By Paul LebowitzJune 10, 2005 In the right hands, SpongeBob is a pretty tough customer. The SpongeBob in question is not the wildly popular animated star, but his likeness in rod and reel form. The hands were those of Todd Groessl, a member of the Cobra Kayaks fishing team. On Saturday June 4th at La Jolla Shores in San Diego, Groessl was part of an armada of kayak anglers competing in the Fish Like a Kids - For the Kids tournament staged by La Jolla Kayak Fishing to benefit Children’s Hospital and Health Center of San Diego. Armed only with a Zebco SpongeBob SquarePants junior fishing combo, a fine piece of equipment for trout and panfish but obviously overmatched for big ocean gamefish, Groessl was hunting for halibut just outside the surf line when his epic struggle commenced. Something big picked up the mackerel Groessl was dragging along the bottom, but it clearly wasn’t the halibut he’d been hoping for. For the next 45 minutes Groessl battled a weighty fish with a Zebco spincasting outfit designed to match up against two pound adversaries. At times Groessl had to tuck the rod under his leg and paddle after the racing fish. Towards the end of the contest the big fish pulled him perilously close to the crashing surf. “I thought for sure I’d be wrecked,” said Groessl, who finally prevailed by bringing a six foot long estimated 50-pound leopard shark to leader. Groessl released his impressive kayak catch (sharks, skates, rays, and calico bass were ineligible in this big fish contest), but won the unofficial competition for the best fish story. Mike Aguayo’s story ended in heartbreak, when the yellowtail at the other end of his line towed him into the kelp, where it broke free. Dave Easton’s SpongeBob combo measured up to a big calico bass, reportedly good for eight pounds on a spring scale. Both youngsters who competed in the kids’ division, Blaine Walsh and Noah Bixler, had fun, weighed fish, and took home some prize money. In the adult division, Will Bowen took home the first place share of the jackpot for his vermilion rockfish. Dave Easton and David Cabral rounded out the top three. Zebco generously donated 250 rods and reels for Fish Like a Kid – For the Kids. Over 200 of the combos will make their way to the Chollas Lake "Lend-A-Rod" program, where they will do more good work by helping kids discover the joys of fishing. Children’s Hospital representative Vanessa Collier was on hand to thank La Jolla Kayak Fishing’s Jim Sammons for his fundraising efforts. Monies raised by the event will benefit Children’s Oncology unit. According to Collier, over half of the children who receive cancer treatments at the hospital have little to no health care coverage, so the need is great. Individuals who wish to help can find further information at the Children’s Hospital website: www.chsd.org. “One hundred percent (of the donated funds) go into patient care,” said Collier. |
Noah Bixler weighs in.
Kid’s division winner Blaine Walsh. |
