Jeff hoping they had their phone on and they were at Lake Russell. None were successful. I left messages with all three and hoped one would call back and come to the rescue.

I ran across one guy that was fishing a point and told him my problem and he promptly told me I would have to thumb a ride with someone going my way. He then told me he didn't think I could make it to the state park with my trolling motor. I guess it was inconvienent for him the take 15 minutes and a gallon of gas out of his day to help a stranded boater. I hope he never gets stranded.

We continued to troll for the next half hour (time 11:02am) when I ran across another boat who was within hollering distance. I asked if they were going down the lake and could they give me a ride. They agreed and I jumped in leaving Uncle Bill with the boat. We were about a quarter mile away from my boat when I realized that I had left my truck keys and wallet in my boat. The gentleman was kind enough to turn around and go back for the keys. When we got to the state park the man let me off at the dock and began to leave. I thanked him and offered him some gas money but he politely refused and said I've been stranded before. I turned to head up the dock thinking only of catching a ride back to the landing when I realized I left my cell phone in the mans boat who was driving away. I began to yell and the man turned around and came back. When I told him about the phone we laughed like crazy. I told him to just think of it this way, he would have a great story to tell from now on. The time now was 11:25am and I was turning my attention toward hitching a ride to the Millwood landing about 4 miles away. I went in to the State Park store and asked if there was anyone that could take me up to the landing. The lady said that none of the maintenace men were working and the park ranger was out until 1:30pm. Remember Ray said 1:30, and we know how long it takes Ray to load and go. I began looking around at the people standing in the area and notice one couple going out the door with a bucket of minnows and headed towards the parking lot instead of the dock. I ran out behind them, explained my stituation and asked for a ride. The couple did not hesitate and agreed (time 11:40). Since their truck was full of fishing equipment I was happy to ride in the back for the 4 mile ride. As we arrived at the landing I noticed that Ray was just putting his boat on the trailer (time 12:00pm - not 1:30). I thanked the couple and hurried to catch Ray. We decided to drive up the lake to a closer landing and then tow the boat in.

While we were doing all of this Uncle Bill was inching closer down the lake with the trolling motor against the wind and managed to travel about 2 miles which helped reduce the tow time. Once we got the boat to the landing and on the trailer, Ray and Mike took off and we were not far behind.

The moral of the story is, if any of the events had taken place any later than they did I would have missed Ray and it would have been a long night trying to get the boat out of the water. My only deduction is "Devine Intervention".

Thanks to the un-identified couple for the ride in their truck and thanks to Jack Whitmire for the ride to the landing. Both of them made a bad day turn out to be just another funny story to tell for years to come. And a special thanks to my good friends Ray and Mike for towing me in.

Proshar and Uncle Bill