Hey Gang,

I hope everything is good for everyone. I can't complain. Fishing has been better than skiing this winter, but I ain't all that disappointed. For the Fish-In on Sawyer this month, I was a little disappointed, not with the gang, but with the fish. With the turnout we had, I expected more out of that fish factory. I had the pleasure of fishing in Don Baxter's boat (a new member), and we were the only boat to catch a fish.

Spending all day with a new club member reminded me of myself not too many years ago. I was a new guy with more ambition and enthusiasm than knowledge of the area lakes and the sport as a whole. The simplest of questions can become a teaching process for one and a learning process for another. From how to tie your favorite knot, make up a dropshot, know what color is best, what culling is, etc. All are applicable and complex questions that have opinionated and sometimes controversial answers. After a day of questions, answers, and discussion, I realized why Western means so much to me. It's my first "hair-raising" WBC tournament boat ride across Banks Lake with Smitty, the millions of answers to all my questions from Kirk Holmes, Scott Ramirez, Larry Sullivan, Shin Tanaka, Ed Telders, and many more.

After Saturday on Sawyer it felt good to pass on what WBC has taught me. In short, WBC has taught me as much about sportsmanship as the sport itself! Don B., thanks for a great experience on the water. WBC, thanks for a great six years. One last thing, for a variety of reasons, I didn't take or make the time for the Fish-Ins last year. My list for this year got a lot shorter after the Sawyer Fish-In.

See ya on the water,
Ron Hankinson
(253) 229-4268