Here is a link to a story done by NPR "Fishing Derby Give Veterans a Boost"

Hello everyone, read the story below from one of our volunteers Dave Doubledee on the
Monterey Bay Disabled Veterans Salmon Derby

This past Friday & Saturday (5/14-15, 2010), I had the privilege & honor to participate in what was the most personally rewarding fishing event I have ever participated in.
This says something in itself, as over the years I have fished in many benefit events, even winning a couple.
I can say unequivocally none has touched me as deep and as emotionally as the event I just worked.

This event put on by the Monterey Bay Veterans, Inc. and sponsored by the Disabled American Veterans, is an event to help our disabled Veterans get out & do what so many of us take for granted......... enjoying a day on the water fishing!
If you really think about it, we take it for granted just as so much else in our lives, because these men & women were willing to do service for our country & ourselves.
They were willing to if called upon lay down life & limb for the freedom they believe in, the freedom that we enjoy, the freedom of The United States of America!

I may sound patronizing or overly patriotic (if that is possible?) in these statements, but I assure you that my writings are nothing more than the emotions & feelings that have overwhelmed me the past couple of days.

In the words of "Captain" Steve North:
"I didn't serve in the military. Our country was in a time of relative peace & I didn't feel an urge to enlist. I was afforded that option by the men & women here that did serve & ensure that we have these choices!"

There was only one real disappointment to me on the derby, & that was the lack of participation by our private boaters.
To see only 6 private boats each day was really discouraging!
I absolutely understand that life gets in the way of these things sometimes, & family should come first.
I also know how hard it can be to find time off work, or even the money to run your boat in this event.
Beyond that, I saw in excess of 200 boats on the water Friday! People that had the time & money to be out there.

I heard several on the radio asking for information about the event, which leads me to believe that we all need to get the word out earlier, with more information, & dispel any concerns that anyone may have with taking these people out on the water.
I plan to do what I can to help in the future, & I hope to see the MBV not having to shell out 6-8K$ to charter party boats for this event!
I want to see every disabled vet possible on a private boat.
I want to see them enjoying the feeling that we care about them.
I want them to know that we honor & respect them!

I urge everyone to take some time out of your busy schedule, & let them know!

Every time someone said "Thank You" to me this weekend, I got choked up knowing that it was I who should be thanking them, for the honor of being allowed to fish with them!
I want every one of us to know that same feeling!

Dave

The Fishing:
I rolled down to the D.A.V. Salmon Derby on Thursday night with the camper.
After some minor truck issues in Santa Nella, I got to the Coast Guard ramp in Monterey around 9PM.
Made a couple calls to Mark Seaters, who’s truck I was parked next to, to let him know I had a bed for him to crash in. No answer from mark.
I also called Steve North who I crewed for this weekend, to let him know I was in the lot.
I finally figured out that mark was crammed up on the seat in his truck fast asleep……….. a few “light knocks” on his window remedied that!
After a bit of bs’ing & strategizing for the next day, we were all ready to hit the rack.
Steve headed down to his “Mistress”, while Mark & I set up to crash in the camper.
Just as we were about ready to crash, Pat Miller rolled in with his “Fanta Sea”.
Mark & I went out to help Pat get her in the water & ready for Friday.
About 11:30pm I was done & headed for the camper……….. I’m usually in bed around 9 & I was really in need of my beauty rest!

4:45 am came way too early when my alarm was set for 5:15, but SOMEONE was pounding on my camper door……… Thank you Mr. “Sea Larke”, Ron Clarke!
I got up & talked to Ron for a few minutes then climbed back in bed just to fall asleep as the alarm went off!

I got dressed, got my gear together & down to the boat where I woke Steve up.
Almost immediately as I stepped out of the camper I was overwhelmed by the number of people that had shown up for this event.

Next was the instant camaraderie felt. Everyone whether they knew you or not was a friend.
I walked around kind of in a haze for a few minutes, just trying to soak in the atmosphere of excitement & anticipation I was surrounded in.
I was brought back by Steve yelling at me “Come on Doubledee I need your help!”
We went down & moved the boat to the fuel dock where we could load our anglers for the day without the sea lion barricades for them to try to hurdle.
It was then that I met our two Veterans for the day. Albert is 88 years old & a raisin farmer down in Kerman.
Tony is 90 & retired after selling his thrift store, also from Kerman.
Both are Veterans of WWII! I believe they were also 2 of the oldest among the group this weekend.

Most of the day was a blur as I just soaked in the camaraderie of these two.
We talked of family & friends, Marriages that lasted 60 years, Choices in life, & of course fishing.
Tony after a while asked if there was a ling cod hole anywhere nearby, just so he could feel a fish pull on the rod.
I assured him that every dog finds a bone sometimes, & since they call me “DDawg”, we’d find a bone eventually!
I certainly did my praying hoping to not break that promise!
I couldn’t tell you what time it was when we finally got our first fish on, but it was after 10.
It was on my side & Albert was first up.
This fish was hot & really gave him a work out!
Just a little 12# fish, but I have never to that point in my life felt as relieved & excited to close the net on a fish as I did that one!

Next hook up came just a few long minutes later on Steve’s side, & Tony was up.
This fish was quite a bit bigger, but was a little more cooperative than Albert’s fish.
Instead of trying to zig zag across the stern & run away from the sight of me, he just tried to bull dog the wrong guy!
Tony wasn’t going to lose to this nice fish, & when he brought him along side I scooped him up & in!
Fish # 2 looked around 17# to me. A great fish in anyone’s book!

It wasn’t long, maybe another 15 minutes, when we had our 3rd hook up.
Again it was Albert’s turn.
We situated him a little different this time to make it easier to fight another brute!
This fish fought hard and tried to wrap downriggers & chutes before I reached long & scooped him in the net.
When he hit the deck I saw the hook……….. the crowbar had ripped the roof of the mouth & was just hanging by a thread of loose skin. I gave a little tug & the skin gave way!
As I marveled at the 15+# fish that somehow made it in the boat, I thanked the lord for blessing us this day!

We stayed over the same area for another hour, but couldn’t find Tony’s limit fish.
Albert’s limit was one of only 3 that I know of this entire event!
At 12:30 it was time to make the run back, to ensure that these guys made the weigh-in on time!

Back at the dock Steve & I carried the fish up for our guys, to the oohs & ahhs of the spectators.
Gutted & gilled, Tony’s fish weighed 15.5# & Albert’s was 14.4# !

Many congratulations on the big fish, but the unconfirmed rumor of 1 bigger than either of them.
We quickly got gear stowed & headed over to the dinner/ awards ceremony.

At the dinner, the camaraderie & anticipation rivaled that of the morning.
Everywhere you turned someone was welcoming you to get in the chow line or take a seat at their table.
Folks getting up & asking if you needed anything while they were up.
Then the awards started.
Everyone who weighed a fish in was given a prize. I think every one of them got a rod & reel combo along with other prizes. If they didn’t win in the fish category, names were drawn & many more prizes & gifts were given out!

When all was said & done, Albert was 3rd with his fish

Tony was 2nd with his………….

Some guy named Robert or John or something like that (Hahaha) had won the state final with an 18# fish taken mooching on the “Star of Monterey”!

Not only was this guy on his first salmon trip ever, it was his birthday!
Talk about a ringer!

All of these guys loaded up on gear. Rods & reels, tackle bags, coolers, gift certificates, you name it.
The sponsors who donate to this event are simply awesome!

Day 2 Saturday, would see just 7 anglers competing for a national title.
We met up with our angler at the office at 5:30 am.
As soon as I walked in & saw who it was I said “Awww crap, you didn’t pair this guy with us!”
It was Robert who goes by his middle name of John or something of the sort
The same guy who won the state title just hours before! Talk about pressure………. Here we have a guy that caught his first salmon just the day before on his birthday, & also won a state title with it, now fishing with us for a national title! On top of that it was Steve’s birthday this day!
Was it going to bring us luck, or had we used it all up?

Right from the start I liked this guy, he just felt like an old friend.

I heard Steve ask him if he was in Nam, & I thought no way, this guy is Desert Storm era………. Turns out that John was Nam era, & had joined up in the Air Force. While in basic his mom called & told him that his draft card came.
I never would have guessed that he was 59, & had had 2 knee replacements, unless he’d told us.
This December John & his wife will celebrate their 40th anniversary! How many of us can say that in this day & age?

Again, most of the day was just friends out fishing & bs’ing.
I felt blessed all day to be in the presence of a man of this stature.
A man who not only spoke of honor & respect, but lived it!
I ran the gear quite a bit, trying to make sure everything was fishing good, hoping for the bites that seemed so elusive on this day.
When we started seeing birds working & thinking about krill, I changed a bait rod out to a red kroc.
When I saw the bait on the surface, I brought the top line up to 20’ otw. Shortly after we went through some working birds, & we had a fish on!
John did a great job working this hot hot fish!
This fish did everything to try and shake the hook that was firmly embedded in it’s jaw.
John did everything right to keep the fish hooked up, & I just tried to will it into the net!
In the end we again triumphed & the 14# fish hit the deck!

We worked had for a couple more pop offs & a raked bait that didn’t stick, but that was to be our only hook up of the day.
Talking with Pat we knew they had a couple of 10# fish on board, but we knew nothing about the 3rd boat until we were back in.

Back at the dock we were the first boat in.
We weighed John’s gutted & gilled fish at 12.6#
The “Fanta Sea” crew showed up shortly after, & weighed in their 2 fish at 8.6# & 8# even!
Still in the lead with one boat not in yet.
Then the call comes………. They have a 15# on board & are running hard back to weigh in!
They have about 12 minutes left & are saying they are 10 minutes out!
The suspense is agonizing……. We only half jokingly talk about DQ’ing them.
As the minutes go by & we check our watches, we call for the DQ. Rules are rules, but they turn the corner into the harbor & the weigh master (John) directs them to go to their slip & he’ll allow their fish to be weighed.
John calls for the scale to be brought up
We go up in hopes that our Johns fish will hold on………….. then John Whitacre fills us in:
“I just wanted you guys to sweat!” The last boat didn’t have a fish!
We did it! John not only caught his 2nd salmon ever, but it was big enough to get him the national title!
I’ll tell you right now, it is the first time I’ve cried over a dang fish!

We were treated to a great dinner at Abalonetti’s on Fisherman’s Wharf this night.
There were a few heart felt speeches exchanged, & again these guys got some great prizes!
Steve North was also awarded a plaque for the “National Captain of the Year”

In the end we were all winners.
We were all friends, we were all family!
Dave Doubledee
crib_king@hotmail.com