Hooked On Heroes - We Take Veterans Fishin'

HOOKED ON HEROES

8 BETTER OFF WET | NOVEMBER 2022

Hooked on Heroes – We Take Veterans Fishin’

B.O.W. fishing tournament in October. We have to had the pleasure of captaining one of the many fishing vessels, for the Hooked on Heroes say, from start to finish, this was one of the most organized events we have been a part of, especially being a volunteer based event. We arrived at the boat ramp, to launch our boat, and there were Deputies there to give us window hang tags, then once at Sea Hag Marina, there were plenty of volunteers guiding the way, and if you still couldn’t figure it out, they had a ton of signage to point you in the right direction. What a great event for our Veterans!

Our boat had two Veterans, both Vietnam era Vets, who are now in their eighties, Bob and Errol. These two gentlemen were full of life and funny as all get out. We had great conversations while fishing, the entire day. The wind was on us the entire day of fishing, but we found a nice spot to anchor in a productive grass flats area. Between the two anglers they must have caught 8 different species of fish. Errol had the largest Spotted Sea Trout We’d seen all year hooked up, only to have the fish back-flip his way off the hook just as we were about to net him. And, all Bob had to do was get his line in the water and it seems like he hooked up on a fish of some sort every time. It was an honor to be able to spend the day with these two Veterans on the water and we look forward to doing it again.

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Hooked on Heroes – We Take Veterans Fishin’

10 BETTER OFF WET | NOVEMBER 2022

Hooked on Heroes – We Take Veterans Fishin’

A Note from Hooked on Heroes President My name is Ronnie Cadle, I would like to introduce myself and Hooked on Heroes organization. Doing something like this has been a lifelong dream of mine, to be able to do something for our Veterans. Whether they are just returning home or have been home for years. I know all too well the feelings of being alone and forgotten after coming home from Vietnam. It is a feeling I do not want any Veteran to experience, so I started Hooked on Heroes a nonprofit organization dedicated to making Veterans feel that they are a part of something and that they are not forgotten.

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Hooked on Heroes – We Take Veterans Fishin’

Our goal is to take all Veterans with or without disabilities, young and elderly on a day of fishing at absolutely no cost to them. It is an opportunity for them to relax and have a stress free day alongside other Veterans. We strive to make them as comfortable as possible and give them the best opportunity we can to catch fish and have fun. With our support these Veterans get to do something that might not otherwise be possible. We plan to have two trips a year about six months apart. Our next two trips are scheduled for April 1st, 2023 & Sept 30, 2023. We hope to be taking 200 Veterans on this trip. Hooked on Heroes would like to ask for you support, 100% of your donation is tax deductible and will go to helping our Veteran on their next adventure with us. Our organization is run by only volunteers. We have no paid employees to ensure every cent goes to helping these Veterans have a memorable day fishing. We supply them with rod and reels, bait, food and drinks. We supply the boats which are captained by volunteers from our community; we supply them with fuel and the opportunity to make a Veterans Day. We would like to thank you in advance for considering us and taking the time to hear what our organization is all about. Please consider becoming a sponsor for this organization. Please contact Ron Cadle at 386-688-3216, if you have any questions. We cannot do it without your support, so your donation will be greatly appreciated. Veterans wanting to go fishing please call Carolyn at 386-288-4445. More information is also available at: https://hookedonheroes.com.

12 BETTER OFF WET | NOVEMBER 2022

Hooked on Heroes – We Take Veterans Fishin’

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