By Mike Hunter

Our third entry in Mark's Outdoor fishing tournament was a fishing trip to talk about for a long time. Thurston and I woke up around 3:00 a.m. Saturday morning. Woke up to a day we wouldn't forget.

We got everything together. Went to the store bought out breakfast, snacks, ice and cold drinks. We loaded up, drove down to Paradise Point Marine. Launched my boat. Thurston drove my truck and parked it in the parking lot, He had the truck keys in his hand. Reached to grab the cell phone. And when he closed the truck door; realized he didn't have the keys. It was still dark and he couldn't find the keys.

So he walked on down to where I was waiting in the boat; and stepped in a mud hole. When he said a few choice words, a fellow fisherman heard him, spoke up and asked "what's wrong?" Thurston told him how the truck keys were missing. Locked the truck up and stepped in a mud hole and went in plum over his shoe top. The fellow fisherman told him with all the bad luck he was having, "You and your partner will end up winning that boat!!"

Thurston told the fisherman him and Mike was hoping to at least come out with their entry fee back. That would be great! Thurston told him that besides the only thing he had won was a little hamburger grill, big enough for 1 burger. And Mike, the only thing he had ever won was an electric blanket that he gave to his wife, Karen. So Thurston comes on down to the launch where I'm waiting. Thurston tells me of everything so we go back to the truck with a flashlight to look outside the truck. Then we look inside: the keys were inside.

We saw an officer who was nice enough to offer his assistance to open the door. He tried almost an hour. No luck. So I told Thurston no need to worry I've paid for Road Side Assistance. There is no charge to call them out on lock-out service. I'll call Karen to arrange meeting at Paradise store at 2:00 p.m. We walked back to the pier. Got in our boat. Got our bass fingerlings to restock the lake and checked out. Got in our place and took off, racing to get to our first fishing hole. I throwed pig and jig. Some crank baits. No Bites. I changed over to a firecraker chrome and gold willow blades and caught three keepers. Right off the bat. I called my wife about 9:00 am she arranged everything.

Checked another few holes not much luck. we stopped to eat lunch around 11:00 a.m. I reached in the cooler to pull out a sandwich; pulled out a wet sponge sandwich instead. I threw the bread to the fish and ate the meat and cheese. We started back fishing. Thurston tried several different baits. Tried a buzz bait, didn't get a bite the rest of the day. Thurston started throwing a firecracker chrome and gold wilow blades and he started pulling the fish in. I told him to keep pulling them in; if I had to drag his ass all over the lake I would! He was pulling the fish in. Maybe we would come out with our entry money back. Then we started seeing snakes. Then they started swimming to us. Then we had to start knocking them off our boat with our rods.

Man. what a day! 1:30 p,m. rolled around and we had to get back to Paradise point to meet R.S.A. by 2:00 p.m. Thurston stayed with the boat and I waited till 2:30. No one shows. I called my wife, Karen. She gives me the 800 # to call. Nice to loan me the phone. Thank God cause cellphones just don't get out everywhere. I called R.S.A. and he put me on hold for 30 minutes. I hung up and called again. He started to putt me on hold again, I told him No way he was putting me on hold again, to listen to that awful music again. He told me to stay where I was at and he would call me right back. So I waited and waited. 30 more minutes went by. I walked on down where Thurston was with the boat and I told him to go ahead and go to the ramp. I'm going to get my truck. I went to my truck took my tire tool and busted out the back side glass. Loaded up. Thurston had our fish weighed; 12 pounds, 6 ounces. We were out of the money. It started at 13 lbs.

They started throwing prizes. I caught a bag of worms. Thurston got his feet stepped all on. R.S.A. shows up and has me paged. So I go and meet him and told him I took care o the problem. So I went on back in the crowd along with Thurston. They started calling out the winners of the fish so we stayed to watch. Then they drew out a folded ticket. For the grand Prize of a new Skeeter boat. Thurston sees this ticket and he's thinking "That looks like the ticket I had in my pocket." They open it up and and call my #19, and called my name. Gosh, we couldn't believe it. So I headed up to the stage and gave a loud holler of amazement. Thurston still standing in the crowd. Bummed puzzled, couldn't walk, cause his legs felt like jello. He told me he had to go get us a couple of beers. To settle his nerves. He thought with this much excitement it took at least 5 years off our lives.

The announcer asked what we were doing next year at this time? Thurston said fishing Marks Outdoors Tournament in our new Skeeter Bass Boat! One week later we were sitting across from Ken Hollis ordering our new Skeeter Bass Boat! What a thrill!
P.S. Ford paid for a new window!

STORY BY THE TOURNAMENT WINNERS