Stick Marsh & Farm 13

8-year old wins big Bass in IGFA tournament Some of our best times on the water are spent working with youngsters as they learn about fishing. A couple of years ago I was introduced to a young man that was being taught the love of fishing by his grandfather Bill Okeefe. Bill is very accomplished fisherman and you could sense his pride as he worked with and watched his grandson. We all want to leave a legacy to our grand kids and what better legacy then the love of fishing. This youngster not only showed the spirit of a fisherman twice his age but his handling of tackle went far beyond what you would expect from someone as young as he. Last year I had the opportunity of working with Ryan as he competed in the Treasure Coast Junior Angler Tournament. Ryan missed winning by 2oz. but with his drive and determination it was certain future results would be different. On 7/31/2004 I  again had the pleasure of taking Mike Edwards and his now 8-year old son Ryan. It was the day for the Third Annual IGFA Treasure Coast Junior Angler Tournament held out of Pelican Yacht Club in Fort Pierce. This tournament is a qualifying event for the 2005 MERCURY/IGFA Junior Angler World Championship. Anglers 16 and under are invited to participate in this fun-filled event. The rules are simple: lines in the water at 7:00 a.m. and lines out at 1:00 p.m.   We headed to Ansin Garcia reservoir loaded with 6-dozen shiners and lots of enthusiasm. We started at the Pump on the North end of the Zigzag canal and the action started immediately. Ryan did an excellent job handling the Bass and by 8:30am he had landed quite a few Bass including one that weighed 4.8 pounds. While the 4+ pound Bass was bigger than the one that won the tournament last year we felt that we needed a Bass over 6lbs to have a good shot at winning. The fishing slowed down in the area so it was time to make a move. We headed to the 1st pump on the Zigzag canal and tossed out some shiners. After 30 minutes and only one hit it we knew it was time to try another location. I headed to the south end of the pit and trolled the shiners along the hydrilla on the south edge. After a short while and only one miss we were on the search again. With time running out we we did a drift across one of the North West impoundments. Ryan managed one fish, but not the big one we where looking for. With barely enough time to try one more spot I headed west of the pit and anchored up along a hydrilla line and a ditch. The action started immediately and Ryan was landing some nice Bass. Never letting up Ryan fished on looking for that lunker that could give him a win. With less than 5 minutes left all of a sudden there was a massive explosion and one of the shiners disappeared. Ryan set the hook as hard as he could and the fight began. We knew this was the big fish of the day and had every confidence that Ryan was up to the task of landing the very important fish. After a few runs and jumps Ryan landed the big fish and the high fives began immediately. I put the Bass on the Boga Grip and she weighed just over 6 1/2 pounds. This not only gave Ryan a real good shot at winning but also the biggest Bass of his life. After a few pictures Ryan and his father where on there way to the weigh-in. Later that afternoon Mike gave me a call and let me know that Ryan won the Largest Bass category by a mere 2 ounces. His big lady weighed in at 6.70 pounds. Congratulations Ryan!! Both Ryan and his younger brother Mathew are very accomplished anglers. This year the two youngsters each caught and released Blue Marlin and countless Sail Fish. They have landed most of the game fish many anglers dream about. The duo have had the opportunity to fish with there Grandfather from Costa Rica to Guatemala and the Bahamas. There love for fishing is refreshing to see, and with young fisherman like them the future of fishing is in good hands.   Scott