CONARD: Smiles, laughter make Kids Fishing Clinic special

By GENE CONARD
Tribune columnist

July 28, 2007 10:39 pm

— It was a typical Jim “Moose” Carden Kids Fishing Clinic Tournament graduation tournament — 135 wonderful, wide-eyed and rampant boys and girls ages 6 through 15 stalking the Kokomo Reservoir for a posse of completely innocent wiggly things that never had a chance.
Saturday marked the 24th annual occasion for Director John Martino’s All-American Kid Fishing Derby. It was a record day as a throng of 800 waded through 120 pounds of Frank Simpson’s obscenely delicious barbecue, hamburger and hot dog specialties while awaiting the tale of the tape.
It is easy to imagine Bobby Bass nudging Cathy Carp and Betsy Bluegill around 7 a.m. Saturday, saying: “Don’t look now, girls, but I think we’re in trouble — Martino’s Kiddie Rod & Reel Mafia just showed up. So if we don’t see each other again, well …”
Make no mistake, today’s kids are incredibly clever and ambidextrous. They can destroy a whopper and fries with one hand and trick a 2-pound bass with corn, moths and worms with the other quicker than you can say “pass the minnows.”
Under mildly threatening skies in a mere three hours, an all-time high 959 critters weighing a record 240 pounds, were hooked, topped by Jimmie Evans’ 12 catches (22.2 pounds) in the 13-15 age division, Andrew Nearon’s 20 catches (10.5 pounds) in the 10-12 group and Sean Ramer’s seven catches (13.5 pounds) in the 6-9 division.
One couldn’t ignore Galveston’s Sam Irwin and his catch of 38; the team effort of Mike Cox’s three young experts, Jessica, Ashley and Gaven, who conned 26 carp, catfish and bluegill with Gaven leading the pack with 22 catches; Abby Vincent’s haul of six catches; Emily and Chloe Bales carrying the Tri-Central banner with two catches each of nearly 5 pounds and Walton’s Garrett Cain nailing five fish totaling 4 pounds.
Meanwhile, Mike and Missy Cox; Dan and Marita Etherington; Brandon and Melissa Bales; Robert and Amber Bales; Todd and Lisa Campbell and hundreds of other Moms, Dads, etc., flooded the area awaiting their young heroes and the “greatest catches on earth.”
How grand it was for us oldies to share prize moments with the charm of 6- to 15-year-olds minus the glare and wear of “two bits, four bits, etc.,” and the roar of ugly demand.
Think what you please, but the big eyes and dimpled chin of a youngster toting a bag of 2-inch prize catches beats any and all grand-slams or slam-dunks. Priceless doesn’t come close.
Through it all, there were two very special efforts Saturday, rare incidents that made competition a sidenote.
There was 12-year-old Brian Foust, a Galveston Elementary sixth-grader, son of Angie and Carl and devout Chicago Cub (Derek Lee) and IU basketball (D.J. White) fan, grinning and ignoring the brunt of cerebral palsy while thoroughly enjoying his first Carden experience alongside boat captain Terry Tribby and assistant captain Tim Richey.
“He did real well,” Terry said, referring to a haul of 18 fish totaling a meager 2 pounds. “He just sat back and enjoyed himself.” Tim added, “He was a ball of fire and when he became bored told us it was time to leave.” Brian’s smile was pure billboard.
Then there was 15-year-old Caitlyn Unger, daughter of David and Annette and an infielder-outfielder for the Western Lady Panther softball team. She spent Friday night in Birmingham, Ala., playing for coach Frank Safranek’s Indiana Lightning in an 18-and-under softball world series that made it to the final 16 before losing — then drove all night to make it in time for Saturday’s clinic.
Quite the charmer and athlete, the 10-year reel veteran hauled in four carp, 14 bluegill and one catfish totaling 15 pounds, 8 ounces with the help of boat captain Dan Hinkle. Her talent is much deeper as she also plays soccer and is a 4-H performer in which she shows goats and pigs. And just think, she’s a mere sophomore.
And how about 12-year Carden veterans and old friends Frank Gamblin and wife Jenny who made the 1,000-mile trip from Welaka, Fla., for the eighth time? They are clinic regulars because “the smiles on the faces of these kids are priceless and worth every dime and is what the good Lord intended.” But as Frank said: “It only cost me $400 for gas.”
Martino’s cast was its usual sterling self — Dick Trott’s Catering, Kokomo Noontime Kiwanis, the DNR and Indiana State Police, Sheriff Marty Talbert, the Howard Co. Dive Team, new sponsor Sportsman Warehouse of Lafayette, some 68 boat captains and 68 assistants including Brian, Benny and Norm Wisher who said “they wouldn’t trade the day for anything,” and last but certainly not least, 135 great kids.
“It keeps getting better,” Martino said. “We now have over 3,000 “Moose” Carden Clinic graduates, and in a month we’ll start preparing for 2008. Just think, we opened registrations this year at 4 a.m. on June 16, had our first kid sign up at 4:15 and had the field full in 45 minutes. How great is that?”
Those 959 carp, bluegill and bass got “reprieves” late Saturday afternoon. But the memories were keepers for 135 of humanity’s best — the kids.

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