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Steve & Ron - I'll tell my dad you said hello! We've all been a little down lately as my mom passed away suddenly a few weeks back. I've been keeping him busy fishing as much as possible. For an 84 yr. old deaf, blind, forgetful old coot he can still catch em with the best and has been fishing every day of the commercial season with me. Still have to remind him once in a while that the fish have to be a little bigger than 16" these days before they go into the box. Once a "pin hooker" always a pinhooker! Despite the family issues and some down time with ethanol problems ,a broken helm and a tilt trim that decided to do neither, we have been having a good year. I would guess that my dad is one of the last of the old guard MSBAers from the 50's that's still with us and I know he would jump out of his death bed if he saw the trout stocking truck drive by! I'll be forever grateful to him and that old MSBA crew (including your dad, Steve) for letting me tag along with them when I was a kid and helping to turn me into a "fishoholic." Since this a tournament thread I'll brag on my dad a bit with a story about his only striper tournament about 35 yrs. ago. He had been fishing Great Bay, NH for a few weeks with my little (now balding!) brother and had been hammering BIG fish. One weekend trip happened to be on the day of the Great Bay Striper Tournement so he figured they might as well enter. They had been fishing one of the umbrella rigs that we used to make in the garage and sell through Bill Nolans shop and the locals had never seen one before. (30 yrs. before 9er rigs)They had a great day and my dad took 1st, 2nd & 3rd in the mens division with fish to 40 lbs. and my scrawny 10 yr. old brother took 1st in the jr's and 1st OVERALL with a 40+. Well the locals were a little pissed off and gave my dad some grief: weren't catching those fish in the bay, kid couldn't have caught the big one, illegal lure, etc. Well my dad being a little feisty in those days put them in their place and walked away with all the prizes. Next year he figured he'd enter again but when he tried to enter they told him they had a new rule; "Previous winners couldn't enter" Well they fished that day for fun and my dad made a point of going to the weigh in with the old tin boat fish box filled with cows. Knowing my dad I'm sure that he got more satisfaction from that than a couple of trophies and a few plugs. See you on the water! John
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