i started this thread so others can post there reports of the day.
We had an awesome day of fishing and fun. I had the help of Mark Gomez AKA " Cameraguy ". We were able to take 6 anglers on my pontoon boat. Things started off slow with a few blue gills and losing a nice size pike. We were "schooled" by one of the consolers who had a orange with green stripe worm. She caught a nice 15" smallie and 2 13" largemouth. We then found the " Honey Hole " and the bite was on. It was non-stop action for 2 hours. One of the young ladies caught 41 fish. The next best was a young man who caught 28 fish. We even had the president of cross roads with us. She got in on the fishing action and caught a few. We had lunch and there were lots of prizes for all. I was lucky enough to win a Fish Hedz custom painted by Mac. Got to meet him and Millertime.
Count on me again for years to come.
steve smith
commerce, mi
What a great event, happy I could be part of it. I had 2 great young men with me that had fished a little before. I picked up a couple spinning rigs for them to use on Friday and they liked them, until one guy set his down to unhook a smallie and it flipped off the deck and took the whole rig into the lake! No problem for us, just feel bad for the fish who is dragging it around. I let the other guy use my topwater rig the rest of the day. They were graciously provided with spincasting rigs, but my guys liked spinning gear since that is what they had at home.
We caught LM, SM, rock bass, some pan fish, a duck, and a gar. Heck, I even caught a couple rock bass and one bigger LM. They sure were a good group and who I wouldn't mind taking out fishing anytime.
Edit: the only problem I had all day was one guy kept calling me "sir" and I had trouble responding to that. ;D
Terrific event. Great bunch of kids. The weather couldn't have been better. Steve "Dartag" Smith (What is a Dartag anyway? ???) provided a really nice pontoon boat which served as a great 8-person fishing platform. He masterfully positioned the lumbering :D craft to get the kids right on the fish. There were lots of big smiles all day long. Can't wait for next year's outing.
I really appreciate everyone who helped out Saturday. We were a little tight this year, but in the end everyone had fishing equipement and everyone went fishing. I got the impression that this bunch of kids really had a great time and enjoyed their day thoroughly.
It is so nice to hear all the great things the kids and various people say about the day and the event. We didn't have any mishaps I know of, and all of the boaters and volunteers set great examples for these kids to use in the future as models to follow.
THANKS so much for making a difference!!!
The 2008 event will be setup a little later this year. Please keep an eye out for announcements, and as always, you can watch the forum calendar for a link to more information titled Fish-n-Friends - possibly in late July, or early August. There's a ton of work that goes into setting up this event and raising funds to pay for costs that aren't donated. Any leftover funds go to Crossroads for Youth (www.crossroadsforyouth.org) to cover their costs and help improve their programs.
I want to say thanks to everyone who helped make this event a success. Without the help of the boaters, volunteers and sponsors this would not be possible.
This event is all about promoting fishing to those who do not have the opportunities that you and I have. These kids rarely get a chance to enjoy the outdoors. This is our chance to give back to the sport we all love.
I am very proud and thankful of the people who help make this dream a reality.
I had a great time last Saturday. I watched the kids and boaters alike enjoy another successful event. Many of the kids thanked us for giving them gifts and I think we all enjoyed a nice day on the lake.
Some of the boaters went the extra mile and brought gifts for their kids to have.
Each year I am impressed with the class the boaters show.. There are no better role models then those who help with this event.
Thanks everyone......