Funny How Things Work Out
by Ron Presley,
Patriot Catfishing puts veterans on the water. It’s a story of fishing, camaraderie, and gratitude.
Unlikely circumstances lead to bragging rights for one angler in this story about giving back to American heroes. As a registered 503(c) nonprofit, Patriot Catfishing, INC. has been honoring those who served and sacrificed for our nation by providing disabled veterans with an expense-free catfishing adventure.
The fishing trips take place all year long as individual veteran anglers are brought into the Rogersville, AL area to meet up with a volunteer guide to go fishing for catfish. At other times of the year, group events with multiple veterans are hosted by the organization. The 2023 fall event was scheduled for October 14, 2023, the same day as a solar eclipse.
I was pleased to receive an invite to the fall event and planned for months to make the long journey from Florida to Alabama with my grandson Robert. We would participate as observers on one of the hosted veteran trips. We arrived with great anticipation at the opening dinner the night before to find out our guide assignment and which veteran would be on board.
Our assigned guide was Wayne Reed but as circumstances would have it, some expected veterans were unable to make it and our boat was, disappointedly, without a veteran angler.
On Saturday morning we met Wayne at the dock and launched the boat. We remained in the boat while he returned the trailer to the parking area. Another angler, Natalie Sayles, one of the veterans, was waiting for her volunteer guide to pick her up. Natalie noticed me struggling to don my PDF and she motioned me over. She efficiently adjusted things and got me suited up. Little did we know we would meet her again on the water.
Wayne returned and we headed for the fishing hole near Wheeler Dam. His strategy was to drag skipjack in an area where he had marked fish before. We had not been fishing long before Wayne received a call from another guide in distress. His trolling motor was broken and it limited his ability to fish. Wayne asked how he could help and the guide responded by asking if he could take their assigned vet on his boat.
Natalie, the veteran whom we met on the dock had been assigned to Robin and Sassy East and it was their trolling motor that failed. Robin and Sassy motored out to Wayne’s boat and Natalie joined us onboard. Just as Robin and Sassy were disappointed at losing her for the day, we were happy to have a vet on board after all.
We set out the rods to fish again. Two planner boards were deployed on each side and two rods out the back were covering a wide area of Wheeler Lake. With three anglers on board, Wayne suggested rotating chairs as a fish was caught to give everyone a chance. I was lucky enough to get the first bite and landed a small blue cat to take the “skunk off the boat.”
We continued to fish, talk, and laugh. We discussed the upcoming eclipse after I shared a text from my wife warning me not to look at it. We discussed various topics as we waited for the bite. It was a natural fulfillment of the Patriot Catfishing mission to combine camaraderie and fishing.
The bite was slow but we continued to grind. We made three drifts and caught 3 fish. Then about halfway through the third drift and about the time of the eclipse a pole on the port side went down.
It was the outside planner board. A trophy fish was hooked a good distance from the boat. Robert began to reel and fight the fish. As Robert battled the trophy catfish, Natalie joined in to help put pressure on the fish.
With her left hand on the end of the rod handle and her right hand grasping the rod above the reel Natalie kept the rod bent to apply plenty of pressure on the fish as she encouraged everyone in the fight.
“Reel, reel, reel,” coached Natalie. “It’s a good one. I don’t want to lose this fish.”
The hooked fish was crossing other lines and trying its best to get near the drift sock that was deployed to slow the boat on a windy day. Wayne was readying the net, pulling the drift socks clear of the line, and preparing to deal with the planer board as it got closer.
It can only be described as teamwork as the 63.34-pound blue was netted and hoisted into the boat. High fives and cheers confirmed the joy on the boat as the big blue went into the G3 livewell. Needless to say, the eclipse was completely missed in the excitement of landing the trophy blue.
On the next drift, Natalie hooked the second biggest fish of the day. The event rules allowed the 2 largest fish on each boat to be counted in the “Braggin’ Rights” contest. The team went to the scales with a total weight of more than 91 pounds.
More cheers, clapping, whistling, and shouting greeted Natalie as she began pulling the big blue cat from the livewell in the weigh-in line. The scales confirmed what we expected. The total weight of the 2 fish was 91.40 pounds to earn Braggin’ Rights for Natalie. The 63.34-pound blue earned the Big Fish of the day award so the Reed boat was doubly blessed as the crew moved on to dinner and the awards presentation.
The awards ceremony included great food, drawings, and presentations of special awards. Natalie’s day of fishing earned her the Big Fish award and the Top Veteran award, all with an unlikely crew and captain.
Natalie and her boat host, Wayne Reed, received a beautiful catfish replica painted to look like an American flag with the Patriot Catfishing logo on the side. The awards were created and donated by Josh Roth with River’s Edge Reproductions.
“It was an amazing time,” confirmed Natalie following the event. “ I was glad to catch my PB catfish. I always look forward to seeing other veterans go out and enjoy themselves like I did.”
This is but one story among many others that occurred during this weekend with a few American heroes. There were many personal best catfish caught, many first catfish caught, many memories made, and many new friends created. It would not have happened without the Patriot Catfishing INC. organization that hosted it.
The one boat and crew that was chronicled in this story began with some minor disappointment but ended with complete joy and success. Funny how things sometimes work out.
CatfishNow would like to thank them for what they do and encourage others to support them. To learn more about Patriot Catfishing and/or to donate to their cause of honoring American warriors who served and sacrificed, visit their website at www.patriotcatfishing.com.
