Fred Roumbanis – Okeechobee Florida for the Boom Boom Family!

We left early yesterday morning for Okeechobee and the FLW Tour Open.

I wanted to leave a little earlier, but I was working the Oklahoma City boat show for Nichols’ Marine and Triton. The show was good, Nichols’ has like four different shops all over Oklahoma, and they do a great job. I got back from the show late Thursday and we left really early yesterday for the Big O.

This is our first long trip in the new Ford pickup, and I’m really happy with it. We’re fully loaded and I’m getting almost 17 miles per gallon towing the boat; that’s a good deal for the budget.

I had to borrow a boat for the tournament, mine wasn’t quite ready, but it’s in process, so it’s getting closer.

I want to say a special thank you to Master Sergeant from the Air National Guard Jody Haralson for letting me use his boat for Okeechobee. He’s a soldier, and he and his sponsor at Copher’s Boat Center in Fort Smith Ark. made sure the boat was ready for me to use; I can’t thank them enough.

We made it into Florida last night, and we’re burning up the miles to make it down there today. Jackson keeps talking about seeing Charlie Hartley. He loves Charlie; well we all do.

He was telling me the story of his ten pounder he caught at the Southern Open on Lake Toho last week; his excitement for the sport of fishing is totally infectious. He reminds me all the time what it means to love what we do, because when you’re around Charlie, you just can’t help but be positive, he really makes you smile.

Julie and his wife Tracey have become really good friends, and they’re always one of Jackson’s favorites to see. That may be because they spoil him so much. When we saw Charlie and Tracey at the BASS ZONE .com Fish and Chips tournament at Grand Lake in October, they gave him a big bag of candy; Jackson loved it.

I got in an order of iRods in from Matt Newman before we left, and I’m all ready to go now. He sent me some of my 7’5” Fred’s Magic Sticks, which is my do everything rod. He also sent me some of his Punching Rods and I know that I’ll have both tied up for Okeechobee. Six rods, that’s all I want on the deck during this tournament, Magic Sticks and Punch Rods; then I’ll be in my element.

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