FISH FOR A CAUSE-IN GIVING WE RECEIVE

It was early September, 2018, and the 3rd Annual Pink Fishing Reeling In The Cure bass tournament was fast-approaching. I realized something needed to happen very quickly if I was going to be able to fish it. That something was finding a partner! In a last-ditch effort to find someone, I posted on social media hoping to find a boater who would commit to fish this tournament with me. Enter Scott Burns.

A fellow Texan, Scott and I had been friends for a bit and had even discussed fishing together in the past. Now we would finally have our chance! There is something to be said for fishing a benefit tournament. I think a number of other anglers feel similarly. When you talk about fishing a benefit tournament your mindset is totally different- it becomes all about showing up and

supporting the cause and less about fishing for visibility or a check.

Scott and his fiance LaNette Luce Childers had planned to pre-fish the day before the tournament. When I spoke to Scott later that same evening to discuss our plan for tournament day, he jokingly spoke of a letter he had been writing to me- "Dear Misty, I regret to inform you that there are no fish in Belton Lake. Sincerely, Scott Burns.” Apparently it had been a tough day for Scott and LaNette, and they had not caught a single keeper. After listening to Scott discuss their “Fish-less” day. I just recalled my overall mindset- it’s all about the cause- because despite the dismal report, I wasn't the least bit worried. My plan stayed the same- go fishing and support a cause very near and dear to my heart. Fishing with a friend like Scott would be an added bonus. Honestly, given the year I had had, I was just grateful for the opportunity to fish!

Tournament Day dawned, and Scott and I headed out ready to work! Thirty minutes into the start of our day we both had a couple of chunks in the live well! Now that’s a great feeling! Plus, we were fishing my favorite technique- a Texas rigged worm. If I have learned anything from fishing, it’s that when something is working, you stay with it until it’s not. So we stayed in that same general area most of the day, catching our fish within a hundred yards of each other. Scott was my net man and I was his, and in as much as catching them was so much fun, we finished each catch off with a high five.

On that day, Scott and I accomplished more than just putting chunks in the live well, we created

an unbreakable bond. I couldn't have asked for a better day of fishing or a better partner. To say Scott was an awesome partner is an understatement. Having LaNette eagerly awaiting our arrival at the boat ramp was icing on the cake. Scott and I came in earlier than our check in time because it had begun to pour rain and we had had enough of being pelted by it. We had a limit and we knew we had done our very best for the cause- we showed up for work and that's EXACTLY what we did. What I wasn’t thinking about was that early check-in meant we would weigh in first. Our bag weighed 14.87. Sitting there watching angler after angler fall short of that we realized that it was indeed good enough for first place! Definitely not what I expected. After all, I almost didn't have a partner!

That day I took home more than a 1st Place plaque. The experience of partnering and fishing with Scott and LaNette added richly to my fishing family. I will long cherish the memories we made that September day. A BIG thank you to LaNette, a cancer survivor, for loaning me her partner. She will have the joy of teaming up with Scott for the Texas Team Tournament as well as a variety of other tournaments. As for me, I will start my search for a new partner to join me for Pink Fishing’s 4th Annual Reeling in the Cure tournament on September 7, 2019 on Belton Lake.

I want to offer a special shout out to Leisha and Earl Loggains for all of their hard work to make this annual event a success. The 3rd Annual Reeling in the Cure Bass Tournament helped raise $4,000 towards Pink Fishing’s annual $10,000 donation to the National Breast Cancer Foundation! We are hoping to make 2019 even better! Hope to see y'all there!

iBass360 pro staff Misty Schmidt is from Mabank, Texas where she is the proud mother of four

awesome kids. Misty embarked on a new adventure when she started fishing. It inspired a lot of passion in her life, and by sharing her experiences- from tournament fishing to fishing destination locations- she hopes to inspire more women to pick up a rod and reel and enjoy the outdoors. Misty is a frequent contributor to the iBass360 blog, and she is very proud to represent Pink Fishing as a pro staff member.