Last Saturday’s Rock on Warriors Fishing Tournament was a huge success with 51 people in attendance. This year was the sixth annual event, hosted by MSSA Annapolis, to get wounded warriors, servicemen and women, and their families out on the water for an awesome day of fishing.
Members of MSSA contribute all of the boats, fuel, fishing equipment, expertise, and food for the outing and are thrilled to do so.
The group departed from the Annapolis Yacht Basin early Sunday morning on April 26th and returned to the docks around 3 p.m. where the catches were hauled in and cleaned, before heading over to the Fleet Reserve for a fabulous catered luncheon.
The first place winner was Christina Royce with a 40.5-inch rockfish! She was fishing on boat
Special K under the direction of Captain David Dirks.
Stephanie Jones came in at second place with a 40 and 3/8-inch rockfish. She was on the boat
Reel Crazy with Captain Kevin McMinamen.
Coming in third place was Nick Ligon with a 40 and 1/8-inch rockfish, from the boat
Leeway and Captain Lee Slagle.
At the Fleet Reserve, all were rewarded with a delicious lunch, complete with fresh oysters shucked by the legendary Ron Wolfe of Eastport. There was not a sour face in the house as all in attendance enjoyed the camaraderie of a day well spent.
To round off the afternoon, MSSA brought in a surprise guest—John F. Sattler of the U.S. Marine Corps. Lieutenant General Sattler has a long and distingusished history with the Marines, but is probably best known for serving as the US Joint Chiefs of Staff’s Director of Strategic Plans and Policy in 2006, before retiring in 2008.
It truly was a remarkable surprise and a rousing conclusion to a spectacular day.
When members of MSSA and other contributors were thanked for their help in putting together this great event, the same was heard again and again—
“I only wish I could do more.”
Below is a letter from one of the boat captains expressing this very sentiment:
Last Sunday, my crew and I had the pleasure of hosting three of your finest aboard my boat Full Moon, for the Maryland Saltwater Sportfishing Association – Annapolis Chapter’s annual Rock on Warriors event. We are grateful for the opportunity to show our appreciation for what our men and women in uniform today give to their country without expectation of return. As lifelong and avid boaters, we were fortunate to have them aboard and, more importantly, to have them serving our country on the water. We seldom have the chance to give a little something back to those who give us so much. This past Sunday, we did, and we thank you for sanctioning their participation. Hard to tell who had more fun, your men or my crew. My only regret is that the two little fish we caught were less than spectacular. I gave your guys a raincheck.
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Last Saturday’s Rock on Warriors Fishing Tournament was a huge success with 51 people in attendance. This year was the sixth annual event, hosted by MSSA Annapolis, to get wounded warriors, servicemen and women, and their families out on the water for an awesome day of fishing.
Members of MSSA contribute all of the boats, fuel, fishing equipment, expertise, and food for the outing and are thrilled to do so.
The group departed from the Annapolis Yacht Basin early Sunday morning on April 26th and returned to the docks around 3 p.m. where the catches were hauled in and cleaned, before heading over to the Fleet Reserve for a fabulous catered luncheon.
The first place winner was Christina Royce with a 40.5-inch rockfish! She was fishing on boat Special K under the direction of Captain David Dirks.
Coming in third place was Nick Ligon with a 40 and 1/8-inch rockfish, from the boat Leeway and Captain Lee Slagle.