Restoration project

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Eddie said he provided little help — other than some encouragement and fatherly advice.

“The only thing I did for him the entire project was ripping the aluminum sheets on a table saw,” he said. “I thought that was too dangerous for him.”

When the boat was done, Wesley, now a 12-year-old 6th grader, asked about entering it as a 4-H project.

“We called and they told us it could be an Ag Mechanics project,” Eddie said.

“I told him the judges might not be receptive, since it’s not something they are used to,” Eddie said.

The project was entered into the Uvalde County show in February, and the judges were impressed.

“I won Grand Champion (in the Ag Mechanics Division) and also won Showmanship,” Wesley said.

At the show, Wesley said several men came up and wanted to hire him to build a boat for them. At the auction, one per- son bought the boat but let Wesley keep it and the money.

“That’s a lot of water to fish, with lots of bayous and shell reefs,” he said. “The key on any given day is to cover lots of water and always look for baitfish like mullet.” the inside of the boat and navigation lights on the outside,” Wesley said.

Now the boat is being used for its original intended purpose.

“I made a deal with him that I would buy him a new outboard if he completed the project,” Eddie said. “I got him a new Mercury 6 hp and a trolling motor.”

Recently, the father and son took the boat to a small, dammed-up section of the Nueces River.

“I was getting ready to try to start the outboard,” Eddie said. “He pitched a tiny Rat-L-Trap on an ultralight not far from the boat. His first cast from his new boat and a 2-pound bass hit it as soon as it hit the water. We ended up catching about a dozen more bass.”

Wesley said the bass made him happy because all of his work, estimated at 134 hours over a 200-day period, one hour at a time, paid off.

The next trip?

“I want to take it to Choke Canyon and catch white bass,” Wesley said.

DUMPING, WASTING CATFISH

On April 4, Texas game wardens received a call about fish that had been illegally dumped near the intersection of Hwy 25 and FM 368 in Archer County. Upon arrival, it was determined that there were numerous catfish that had been left to waste. Wardens are seeking information leading to the culprits. Please call Operation Game Thief with any information.

WOMAN COLLAPSES ON BOAT

The Coast Guard received a call at 2:15 p.m. from the operator of a 20-foot vessel near the Galveston jetty notifying that a female passenger had collapsed. A response boat was launched and located the vessel. The crew took aboard the woman and transferred her to