Fishing with dad makes for ‘slimy’ good fun

  • Published
  • By Somer Breeze-Hanson
  • Northwest Guardian
JOINT BASE LEWIS-MCCHORD, Wash. --  Haven and Aubrey Loucks had been looking forward to fishing with their dad for more than eight months.

When Jason Loucks returned from deployment with the 62nd Aerial Port Squadron, the family didn't have to wait long for the perfect opportunity. The Loucks clan was one of many Joint Base Lewis-McChord families who participated in the McChord Top 3 Association's free youth fishing derby Saturday at Carter Lake on McChord Field.

"They're ready to go," Candace Loucks said of her two daughters. "They're thrilled to be able to do this again."

With the lake stocked with 1,500 fish four days prior to the event, Jason Loucks had no difficulty getting fish on the line. Once he felt a bite, he handed off the pole to one of his daughters to reel in the fish.

"Slimy!" they yelled with the fish in their bare hands. Soon after Haven had named the fish "Sherbert Miniature."

Jason Loucks, an avid fisherman, hopes his daughters will one day become his fishing buddies.

"I'm slowly trying to indoctrinate them," he said.

The daylong event attracted young anglers from ages 1 to 14. Parents ducked for cover as their children cast their lines while paying no attention to the hooks flung in every which direction before heading toward the water. Some of the kids preferred to snack on the doughnuts and hot chocolate provided while they watched their parents do all the work.

There were families with no fishing experience as well as families who wheeled in poles, coolers and miniature folding chairs in a Radio Flyer.

"It's a basewide event and an opportunity to give back, encourage fishing and for the young kids, it's that parent time. It gives them that opportunity for the mother and father to be out with their child fishing," Master Sgt. Harvey Gilchrist of 627th Force Support Squadron said.

The day before the event, Orville Millett bought himself and his son fishing poles and a tackle box. Kenyan Millett, 6, had been bugging his dad to take him out on the water ever since they went fishing a year-and-a-half ago. Service members who are also sportsmen attended the event to assist families who had questions.

"It's a great experience for the kids," Orville Millett said. "He wants to learn how to do it and I'm learning as well."

The Arthur family fishes often and saw the fishing derby event as a chance to start off the year. Arsonio Arthur got fishing poles ready for Austin, 4, and Aaliyah, 6, while his kids sipped on hot chocolate.

"We do stuff together all the time, but this is something different," he said.