The gift of fishing was plentiful during the 2007 MWC Tournament Season. The MWC & NPAA Youth and Family Fishing Clinics had nine tournament stops across the country--- ranging from Henderson Harbor in New York to Big Stone Lake on the border of Minnesota and South Dakota. At each stop kids and their families were more than encouraged to “Dream Over a Bobber” by the MWC Tournament Anglers, Sponsors and Tournament Organizers. Our primary goal was that those who attended these clinics would discover fishing as a family lifestyle.

I say more than encouraged because, not only were they instructed on how to rig up a slip bobber by the volunteer MWC fishermen, but the future anglers were given their own rods and reels along with a tackle box and tackle. All that was required by those who attended these clinics was to go fishing and dream. My hopes for 2008 are all who attended our clinics will discover their own idea of the gift of fishing and pass it on to others who are less fortunate.

There are many thanks due. It takes a lot of people and organizations to accomplish a task as ambitious as the one we pulled off. I know I will forget many because of my bad memory or lack of awareness. If I have---please forgive me.

First of all I would like to thank the MWC Fisherman, especially the regular posse of teachers. Mark Carlyle has attended every Central clinic we have put on. He and Rick Johnson, Mark’s partner from 2006, also headed up the clinic at the MWC Championship this year. My brother, Robert “Bert” Pilney (whom I had the pleasure of fishing with this year), and my cousin Paul Mahoney. Paul’s partner, Mike Meyer, not only assisted us in teaching but helped rig up the bikes donated by Toyota with rod holders and other fishing accessories which were donated by his employer, Frankie’s Marine, in Chisago, Minnesota.

Others who participated were Ryan Jirik who fishes with his Dad, Tom; John Mannerino and his partner Mark Micheal; Mike Olson who fishes with his Father, Don.

Also part of the regular crew was Alan Baumgardner who headed up the Eastern side of the MWC, to whom I am very grateful! He did a lot of pre-publicity before each tournament stop and often had crowds in excess of the gear we could supply. I’m not sure if people understand the preparation and organization that goes into these clinics, often at the expense of pre-fishing, fishing preparation, and sleep. Thank you, Alan, and those of you who helped him, including Shawn Hannah, Pete Lewis, Conrad & Jamie Grubbs, Sheldon Hatch, John Scolaro, Jeff Lash, Bill & Bernadine Ayres, Dave & Willy Casper.

Finally I would like to thank Dan --- “Bump” Master --- Palmer and his Dad, along with Matt Davis and Dan Gies, and Steve Pennaz and his daughter, Maddy. Even though I have never personally met Matt & Dan, when I phoned and asked them to take charge of the clinics for MWC Championship two years ago and the Walleye Madness Championship this year, they didn’t hesitate to accept.

Dan Palmer not only helped in the clinics when he wasn’t bumping, he secured 500 tackle boxes for us from Plano and he and his Dad helped improve a visual aide of a large slip bobber we use in our demonstration.

Steve helped in a couple of clinics but the most memorable was in Spring Valley.
Since there were only four fish caught out of two hundred boats because of flood conditions the weigh-in took no time at all. Unfortunately, getting the rest of the boats out of the water took much longer than the weigh-in and the clinic was to start right after the final winners check was presented. Several of the other instructors and I were still waiting to get out of the water and over one hundred people were waiting in a small tent for the clinic to begin.

Usually I have time to get things organized, during weigh-in procedures. But not this time. Anyway, when we got ashore Steve and his Maddy pitched right in, helping us unbox and hand out gear, and then assisted us in helping out those in need with rigging up slip bobbers. I think that is just a great example of how to participate.

Also there were many Sponsors who donated product and money to the MWC and NPAA Youth and Family Fishing Clinics. Of the MWC Sponsors, the Title Sponsor---Cabela’s---allowed us to buy rods and reels well below retail price. Lowrance Electronics, Ranger Boats and Toyota donated money so we could buy these rods and reels. North American Fishing Club gave us most of the tackle and gear we needed to get kids started fishing. Toyota purchased the bikes we gave away to lucky kids at many of our tournament stops. FoodSource Lures also gave us some baits for kids and their families to try.

Among the NPAA supporters there was Ted Takasaki at Lindy who donated all the bobbers and slip knots that we needed. Tony Puccio at Bait Rigs who gave us many lures and fishing components. Lund Boats, who donated line clippers. As I mentioned before Plano donated all the tackle boxes we needed and Frankie’s Marine gave us some rod holders and tackle boxes we used to rig up the fishing bikes. Also there were many MWC fishermen who donated product from there individual sponsors for us to give away. Thanks to you all.

There are a couple of Sponsors I believe should have an Honorable Mention. One is a major corporation, Rapala, and the other is a single individual, Jim Melton.

Rapala was a major supporter of mine when I first started out doing youth fishing events. They often supplied me with more gear than I needed for a single event. It was from this gear I started the format we use in the MWC and NPAA Youth and Family Fishing Clinics today. Give kids just enough essential fishing gear for what we are teaching that day (saving the rest for future clinics) and instruct them and, possibly, their parents on how to use this gear. From there my hopes are that the joy of fishing will instruct them to find other resources along there fishing journey. Rapala, thanks for starting me out.

Jim Melton . . . . I really don’t know how to express my gratitude to Jim. Here is a guy I met out of the blue in Spring Valley, says he makes spinners and asks how many I would like. I tell him around five hundred. He asks for my address. Talk a little bit and then part. In no time at all I get a box in the mail with five hundred homemade spinners. I can’t express how touched I was. Maybe by sharing this example is good enough. Thank you, Jim.

Finally I would like to thank the MWC and their staff. Kristine Houtman has been a huge supporter of ours and a leader in the youth fishing movement. When I mention I would like to have rods and reels and tackle and specially rigged bikes to give away, she goes to her sponsors and finds us rods and reels and tackle and specially rigged bikes to give away. Also you got to admire the press releases and publicity these events get. With her support we have advanced the youth movement in the walleye tournament world.

To her current staff, Jeff and Talia, and to her former staff, Kris, thank you. They often supported us by organizing rods and reels while we fished during the tournaments and helped produce other supporting materials like posters. I’m sure there are other things they did for us that I am not even aware of right now.

As you can see there was a great amount of support we received for our clinics and believe it was appropriate to express my appreciation for the gifts of time and materials we received. My hopes for 2008 are: 1) to those we instructed ---continue fishing; 2) that we continue to share the passion of fishing to others; 3) that we can find further responsible support for our movement and responsibly support those who move us.

From my own personal perspective what I am trying to inspire in new anglers is not so much the act of fishing per se but for the individual to explore there own “idea of fishing”. To me fishing is much more than just fishing---it’s a way of thinking, a metaphor, a symbol we can use to explore our lives.

If you don’t get what I mean right now, might I suggest going fishing and “Dream Over a Bobber”. Think of the bobber as an idea indicator. Watch it. Be patient . . . . Nibble, nibble, nibble. There it goes. Set the hook! You’ll find what you looking for. Heck, you might even find what you are not looking for. However, soon enough you’ll get it.

But watch out. The next thing you know you might find yourself a long way from home being propelled by new ideas while exploring the open waters of some great lake with search baits.

Hope you have a way to navigate.

Happy New Year,
Frank Pilney
NPAA # 920
fpilney@comcast.net