Cody and I were playing at this years Tackle Show and this is what he learned. Great way to build trust with your kids. We are still having fun. If you have any tricks that you would like to see him try, shoot me an email. We are working on a few more.

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Here is just a small example of what the PVA does for you in this tournament. The day started with me pulling my boat in line to wait for my paralyzed angler to arrive. All I had to do is show my number and pull up to the designated spot, turn over my keys to one of the volunteers who also helped my partner into my boat and go fish. These guys load your boat with food and water for the day, back your boat into the lake and park your truck for you. At the end of the day they radio for a volunteer to bring your truck and trailer to the ramp and drive you to the weigh-in. Never have I been treated so well at any tournament I have fished.

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All of that pampering was nice, but the true reward was helping my partner, David Gardner of Springville, Utah. When I met David the night before the competition, I asked him how long he had been fishing and what kind of baits he liked to throw. His answer was not one I was expecting to hear. He told me that he had never been bass fishing and that he didn’t even bring a pole.

Luckily for us we were able to round up some poles that he could use and we made plans for the next day. I haven’t fished Lake Keystone in over 5 years and didn’t have any time to pre-fish, so our day was set on what I thought the pattern should be and a prayer. In this tournament the first day is for the paralyzed angler only. You just volunteer to guide them to any spot they would like to fish and in this case, just try and put David on some fish to catch.

The good thing for me is that David was just out to try and have a good time. It also gave me an opportunity to get to know him and talk about some of the places he had been while serving our country.

David and I got along great, partially because we have both served in some of the same areas; he too was Airborne qualified while serving with the 82nd Airborne Division. I, on the other hand, served with the 101st and once again the two division representatives set out on another mission. Only this time it was to conquer the mighty bass.

David lost his leg while serving in Iraq. His story is like many others I have talked to. Tragic, but a price many have paid in service of our country. His attitude was one that is admirable. He takes his injury day to day and learns to cope with his loss with a positive and humorous attitude.

He caught a few fish that first day and was excited to fish with me as my partner the second day. The next day was much of the same, few fish but lots of conversation. At one time I had a nice fish on my line while using a Carolina rig and asked for the net. I had forgotten about his injuries while battling the fish. When I looked back to see what was taking David so long to get the net and he was sitting there with a smile on his face as he had removed his prosthetic and replied “would you like for me to hop over there or do you want to bring it to me?” I nearly lost the fish as we both just started laughing.

We finished up by weighing in our fish and having a good laugh as he tried to add to our weight by weighing in his prosthetic foot. His sense of humor is admirable but the price he paid in service of our county can never be repaid.

It does the soul some good to get out there and volunteer some of your time to those who have paid a price, for our freedoms.

You will be able to watch the day that I spent with David in one of our upcoming episodes on the Future of Fishing. To help volunteer, donate or see what other activities the PVA has for not only paralyzed veterans, but all who live with these disabilities, log onto our web site and click the PVA link.

Get involved and remember to take a kid fishing and instill a memory that will last a lifetime.

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We packed up all the gear along with the camera and headed straight to one of my favorite spots, that has always produced a fish or two. Megan didn’t take long to impress me with her skills as an angler by matching me cast for cast with her favorite crank bait. She was throwing, what looked to me, to be the old trusty zebco. As with most kids she did try to catch a few fish out of the trees but we retrieved all of the errant casts with little or no problems.

The crank bait bite wasn’t to be, so we regrouped and headed into the flooded bushes. It was her dad that landed the first fish from the back of the boat by throwing a jig in front of the brush and also giving me a clue as to what they were looking to feed on that day. So we re-rigged the kids and headed to a nice spot to where the kids could get on some fish.

The fishing was pretty slow and holding the attention of two young anglers was getting to be quite a task.  Although when the fishing gets tough it is easier to get to know a person.

Megan is definitely not afraid of the camera and with her and Cody paired together you don’t get to do much talking and you lose a lot of baits. Not from fishing, but the two of them found a way to make a few worm races, with the looser ending up cut in half by a pair of scissors. I must have gone through a half a bag of worms that day with never tying one on the end of my line.

All was not lost as we managed to bag a few fish out of the bushes and even managed to find a few with the old trusty Carolina rig on secondary points.

The highlight of the day was when we moved all the way back into a long cove and started pulling out some very nice sized fish. They were hanging a little closer to the brush as the sun had gotten higher. The kids forgot about their worm races long enough to catch a few fish themselves, the fishing was heating up and the day was coming to an end.

Cody made himself another fishing pal and we all enjoyed the day. With fall just around the corner the fish are beginning to move into the shallows in search of an easy meal. So grab your gear and take a kid fishing! Don’t forget to check the backs of the coves for fish hanging tight to the brush. You may be surprised what is lying in only a foot of water.

Grab your gear and take a kid fishing. You will create a memory that will last them a lifetime.

It just so happens that Cody and I had a chance to go sand bass fishing on Ft. Gibson with a few other future addicted anglers. I had received a few emails from Dan Martin of Kwick Strike Guide Service, asking if we would like to join him for a day on the lake. Of course we could not refuse an offer like that, so I called a few nominee members of our ATFA club (Addicted to Fishing Anonymous) and asked if they would like to join us for a day of sand bass fishing with Dan. Joining us for the day was Justin Martin and his Dad Mike, Easton Rampy and his Dad David.

Now I have never been much for trolling around the lake in search of fish, but I have to admit it was quite enjoyable just sitting on a soft cushioned seat and watching kids hook fish after fish. I love to eat sand bass but have never really gone hunting for them. Dan gave me a quick lesson on how to find these roaming fish and off we went.

It is really quite simple; just throw on a few of your favorite cranks baits, spoons or spinners and go searching for schooling fish. I have found that sand bass typically like white and flashy colors when it comes to the bait that you choose.  So we proceeded to troll around ledges, humps and flats in search of the white bass, which is our state fish by the way.

So there you have it the complete technique for trolling for sand bass. Like I said it is quite enjoyable to let someone else drive and just sit around enjoying other people’s company. Yes, you get interrupted by the occasional fish jumping on the end of you line, but that is what you have kids for. Let them do all the work reeling in fish after fish while the thought of a tasty sand bass covered in corn meal and smothered in lemon lingers in your head.

With all that being said, we had a very good time with our newly accepted ATFA members. We finished up the day by having a nice shore lunch of deep fried sand bass, smothered with lemon and all the fixings. A meal that would enlighten anyone’s tastes buds. Just the thought of it now has me yearning for another day on the lake with Cody and friends fishing for more sand bass.

Remember, take a kid fishing and instill a memory that will last a lifetime.

Mason was elated to hear that he had won our contest and told me that he had never been trout fishing. I knew that trout had been biting really well and with the summer heat it would be a perfect trip for the kids.

If you have never been to the Lower Illinois River, you need to go. The scenery is fantastic, for the most part the trout are easy to catch and it is a great time for all. Not to mention the water generally stays around 50 to 60 degrees and will cool off anybody who is trying to beat the summer heat.

The way that you fish this rig is to cast your worm perpendicular to where you are standing and let the bait fall to the bottom of the stream. Then let your bait and sinker bounce along the bottom of the stream and hold on. Normally the bite will just be a few small taps on your line. You have to pay close attention as the bite will be extremely light and quick. When you set the hook on these fish, you need to have more of a sweeping soft hook set. If you try and set the hook too hard, you will pull it out of their mouths. That is why I suggest using clear monofilament line and an ultra light pole, a pole like the one you would normally use for crappie or bluegill. This is the equipment that both of the kids and I used that day.

The boys and I started fishing near a spot called the “Gravel Pit.” There is a designated parking spot in which to park and is not far from the stream. I had requested that all who were fishing that day, wear some sort of tennis shoes to minimize slipping on the rocks and for general safety. However; I along with Mason did not listen to my advice and showed up in flip flops. I definitely do not recommend flip flops to anyone wanting to stay dry. Mason found himself taking a few unwanted dives into the cool water and I was fortunate enough to stay dry for the day. That is what makes this type of fishing enjoyable on a hot summer day. There is no better feeling than the cold water catching you by surprise to make you forget about the 95 degree heat beating down on you.

It did not take us long by bouncing our baits on the bottom while slowly walking down stream to find feeding trout.  Mason hooked up first with Cody following shortly behind him, I also got into the fun by losing a nice fish that would have went around four pounds. Mason also had a huge fish in my hands that came off just as I was about to pull him up from the water. We finished up the day with Cody landing a big trout that probably went over 4 pounds. All in all we caught and released about ten trout that day and left Mason and Cody with a smile on their faces. We will air this episode at a later date on the Future of Fishing show with Keith and Cody. It is one that you do not want to miss, as I show you another secret bait to use to catch those hard fighting trout.

So remember; take a kid fishing and instill a memory that will last a lifetime.

Where do you take a kid fishing with all this heat? My answer is Ft. Gibson. Not only is it close to home but as the summer sun heats up the lake it also heats up the fishing.

Cody and I took our first qualifier in our monthly “take a kid fishing”  contest. Fisher Patterson of Owasso was our first winner. Fisher, who is four and his Dad (Chris) had seen us at the annual Fishing Pal’s tournament on Grand Lake and decided to email us with his entry. Not only did Chris send in the information that we require, but also sent a rather compelling story about Fisher and how he and his son loved watching our show. When we drew for winner I sat down and read his email.

Our show has been struggling to make ends meet and I was close to calling it quits until I read his letter. Chris told me of how he nearly lost his son and how much it means to parents everywhere what we are doing on the “Future of Fishing” show. His story touched me deeply and gave me the extra boost I needed to continue with our show in hopes of changing children’s lives everywhere.

On this day we just wanted to put some fish on the end of the line so the kids could have some fun, and fun they had. We started on the rip rap by hwy 51 where I lost a nice 4 lb fish and then decided to move into the shallow water where the wind was blowing into the bushes. We were flipping a blue fleck Xcite extreme stix and flap jack into shaded trees and brush catching quite a few small 12 to 14 inch fish. At one point I was giving Fisher a lesson on how to pitch into the cover when I turned him loose he nearly flipped himself and the pole into the water. With a quick reaction I was able to catch him and it never fazed him. Without hesitation he stood up and continued pitching as if it was a normal thing. I found it amusing watching Chris flip with a zebco 33 because he didn’t want to get his pole from the back of the boat. Chris is an avid fisherman and watching him tangle with the small rig was just funny.

Both Cody and Fisher became hot, so we tied a throw cushion to the end of a rope, secured it to the boat and let the kids swim. They both enjoyed themselves and we ended up the day with the two kids doubling up on some nice fish. It couldn’t have ended better even if we had planed it.

We had filmed the entire day and will air the show in one of our upcoming episodes on the “Future of Fishing” on KWHB-47 Saturdays at 4:30 pm. You can log onto our web site at www.keithandcody.com to enter your son or daughter for a chance to be on our show and read more about how we want to make difference in a child’s life. We want to help get kids involved in this wonderful sport and change our world one smile at a time.

So remember; take a kid fishing and instill a memory that will last a lifetime.

Our show airs Saturdays on channel 47 KWHB Tulsa, at 4:30 pm. We are still in need of sponsors and your support. Our focus is about kids and family. Our plan is to get every child involved in the sport of fishing through family values.

As a Professional angler I will give tips on how to catch a variety of fish in Oklahoma. I will demonstrate on how to keep your child interested in the sport, as Cody will attempt to show our audience how easy it is for a child to get involved.

I also have a goal of raising money for children who are fighting cancer (Chad Scanlon Foundation).

Join us on our adventures, as Cody and I travel around Oklahoma fishing every impoundment and lake in the state, while giving you tips on how to catch the big ones.

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