RedAllison
Well-Known Member
Fished a club tournament yesterday and was paired with our oldest member, he is 88 years old and LOVES to fish like no other. He gets as excited as a 10 year old. Said he got up at 2am waitin on my 4am arrival.
Anyway our little club had only 9 boats in the tournament but there was another tournament leaving the same ramp at the same time. We idled through the no wake area (about 1/4 mile) from the ramp and sat out in the river waiting for everyone to get there and for the 6 oclock blastoff. The other tournament was also leaving at 6 so there were several other boats out there floating amongst ours. Once all our guys made it out we left a few minutes early so we wouldn't have to dodge the other guys. I think a couple of them thought we were in their tournament as well because they left with us! :roll:
The spot I was going was only about 3-4 miles down the river but half of the folks were headed in that direction so I decided to step it on up too 6200 (27" Trophy that GPS' 80.7 cruising @ 6k with typical "wet" tournament load so I figured 82-83 with my light passenger and empty livewell @ 6200) which quickly put us nearly 1 mile in front of everyone by the time we started slowing down to enter our creek. "Mr. Frank" as he is called is small, thin and about average in build and above average condition for an 88 year old. We fished all day (saw Jeff Whitefield while he was breakin in his new 2.5, he's as excited as I am about this week!) but couldn't find any 15" keepers. In fact this was the whole clubs worse tournament of the year, not even a full 5 fish limit was caught. Less than 10#s won the tournament. So needless to say the day was LOOONG and we covered several miles of water looking for some decent fish. Mid-day we ran too a spot Jeff told us about that was several miles down river and encountered a HUGE barge that was tearing up the narrow river. I mean a wake that you go airborn from if barely on plane. Several boats were skyrocketing into the great beyond and pounding back down with disheviled occupants. But I simply backed RDW down to barely on plane and rolled her smoothly over the rough stuff and Mr. Frank just stuck his thumb up and smiled in approval. (One jackass pounded him so bad in a public tournament lastyear that he had to go too the hospital for internal bleeding after the tournment!) Of course I had him sitting shotgun instead of riding behind, lol he is to short to see over the console. Ever so often he would peer out over the rod locker/step and see what was up ahead. He said as long as I could see, it didn't matter to him! (I did have my helmet on once for rain.)
After the tournament Mr. Frank commented that he really enjoys fishing with me and "that first class boat" as he calls it, because I always take care of him while going out. I just had to laugh and think what other boat could (or would) a nearly 90 year old man be able to go out and do that kind of stuff in and do so safely and in total comfort?
The more we own them the more we love em right? :wink:
RA
Anyway our little club had only 9 boats in the tournament but there was another tournament leaving the same ramp at the same time. We idled through the no wake area (about 1/4 mile) from the ramp and sat out in the river waiting for everyone to get there and for the 6 oclock blastoff. The other tournament was also leaving at 6 so there were several other boats out there floating amongst ours. Once all our guys made it out we left a few minutes early so we wouldn't have to dodge the other guys. I think a couple of them thought we were in their tournament as well because they left with us! :roll:
The spot I was going was only about 3-4 miles down the river but half of the folks were headed in that direction so I decided to step it on up too 6200 (27" Trophy that GPS' 80.7 cruising @ 6k with typical "wet" tournament load so I figured 82-83 with my light passenger and empty livewell @ 6200) which quickly put us nearly 1 mile in front of everyone by the time we started slowing down to enter our creek. "Mr. Frank" as he is called is small, thin and about average in build and above average condition for an 88 year old. We fished all day (saw Jeff Whitefield while he was breakin in his new 2.5, he's as excited as I am about this week!) but couldn't find any 15" keepers. In fact this was the whole clubs worse tournament of the year, not even a full 5 fish limit was caught. Less than 10#s won the tournament. So needless to say the day was LOOONG and we covered several miles of water looking for some decent fish. Mid-day we ran too a spot Jeff told us about that was several miles down river and encountered a HUGE barge that was tearing up the narrow river. I mean a wake that you go airborn from if barely on plane. Several boats were skyrocketing into the great beyond and pounding back down with disheviled occupants. But I simply backed RDW down to barely on plane and rolled her smoothly over the rough stuff and Mr. Frank just stuck his thumb up and smiled in approval. (One jackass pounded him so bad in a public tournament lastyear that he had to go too the hospital for internal bleeding after the tournment!) Of course I had him sitting shotgun instead of riding behind, lol he is to short to see over the console. Ever so often he would peer out over the rod locker/step and see what was up ahead. He said as long as I could see, it didn't matter to him! (I did have my helmet on once for rain.)
After the tournament Mr. Frank commented that he really enjoys fishing with me and "that first class boat" as he calls it, because I always take care of him while going out. I just had to laugh and think what other boat could (or would) a nearly 90 year old man be able to go out and do that kind of stuff in and do so safely and in total comfort?
The more we own them the more we love em right? :wink:
RA
