b"huge filet table mysteriously disappeared one yearabout 20 people showed up for a High School after the tournament.We searched marinas andGraduation ceremony.Apparently, the hall had fish houses from Boynton to Ft. Pierce lookingbeen double booked. Im not sure where the high for the not so easy to hide table, but never foundschoolers ended up going, but our seminar went it.What seemed like a good idea on paper, wasoff without a hitch.not so in practice.Providing an incentive, inWeather has often provided many KDW Clas-this case free raffle tickets, in return for donatedsic memories (and stressful moments) over the fish was not a good fit for a club that prides itselfyears.We often joke that if the Fishing Club is on its conservation legacy.We were just puttingsetting up a tent you can expect rain.One year too many fish on the dock.Plus, flooding the fishBud Tyska and I were hanging banners on the market with so many fish in one day depressedmetal framework of an old Quonset hut that was the selling price of kingfish for local commercialin Bicentennial Park adjacent to the Marina.Bud hook and line fishers.It was not our intention toGeo Call processes kingfish onwas holding onto the structure when a lightning negatively impact commercial anglers, so we dis- the custom madeKDW filet table bolt hit and knocked him to the ground.He said continued the practice.We specifically crafted ahe saw stars.It was a frighting moment.Bud had tournament rule that each team could onlyjust had heart surgery.Once he gathered enter one fish of each species, rather thanhis thoughts Bud called his doctor who said offering awards for an aggregate number ofif his heart was still beating he was good to fish, which helped limit our impact on thego.We both laughed about that incident local abundance of fish.I guess the missingfor many years after.The Quonset hut is filet table was a sign from above. long gone but the memory will never fade.Another tournament apparatus that wentWhile everyone enjoyed the two days missing was the custom box that held theof festivities during the KDW Classic, the contents of the Wall of Money.Fishingdays leading up to the event were always Club board member Nelson Schad craftedvery demanding on staff and volunteers. an impressive aluminum rack for the 40+Schad's custom built' Wall of Money' rackClub members George Patane, Frank Ce-display checks we awarded each year.Theand carrying box below were one-of-a kind. cilia, Buddy Tuppen, Terry Jones, Bob 'Wall of Money' was always a tournamentBroadway, Jeff Malsky, Dave & Blake focal point on the main stage.It held large replica checks thatNaumann, Colby Borland and Jean Pfendler were among represented over $34,000 in guaranteed cash prizes.The rackthe regulars who we depended upon to get the site set up.Our was 10 feet long and 8 feet tall and could be broken down intoadvance preparation also included the always popular bucket manageable pieces.Nelson built a custom pine box with ornatestuffing event the night before the tournament.The KDW Clas-iron handles to hold and transport all the parts.It took two fullsic took great pride in the buckets we assembled and distributed grown men to lift it.One year the box, which really resembled ato the tournaments first 200 boats.It was a tremendous added-casket, went missing.We never found it.Another year an exu- value item for participants.Some years it was difficult to get all berant award winner left with one of the display checks.Afterthe swag stuffed into a 5-gallon bucket.If the bucket didnt pass some investigative research we tracked the check down.It was infinal inspection it had to go back and be repacked.Over the years a dorm room at FSU.The display check was eventually returned.we had developed an absolute A-Team of volunteers for this task. No harm no foul. Barry Brimacomb, Mark Prazak, Bill & Bruce Pruitt, Mark & From 2009 to 2012 in advance of the tournament the Fish- Kathy Cline, Tricia Borsch, Nancy Dovale, The Schad family, ing Club would conduct a free KDW Fishing Seminar featur- Guy & Cat Bartels, Rick & Suzanne Ross, Stuart Pavlik and ing an All-Star cast of Penn Fishing Tackle Pro Staff membersso many others made bucket stuffing fun.In recent years new including Captains Bouncer Smith, Butchfaces like the Giarusso family, Matt & Kim Siegert, Constable, Greg Bogdan, and George Mitch- - continued on pg. 42 -ell.Georges Yamaha powered center consolebuckets prepped & ready to go.and tractor trailer rig was always a showstopper and was on display outside the Marinas Newcomb Hall for all to see.The seminar drew large crowds.One year when we were setting up the seminar a group of T ighTL inesM agazine- s pring2025 27"