PLEASE respond in this thread who you look up to and encouraged you with fishing. Who was your fishing mentor? I posted this originally as "Looking for a hero" and only got two responses. I am a retired school principal who is working at Midfield High School. I work with seven autistic and non verbal high school special ed minority students. I am asking members of Crappie.com to PLEASE send them a letter or something to encourage them. These are at risk minority students and I know Crappie fishermen and women can be a positive influence in their life. It could also be a T-shirt, an autographed picture, a lure, a letter, whatever. Let the Lord lead you and use you. Any shirts should be size large or extra large.

Everybody has a hero or a mentor they look up to when it comes to fishing. Other than my dad, my biggest heroes are Steve MacCadams. and Wally Marshall, and Jerry McKinnis. Steve takes the time and encourages me through responding to emails, Jerry McKinnis always closed his show saying "Dedicated to me dad who always had time to take me fishing, and Mr. Crappie always has a wealth of knowledge he shares with others through his website.


Please send it to:

Students in room 15 (Chris Webb, Humphrey Weaver , Shawn Scott.
Courtney Paige, Deborah Hogan, Jazzmen Hayes,
or Courtney Burkes) choose one or more to send an award for great effort, encourage and mentor.


Please Send it today if you can.
c/o Michael Carter
Midfield High School
1600 High School Drive
Midfield, AL 35228

This was posted by DAVID WATERS under "Looking for a hero:

both my dad and my grandfather always had time to take me fishing. While it wasn't crappie fishing, it was fishing of somekind. Also, we hunted as well. I can't remember at any time my grandfather (papa) ever saying he couldn't go. I called him usually when my father had to work weekends or whatever.

They instilled in me an absolute love for the outsdoors. I think about it so much, it is almost a charecter flaw!

I am a band director and we have student interns all the time from a local university. I always tell them if they don't have a hobby, they need to get one. I usually take them fishing at least once during the semester. We have one now named Matt and I have taken him twice so far. He has the bug bigtime. He said when he gets a job, one of the first things on his list to do is look for a decent boat to crappie fish in.
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Shoals Area Crappie Association
David Waters, President
256-386-7280, watersdav@comcast.net
Pickwick, Wilson, Wheeler, Cedar, and all BCDA lakes


This was posted by GRIZZ under "Looking For A Hero.
I was a self motivated fisherman as a child. I just loved it from the get go, but my parents did get me started by taking the whole family fishing a few times a year. My dad liked to fish and he took me if I asked him once in a while, but what he did was love the outdoors in general, and though he didn't really include me in that on purpose it really rubbed of on me, and I appreciate that.

My mom loved to fish and still does. She used to get bad headaches when I was a child (I was the youngest of 5) , and she would ask me to take her out in the rowboat to fish for a while and the headache would go right away. I was also an active participant in the crappiethon tournys when they were around, and except for one year she was always my partner and I wish she was the year that she wasn't. One year out of over 200 people she won the big fish pot, and we always placed in the money. We were the only Mother/son team and she always got quite a lot of recognition for that and also being the oldest lady in the tournys. People from the tournys still ask me how she is 15 yrs later. She a great lady.

The other person who influenced my love for fishing is my neighbor and good friend Denny Brown. I still remember the first day I met him when I was 5 yrs old. He was building his house and was up straddled on the ridge pole of the roof with a hammer in his hand waving at our family as we were taking a walk down the road. Denny always found time to take me on a special fishing trip 2 or 3 times a year. He taught me fly fishing and we built rods and tied flies together, though the fly fishing thing never really rubbed of on me in the long haul. We still fish together several times a year and I count him among my most valued friends. Every kid need a friend like him while they grow up. He was always glad to see me. Hes a great man and a great friend. Take a kid fishing even if they aren't your own!
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Be happy where you are



Fish today - worry tomorrow. Then again fish today and tomorrow and forget the worrying.

www.OneLastCast.net

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I am posting them here because I would like to see all responses under this one thread. They were the first two to respond and tell the story of their mentor. Please keep the replies coming.




Thanks,

old ship

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"OLD SHIP"
www.fishin4crappie.com

Luther Thomas Cruse ... my GrandPa :





And this is where my Crappie fishing started (in those flat bottom wooden row boats):

Red Gate Boat Dock ... Herrington Lake, KY


And now I'm "mentoring" these fine folks :

My friends Carl & Lisa :



And my fishing partner, Paul :



......... cp

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My grandpaw was the one who got me interested in fishing.He would always have a story to tell or better yet time to take me with him.Hes in his 80's now and cant go anymore but he still loves to swap stories! I commend you for helping the special needs children,my wife taught high school age special ed herself so i know first hand it takes a special person to do it.Please keep up your support for them.

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[IMG]http://i173.photobucket.com/albums/w44/Rednecknlady/DSC00893.jpg[/IMG][IMG]http://i173.photobucket.com/albums/w44/Rednecknlady/DSC00898.jpg[/IMG]

Easily my dad Terry Dixon Palmer. He took me fishing from the time I was old enough to pick up rocks and start throwing them when I got bored of fishing! I picked up the fishing stuff pretty quick when I landed the biggest bass I've caught til this day (a 5.5 lber) when I was 5 years old in the summer before kindergarten.

My dad kept taking me out even with his really busy schedule and even took me hunting all the time. He bought me my own tackle box when I was 7 and gave me $20 to fill it up. I remember loading it up with cheap things like split shots and cheap bobbers and hooks and crappie jigs so I could fill it up and make it look like I had a lot. I'll never forget that ever.

He wouldn't let me get down when I couldn't figure out how to tie a knot either. I griped and cried and complained and threw things down but dad still had patience with me and worked me thru it. And now I'm the guy showing him how to do the catching!

We don't have much time to fish together any more but I really cherish him. He truly is my mentor and hero.

Crappie Pappy,

I Thought I'd share a picture or two also with you. These individuals all had a part in creating a love of fishing and jig tying for me.



Dedicated to my dad who found the time to take me fishing. He died last Christmas at the age of 83.


and also my brother Leon who passed away in 1984 at the age of 39.




This is Al Linder


This is Steve MacCadams




This is me "The Crappie Sheriff" Shipahoy41



I am hoping others will share their stories and pictures also.

old ship

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"OLD SHIP"
www.fishin4crappie.com

My grandfather as well is the reason I love the outdoors so much. He used to take me fishing in the Big Sandy area of Kentucky Lake. He always fished a Kentucky Rig with two minnows. Don't know how many times I'd watch him bring up two big old slabs at a time. He'd get all excited like a kid, start giggling and throw out a marker bouy.

I shyed away from panfishing from my teens up until about three years ago. I primarily bass fished with a little musky fishing mixed in. Something in me has changed now though, I'd much rather be spider-rigging for Crappie! I very seldom bass fish anymore and haven't thrown a big plug at a Musky in some time.

I go back to the Big Sandy area two to three times each spring. The fishing is still good there, but the memories I have of my grandfather make the trip.

I'm just a crappie fisherman now thanks to him, and that's a good thing.

Hey Bad Brad,

I see you are from Bowling Green Kentucky. In 1945 I was born in Bowling Green Kentucky at 401 Center Street, right down from the Louisville and Nashville train station.

old ship

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"OLD SHIP"
www.fishin4crappie.com

I grew up on my aunt's paylake back in the 60s caught bass,channel cats,crappie and carp.my family didnot fish,back then guys that fished the lake taught me how,watched me on my boat when i was 6-7yrs old had a 12'jon boat and a sculling paddle,then i got stationed in Ft Benning Ga and i met Tom Mann in 1977. he taught me to understand strucure,habits,and all with his fish tank at Mann's World in eufala ALA. God Bless Tom Mann and hope he's catching fish in heven

Thought i needed to post twice to this, u fisherman on this site have taught me alot about crappie fishing just reeding your post,i go threw the state post on this site and learn different rigs and ways to catch crappie here and i really would like to thank the people who post on this site. Ken Kinser

Found this late this evening ship, but Im working on it as I write this post. I feel kinda odd having to pick one kid, I'd like to pick them all.

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