Frank Campbell doesn\u2019t trust me to help load his boat. The longtime Niagara River guide has good reason to be cautious. The last time I tried to help someone load a boat in the intense current of that river, their hull ended up with a scratch (it might have been a gouge, but I worry not about semantics). So I stood idly by on the edge of the Lewiston, N.Y., boat ramp while Frank secured his Lund to the trailer. That\u2019s when I noticed a B.A.S.S. sticker on an old \u2014 but pristine \u2014 Triton. North Carolina plates. I was intrigued. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cBeautiful boat,\u201d I said. \u201cAnd I love the sticker.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThanks,\u201d the man said. \u201cYou wouldn\u2019t believe the story of this boat if I told you.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n
I bit. And he was right. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The man was Mike Routh, 60, retired and a life member of B.A.S.S. He was fishing with his father, Larry \u2014 also a life member. They were from North Carolina and had fished together since Mike was strong enough to hold a rod. That tradition paused briefly in 2003 when Mike sold his bass boat. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe went about a year without a boat, and we both missed our time fishing together,\u201d Mike said. \u201cI decided it was time to bite the bullet and get another one about the same time the Bassmaster Classic was being held in Charlotte, just 80 miles from our hometown of Archdale.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n
As life members, both Mike and Larry had noticed the raffle entry form tucked inside Bassmaster<\/em> Magazine. The boat would be given away at the 2004 Classic at Lake Wylie. Both filled it out. Larry put his inside his Bible.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThat year, we decided to go all in on the Classic,\u201d Mike said. \u201cGet the whole experience. Catch up. Spend time together. I was 37 and my dad was 62. We were so excited.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n They arrived in Charlotte on Wednesday night. Life members received early access to the Outdoors Expo, so they walked the floor together. Entries were dropped directly into the boat that would be awarded. Mike placed his form inside. Larry pulled his from the Bible and followed suit. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cHis will be done,\u201d Mike said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n That night, a benefit auction was held for cystic fibrosis. Mike had two items on his bucket list: a day on the lake with Denny Brauer and Gerald Swindle\u2019s 2004 Angler of the Year boat. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cMy hero is Denny Brauer,\u201d Mike said. \u201cI love to flip a jig. And who wouldn\u2019t want Swindle\u2019s AOY Triton?\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n Yep, they won both. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI couldn\u2019t believe it,\u201d Mike said. \u201cNobody was really bidding on that boat. I told Dad we\u2019d never get a boat of that caliber for that price.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n But the story wasn\u2019t finished. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Sunday came. They planned to stay for weigh-in and then head home after the raffle to beat the crowd. The Rouths moved up to the concourse for a quick exit when the new Triton \u2014 now stuffed with entry forms \u2014 was pulled into the arena. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cAnd the winner is \u2026 Betty Dawson!\u201d announced B.A.S.S. emcee Fish Fishburne. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Silence. No screams. No rush to the stage. You had to be present to win. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cLast call for Betty,\u201d Fishburne said. \u201cSorry, Betty. Let\u2019s draw again. And the winner is …\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n He paused for what felt like forever. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cLarry Routh!\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWe were in disbelief,\u201d Mike said. \u201cDad and I looked at each other, then started running down the stairs screaming. We ran so fast my wife got lost behind us. We jumped in the boat and took a lap around the arena with everyone cheering. It felt like a miracle.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n They left home without a boat and returned with two. Swindle\u2019s rig was eventually sold. The raffle boat remains. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThis boat is a reminder of our faith, our love for fishing and the most unforgettable Classic we\u2019ll ever experience.\u201d <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Frank Campbell doesn\u2019t trust me to help load his boat. The longtime Niagara River guide has good reason to be cautious. The last time I tried to help someone load a boat in the…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":26949,"featured_media":1411642,"template":"","meta":{"byline":{"profiles":[{"type":"byline_id","atts":{"term_id":10798,"post_id":11266}}]},"bassmaster_plugin_short_title":"","bassmaster_plugin_photo_attribution":[],"bassmaster_plugin_caption_attribution":[],"bassmaster_article_column":true,"bassmaster_article_columnists":[11265],"bassmaster_dfp":[],"bassmaster_ad_refresh_interval_bool":false,"bassmaster_ad_refresh_interval_length":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[103295],"sponsors":[],"people":[],"tournaments":[],"tournament-series":[1301],"byline":[10798],"class_list":["post-1406179","article","type-article","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-classic","tournament-series-classic"],"yoast_head":"\n