Seven

It was exactly one week since Eddy learned about the bounty on bull carp, and he had begun to consider himself a proper angler. He had varied success depending on the day, but never struck out entirely. The freezer at home was piling up with fish fillets, and he'd racked up nearly $300 in cash for his efforts.

Eddy parked his truck in front of Lucky's tackle shop and stepped out of the cab. The place has been busy since the bounty program began, but today the place was basically empty. He walked up to the bait counter and bid hello to Jason.

"Hey bud, where's the crowd today?" Eddy asked.

"Oh, they've mostly all come and gone already. The midsummer classic is this weekend, so people are scouting new waters and working up strategies." Jason took a sip from a steaming thermos of coffee. "I thought it was kind of strange that you didn't sign up yet, given how much you've been fishing lately."

The midsummer classic was an annual fishing tournament that took place on the Wise River every year. Anyone who considered themselves an angler signed up; the prizes were tempting enough to draw in a massive crowd. Sponsors would be around to give away promotional lures and baits, vendors peddling their newest rods, reels, fishing line, even boat manufacturers would be there trying to drum up business. The location rotated every year, but this year it would be in Eddy's home town, Hardale.

The tournament portion of the weekend would pit hundreds of anglers against one another for fame and fortune. The top ten finishers in the tournament would receive cash prizes in addition to a collection of products donated by the tackle companies. The top three places win a professional angler's license to allow them to sell their catch to the public, which also had the side-benefit of increased daily bag limits. Though prizes changed every year, the first place finisher typically went home with a boat, too.

"I heard some folks talking about it, but I didn't realize it was so soon. It's not too late to sign up, right?" Eddy didn't want to miss out on the opportunity to win some additional money. Even a bit of new tackle could go a long way toward improving his success bringing in carp bounties. He wouldn't have great odds to win anything substantial, but anything was possible on the river.

"Tomorrow is the cut-off. You can sign up now, if you want. Dad has the registration paperwork up at the checkout counter. Entry fees are $20, but you'll get a sponsor pack on the day of the tournament that's valued at more than $50." Jason said.

Eddy thanked Jason for the information, and picked up two dozen nightcrawlers to use for the day. He walked over to where Darren was, as usual, reading the newspaper behind the checkout counter. "G'morning Darren! I hear you're the guy to talk to about getting registered for the midsummer classic."

Darren put the newspaper down and pulled a registration form from a file folder behind the counter. "I'm glad you're signing up, I meant to bring it up before but we've been swamped with customers until today." He put the form in front of Eddy, and handed him a pen. "All you need to do is fill this out and pay the entry fee. There are a crazy number of participants this year, but since it's being hosted here you might have the home field advantage."

Eddy completed the paperwork and handed over a $20 bill. "Looks like I've got three days to figure out how I'm going to even compete with the more experienced guys. Any sage advice for me?"

Darren took his form and put it and the entry fee into an envelope and dropped it into a lockbox. "Don't give up, use all the time you've got. We see people show up for weigh-in way before the deadline feeling proud of their catch, but those guys almost never even place in the top ten."

"Good to know, thank you. I'll need all the time I can get, I'm sure." Eddy said, feeling the pressure already. "Well, I guess I need to get out of here and start scouting. I'll see you soon, Darren."

Eddy got into his truck and sat the two boxes of nightcrawlers on the passenger seat. He pulled out of the parking lot and headed to a place he'd been fishing the day before. As he drove, he realized how far out of his comfort zone this tournament was. "There's nothing to lose, really," he thought, "even if I weren't signed up for the tournament, I'd still be fishing this weekend."