Photo By Sgt. Christopher Gallagher | U.S. Army Spc. Matthew Guida (Left), a Robinson Medical Clinic physical therapy...... read more read more
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It was a chilly, dark morning, hours before the break of dawn, on the waters of Jordan lake at the New Hope fishing dock in North Carolina on May 4. The expected quiet of the lake was overrun with the noise of over 100 trucks and 4-wheel drive vehicles hauling in fishing boats to the edge of the lake, while paratroopers of the 82nd Airborne Division prepared for the adventure of the 13th annual Warriors on the Water fishing tournament.
Warriors on the Water was founded by military veterans to give service members the opportunity to team up with an experienced fisherman and spend a day on the water. Among the 150 service members who attend this years competition sat U.S. Army Spc. Matthew Guida, a Robinson Medical Clinic physical therapy specialist assigned to the 82nd Brigade Support Battalion, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, preparing his fishing rods with selected lures to catch the targeted fish, Bass.
“I like to fish around the Jordan Lake area every once in a while, but I am not much of a Bass fisherman,” said Guida. “Getting to know someone who knows the area and who can teach me about Bass fishing will be fun.”
Guida has been fishing for most of his life, but he remembers learning and his experiences of fishing as a child with his Father in his hometown of Hawley, Minnesota.
“When I was with my dad, we used to do Walleye fishing tournaments up north,” said Guida. “We never won, but I was never worried about that.”
As the time to begin the competition ticked closer, Guida found his boater and fishing partner, Michael Donaldson, who he had met during the tournaments icebreaker dinner and social two days earlier at Sports USA on Fort Bragg. Though meeting for the first time, the two felt confident they would have a great experience together.
“I love this program,” said Donaldson. “I’ve been doing this for the past four years, and I plan on doing it again next year.”
Donaldson felt confident about Guida’s abilities.
“I think he will pull most of the weight during the tournament, he has a lot of experience and knows what he is doing as a fisherman.”
Finally, the time has come, the tournament is about to begin, 150 boats filled the lake around the dock, Matthew and Michael floating in the middle of them all, the lake becomes silent once again as they stand for the National anthem and watch as the American flag is parachuted in and the prayer invocation is received over the loudspeaker.
The president of Warriors on the Water, Michael Green, opened the event with a few words.
“We hold this tournament to thank our service men and women for a job well done, and thank you for your service,” said Green. “We wanted to get you away from the flagpole, so to speak, and find friendship and comradery.”
The air fills with the roaring of the engines as everyone prepares to speed off to find the perfect fishing spot before someone else gets there. Matthew puts on his face mask to protect himself from the sun and wind, checks all of their equipment is secure, and they take off, cutting through the water with little effort.
The moment they reached their first fishing spot, Matthew cast into the dark waters, and instantly got a bite, he fought the fish, but with a wave of disappointment, the fish broke his line.
It seemed the first fish set the stage for the rest of the day, Matthew and Michael moved from location to location, unable to get another bite. Hours passed floating along the banks of the vast lake with nothing but the feeling of the day growing heat and the sun beating down on them.
As time was coming to an end, and like most of the other fishermen, Guida began thinking about heading back to the dock without catching a single fish. With only ten minutes left of the tournament, he cast out one more time, and just like that, got another bite. He pulled the fish in, found it within the standards and with only minutes to spare.
"It was extremely rough today," said Donaldson. "I spoke to alot of the other boaters, and Jordan didn't fish at its full potential, but Matthew did phenomenally, his pattern worked out just like he said it would."
The tournament now over, the results of the weigh-in completed, and though Guida did not win, he was recognized for his efforts and shook hands with Hank Parker Jr., a famous fisherman among the fishing community. He may not have won, but he is happy for the experience Warriors on the Water gave him. If he is still with the 82nd Airborne Division next year, he plans on attending the tournament again.
"I think if anyone can get out on the water and fish, even if it's just in a kayak, it would be good for them," said Guida. "To me it's just peaceful being out on the water, if work stressed you out before, it's just a great way to let off some steam."
| Date Taken: | 05.04.2018 |
| Date Posted: | 05.07.2018 13:37 |
| Story ID: | 275989 |
| Location: | JORDAN LAKE, NC, US |
| Hometown: | HAWLEY, MN, US |
| Web Views: | 40 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Paratrooper's Quest for the Biggest Bass, by SGT Christopher Gallagher, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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