As American’s, we take for granted so many privileges including the right to keep and bear arms, freedom of speech, of the press, and of assembly.  We can walk down the streets at night knowing that we’re safe.  On this 4th of July, American’s everywhere will shoot off fireworks and express our joy of freedom.  We pay tribute to the soldiers that protect us and to the ones that have sacrificed their lives.  One group of soldiers that protect us is the National Guard.  These soldiers are fellow co-workers, friends, and neighbors.  Some we work beside while others we fish beside in bass tournaments.  These are citizen soldiers and bass fishing weekend warriors that love to compete against other anglers to decide who the best angler is.  Jodie Haralson is one of these bass fishing weekend warriors and a soldier in the National Guard.  He loves to fish; he loves the competition and challenge of competing in bass tournaments and devoted to protecting our country.

Haralson joined the Marines right out of high school and has been in the Arkansas Air National Guard for 14 years.  He has volunteered six times to be on active duty.  The last tour of duty was 186 days.  The E7 Master Sergeant from Fort Smith, Arkansas, is a career soldier and plans to stay in the service until he retires.  Until then, Haralson will continue to sacrifice one weekend a month and two consecutive weeks when not called into active duty. 

My dad gave me all kinds of gifts growing up.  The love of fishing was one of them.  No one could catch more fish than Dad in my family, but Dad also knew when it was time to stop fishing and go skipping rocks across the lake or go searching for buried treasure.  Having 5 children meant less fishing for dad and more playing most the time.  Dad was always big into having live bait for catching fish, no matter if it was minnows for crappie, suckers for northern pike, or night crawlers for bluegill, bass, and carp.  I guess that’s why we always caught fish; we had lively, fresh bait.

This is going to be our little secret.  Professional angler and FLW Tour Pro Kyle Mabrey from McCalla, Alabama, told me that this time of year, most of the time he ends up fishing with jerks.  Yep, that is what he told me.  Straight out jerks.  You would think that he would leave the jerks next oor, in the driveway, at the gas station, at the ramp, anywhere but in his boat but no way.  “I don’t know what it is about this time of year,” Mabrey continued, “They just seem to come out of the woodwork.  I will leave some jerks that get in the driveway at home; stop at a bait shop and 'bang!'  I will have three or four jerks in my boat before I get to the ramp.  I even tried fishing out of someone else’s boat and the jerks still show up.”  Early springtime seems to be the worst reported Mabrey; they just seem to hang around,suspended, waiting.  “Hey, you do know I am talking about jerkbaits don’t you?” Mabrey asked.