Veterans enjoy day on the lake
Fishing Derby draws more than 70 vets
It was a perfect day for fishing, especially out on Success Lake for well over 70 Veterans who had a marvelous time out on the water.
The sixth year for the derby, it is sponsored by over a dozen veteran and service clubs throughout the Valley, but the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers at Success Lake and Central Valley Veterans (CVV) pulled the whole event together on Saturday.
John Schuler, vice president of CVV from Fresno said that Success Lake was just a wonderful facility and he was full of praise for Eagle Mountain Casino Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) which donated the bus for a round trip from Fresno for the veterans from the veteran’s hospital in Fresno, who attended the derby. CVV is an all-volunteer veteran’s service group.
Deb Riordan, president of CVV, said the community of Porterville has really stepped up with donations and she couldn’t thank the Elks, Eagles, the Walmart Distribution Center, and the Cub Scouts enough for all their help with the tournament.
“Being by the water and fishing helps us get away from the regular routine and meet other veterans,” said Henry Jones, “And it is relaxing.”
Jones said he’d been fishing all week, and mainly catching catfish in Mendota and Firebaugh. He caught 26 fish in a couple of days.
Ken Myers from the Army Corps of Engineers said there are usually trout and bass in Success Lake and the official fish of the derby were Large Mouth Bass, which would be weighted when caught.
Myers is a disabled veteran and was happy to be involved in the derby. He said Blue Gill, Croppy fish, Channel Catfish, and Carp are in the lake besides bass.
All the boats volunteered for the derby were captained by veterans, said Schuler. Jamiedawn Dandurand, wife of Jayson Dandurand, a Coast Guard veteran who volunteered his boat, taught a veteran and his nephew about fishing out on the lake and how to cast. Jamiedawn said, “This is such a great cause. We finally found this great group, “Visalia Bass Club,” that we are volunteering with to help Warriors Day on the Lake.” With all the volunteers helping at the derby, she said everything was working smoothly.
Cindy Lukens was watching the lake for her husband, Jeffrey, a retired Marine veteran. Cindy said she thought the derby was great. It was important for veterans to be able to meet other veterans, and it is also important for them to meet other people. Jeffrey really enjoys being around other veterans and they are planning to go to another fishing event at Bass Lake the weekend of May 6.
When Jeffrey returned, he had caught a one-pound bass and said he had an awesome time on the boat. It was beautiful and fun. So cool on the lake and they took a tour of the whole lake. They took photographs and he enjoyed it especially when the boat went fast.
An older Navy veteran who served in Vietnam, Jim Tatum, said he enjoyed himself, even if “it was a slow bite,” but a great day. He’d been to at least five of the veteran’s fishing tournaments before, and said he’d lost a big 4-5 pound bass right off the boat.
“I throw everything I catch back, anyway. So the next fisherman can have a go. I love it. Meeting other veterans. It’s been a gorgeous day.” Tatum was a school bus driver for over 26 years, and is very proud to drive the Eagle Mountain Casino bus.
Another Vietnam veteran, Perry Miller, had a great day but caught no fish. He was enjoying it so much on the water he didn’t want to return to shore.
Julio Martinez, a Marine from Lindsay, caught two 1-pound bass and said he had a nice time on the lake. “It’s my third time in the fishing derby and even if you don’t catch anything just being out on the lake is great.”
“It was really fun just to get out,” said Mickey Coleman, a Navy corpsman, “I had a really good time. This is my first time at a fishing derby and we really had fun. It was something special for me.”
Teresa Berkebile, an Army veteran from Madera, said their guide caught three fish. It was also her first time on Success Lake, but she has been to five other tournaments at Pine Flat. She enjoyed fishing and seeing all birds by the lake, especially the Canadian Geese and the Hell Raiser fish. She was having a conversation with Army Corps of Engineers Commander David Ray, who said he was having a great time being out with the community for a fun day. He was flying to Washington, D.C. Sunday, “so the fishing derby is a great opportunity to visit folks.”
“You have to know the right spot for catching fish,” says Ray, talking to veterans.
John Glascoe was fishing with his uncle Billy Ray Malmgren, an Army veteran and their fishing guide/captain David Coy, also an Army veteran.“My uncle caught a 4-pound 4 ounce bass,” says Glascoe excitedly. “It was really a lot of fun. I’ve never been on a boat before to fish. It’s been a blast.”
Michael Wright, veteran and Peer Support Specialist from the V.A., caught a small fish and threw it back but said he had a great time, “But the best part is seeing my veterans having a great time.”
Army veteran Jen Lewis caught a bass over a pound and said, “I’m very grateful they are doing this for us. It’s important that we, veterans have these kinds of events. Getting us together helps keep us alive. Keeps us lively and gives us hope for life.”
Before announcing winners of the derby, Schuler said, “Many people go fishing all the time, but today was a perfect day at work. I’d like to thank the many donors and volunteers. Especially the Southern Tulare Sportsmen’s Association, the Elks Lodge for their good job cooking lunch, and thank you Central Valley Veterans, we wouldn’t be here today without them. And thank you Army Corps of Engineers for doing 85 percent of the work for us.”
The fishing derby winners were:
1st place Billy Ray Malmgren 2nd place David Coy
3rd place Teresa Berkebile
After the derby winners were announced then raffle prizes were given to the veterans, as well as the Army Corps of Engineers gave each veteran a photograph of them fishing with a certificate in their name.
After the veterans had left to return to Fresno some local veterans and friends sat and chatted. David Coy and his wife Victoria, and Jerry Williams of the Success Bass Club will be hosting a fishing tournament at Pine Flat and everyone is invited to fish.
Williams said, “It was really nice taking fellow veteran Brad Latham out and teaching him how to spin cast into trees, grass, or mud. There’s a real special technique that takes a lot of practice.”
“We’d like it if there were more events like these to recognize veterans for their service and sacrifice,” said Victoria.
Their friend Jim Graddy, another Army veteran, said, “It was a great day to be out here. It’s worth doing. There were 40 boats volunteered by veterans and 30 veterans. There were over 70 veterans involved today.”
Riordan said the CVV focuses on homeless veterans. They now have a Veterans Stand Down at the Tule River Reservation. They were able to provide over $83,000 in direct services to over 300 veterans, service members, and their families. All the monies come from community donations she says. The CVV helps veterans get into permanent housing, and stay in it. They provide them with work, clothing, food, anything they need. And because they are a private group there are no restrictions. CVV operates in Merced, Madera, Mariposa, Fresno, Kings, and Tulare counties.