Fishing brings families together…we made sure of it. We entered the Big Bass Tour event in Central Florida with the Wroxx Team consisting of our mother, Iris Larson (age 91), my brother Randy, and me. Iris is a 6th generation Floridian, farm girl, entrepreneur, hotel manager, community leader and all around Saint who is loved by all. She is also a fisher-woman, who fished for food before she fished for fun. Her favorite vacation while Dad was still alive was the annual trip to Alaska with several friends to catch salmon. Her favorite vocation is fishing with her grandchildren.

The week before the tournament, Iris developed AFIB symptoms and was hospitalized. The family rallied around her as did the doctors and nurses at ORMC in Orlando. Several days passed with little or no improvement in her condition. We hung the picture below in her room to let the staff know that this lady was active and that despite her age and condition, had things that she needed and wanted to do.

The doctor and hospital staff were great. When her vital signs gradually started improving on Friday, she was released from the hospital with the doctor’s parting words encouraging her to go fish.

Saturday morning, Randy and mom drove up to the Harris Chain and met me. We used my Bennington 24 foot pontoon boat which provided the comfort mom needed while still providing all of the requirements that we needed to compete. The morning was beautiful and we fished like we knew we would be the champions. Despite our bravado, the moment we got mom on the boat and in the water, we actually felt like champions whether we caught any fish at all.

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You can imagine our excitement when mom hooked into a nice bass using a rubber worm. It was a thrill just to be there.

Fishing brings families together. Whether you are fishing for food or for fun, friends and family have been doing it and enjoying it since the beginning. Though we did not place on the Big Bass Tour money list, Mom made us all champions that day. Wroxx. Gear for the Journey.