Rage Tail Gives Back to U.S. Veterans
by Jason DeFreitas
Every once in a while an opportunity comes along that allows a person to make a monumental difference in someone else’s life. My father and I came across one of these moments the weekend of May 16, 2009, when we were able to participate in a charitable fishing event for wounded veterans who have served in our United States military. The event, “Take a Wounded Soldier Fishing”, was put together by a nationwide charitable bass fishing organization named Team Bass Hunters. The team’s Event Organizer, Captain John Avalos, is an ex Navy Seal veteran who was wounded during service. He contributes much of his time to helping members of the military who have been wounded during service. Individuals with boat in tow donate 20 dollars to sponsor a soldier and take them out for a day of tournament style fishing with the overall biggest fish determining the winner. Categories include largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, striper and crappie.
As members of Team Rage Tail, supporters who help spread the word about Rage Tail products, we volunteered our efforts to represent the company and give back to the community. Steve Parks, designer of the baits together with Strike King Lure Co, was able to contribute two hundred packs of plastic fishing baits, stickers, business cards, and official 2009 Strike King Catalogs. The veterans received their own bag of goodies each day and were able to experience the products first hand. My dad and I were responsible for giving these packages to the soldiers, teaching them how to rig up the baits, and making sure that they had a great time on the water. To top it off, Team Bass Hunters and other sponsors went the extra mile and contributed more tackle, pre-lined rods and reels, extra baits, and t-shirts for the event.
On both days we had the privilege of working with a great group of soldiers from the Walter Reid Medical Center in Washington D.C. When the bus arrived with the soldiers, we had a meet and greet type session to get acquainted. 
Afterward, the wounded veterans received their bags and packages of fishing gear followed by help and tutorials from all the participating anglers to better their knowledge of their gear and baits. Some of these tips and pointers came directly from members of Team Bass Hunters and other bass fishing professionals. This was a great one-on-one experience to have with the soldiers as both my dad and I were able to personally show them how to rig the Rage Tail baits and give them pointers on how to fish them. After the information session, each veteran paired up with those who provided boats for the day and headed out on the water for a memorable day of fishing.
Although my dad and I did not have our boat on the first day, we were able help a couple of the veterans get set up with their chosen angler. On day two we were fortunate to have our boat and fish with a soldier named Rodney. Most of the morning and afternoon was spent talking about our families, fishing, and college football. The rest of the time we tried our luck at catching largemouth and smallmouth bass. The day presented classic post front tidal conditions with winds between 20 – 35 miles per hour, but we had the opportunity to fish some of the most unique backdrops in the country with the setting of the Pentagon, Washington Monument, and Thomas Jefferson Memorial within our view for parts of the day. Although the wind and fish were not cooperative it didn’t matter, we had forged the kind of friendship that can only be created by spending a day together on the water chasing the next catch.
Back at the weigh-ins each day, all the anglers, sponsors, soldiers and their families met up for grilled hot dogs, burgers, snacks and drinks. The fish were weighed and the participants were all pleased with the outcome. On day one, soldiers Scott and Jason came in first and second respectively for largemouth bass. Scott weighed in a three pound eight ounce bass that would hold up for big bass of the tournament. It was caught on one of the Rage Tail baits we handed out that day, the Space Monkey. Jason weighed in a two pound nine ounce largemouth that held on for second place over the two day tournament. Other fish caught on day one included catfish and striped bass.
With the adverse weather conditions of day two no largemouth bass were weighed in, but the one fish of its kind brought to the scales was caught by one of the soldier’s sons. Jason’s little boy, Daniel, a local fourth grader in the D.C. area, managed to hook into a small largemouth despite the tough fishing conditions throughout the day. He was awarded a trophy for the catch and received a big smile from his dad. That emotion summed up the entire tournament.
This particular event wasn’t about the biggest fish that was brought to the scales or catching a limit of bass. It came down to our pride in the United States military, Jason’s pride in his son as he watches him blossom into a young man, and the pride we have in ourselves. Over these two days we watched a man who suffered injuries that required both legs to be amputated use his arm strength to do things some may not be able to imagine. Despite people trying to help, he wanted to do things on his own and prove that no injury is enough to take away one’s will, motivation, and determination to be self sufficient. Seeing him there with his family– happy, proud, and most importantly having fun– showed us that despite tragedy, we are able to make a difference in big ways if we just give a little bit of our time and commitment to these courageous, brave-hearted individuals.
If you haven’t had the chance to be a part of such an event and this has peaked your interest, it only takes a moment of research to see what is available in your area. These events are held all over the country on a regular basis, and any one of them could use your help. If you have trouble finding information, two great resources are www.woundedwarriorproject.org and www.uswoundedsoldiers.com. There are other ways to contribute aside from being at an event or if there are none in your area. Supplying donations, networking, and marketing are all great ways to help. There’s a soldier and a family out there that need you, now is your chance to make a difference.
