You never know.... Until you know!

WON BASSIN · Post by **WON BASSIN** » Wed Oct 19, 2011 12:23 am

I felt that it might be important to share this story with the readers, as life is to short and you never know when you might not have a second chance.

After our final event at Lake Mead, I was invited to fish Willow Beach for some trophy stripers by local Mead angler and New Won Bass team director John Mackey. Since this was our last regular Won Bass Pro/Am event of the year, I wanted to have my wife and two kids come up and attend the awards show, and spend a day with me while running our event. My son Liam's 4th birthday was this Monday, and ever since he could talk, he has asked me everyday to take him fishing, which I have done many times. John and I decided we would meet early Monday morning, and take our two boys out for a few hours on his boat. We arrived at Willow Beach by about sunrise and launched with high hopes of landing a few hogs on top water swim baits. The morning started off with some boiling fish in the distance, but as most know, the big fish are very hard to approach. We spent the better half of the morning chasing boils to no avail. At this point we had been on the water for a few ours, and the boys were having a blast. My son started telling me that his life jacket was to hot, and he was begging me to let him take it off. I of course would not comply, as I knew if anything happened to him, my wife would have my a... Liam, being 4 began to get pretty emotional regarding his uncomfortable position, and tried to convince me once again to let him take it off. I once again did not waiver on my stance. Not two seconds later after making a cast off the front of the boat, was I surprised by what I thought was a boil right next to the boat. When I turned to look for what I thought was a fish..... I was mortified to have noticed my 4 year old son Liam submerged beside the boat, with the most horrifying look on his face. I so much as uttered the words "Oh Jesus" and dropped to my knees and grabbed him with one hand and hoisted my wet and scared son back on the boat. He was fine, a little shaken up, and cold but alive. We quickly got his wet cloths off of him and began to warm him up, as the water was in the low 60's. John and I then began to reflect on what had just occurred, and began laughing at the seriousness of our experience. My son at such an early age then said that he would never ask to take the life jacket off again while we were on the water ever again. Life jackets are just that Life Savers. You never know when or where, but I hope this reminds everyone of the importance of wearing them yourself, as well as making your loved ones wear them as well.

mark poulson · Post by **mark poulson** » Wed Oct 19, 2011 3:30 am

Man, I'm glad it's a happy ending!
Good call Dad.
Parenting is a hard job, if you do it right, but the payoff is your kids grow up happy and healthy, and love you.
Well done!

Nunyo Bizness · Post by **Nunyo Bizness** » Wed Oct 19, 2011 6:32 am

Good call Billy, glad it all worked out and thank you for sharing the story....Ya just never know when....

Yoz

Kevin · Post by **Kevin** » Wed Oct 19, 2011 8:30 am

That would give me nightmares. Thanks for sharing!

Caudawg · Post by **Caudawg** » Wed Oct 19, 2011 11:54 am

I can hear it now. Billy Egan...the next testimonial voice for CA Dept. of Boating & Waterway's Wear-it California campaign.

Great call Billy on not giving in and letting him take it off!

Tobey · Post by **Tobey** » Wed Oct 19, 2011 2:35 pm

Nice to see a story with a happy ending, I know how hard it is sometimes to not give in to our kids repeated requests especially when something is irritating them...great call.

Ron

Bassin · Post by **Bassin** » Wed Oct 19, 2011 6:38 pm

Glad to hear all ended well....Here is one I can share, a few years back I offered to take my nephues (both 4 ) and a girl friends son (4) to the lake for some shore fishing. The kids wanted to fish from a dock. Needless to say, I was busy with each one of them getting them set up and in fishing mode. I had my back to two of them as I was baiting up another, when I heard a splash. I turned with an already thought in my head as to what happened to find one of the boys, nearly 2 feet under, sinking motionless, staring up with out-reached arms ( I still have this image in my brain). I dove to the other side in one move throwing my hand through the water grabing his jacket at the chest and hauling him back up on the dock. It was February. Water had to be in the mid 50's. He was scared but ok, I got him out of the wet clothes, packed up and went home... You never see it, but even on a fishing dock, when with little ones you should have them in a Life-Jacket!

doug77 · Post by **doug77** » Fri Oct 21, 2011 5:49 am

Glad your son is safe.It will be a lesson for life
So how was the striper fishing?

WON BASSIN · Post by **WON BASSIN** » Fri Oct 21, 2011 6:15 am

The fishing was less than great. The water is down 5 feet at least, and is crystal clear. We saw some fining stripers, but just could not get them to commit to the baits. Since I was headed to Mead for the Pro/Am, I had left all the big trout profile baits at home. I think If I had a few Hudds or soft Rago baits, we may have been able to scratch up something. I am still getting edjumacated on Willow!