How a Tampa Bay captain surprised 13-year-old angler with an unforgettable experience

When Hannah May Marie took to the “Tampa Bay Fishing Club” Facebook group, she wanted to make a memory for her son Stash.

“I’m in search of someone to help my son’s dream of fishing on a boat for his 13th birthday,” she posted on Nov. 1. “Fishing is his passion and I love that for him, but he has never had any role models to help guide him and teach him. He’s taught himself pretty much everything he knows! He’s so good at it and I’m so proud of him, I just want to get him on a boat to go fishing!”

After over 150 comments offering to help Stash, Captain Todd Young stepped up to fulfill the wish and take him on a boat on his birthday Tuesday.

“They couldn’t book a full boat and she didn’t want to send him with strangers. A bunch of people tagged me in the post and said they’d help to cover the cost of the trip and donate,” said Young, who frequents the south shore of Tampa Bay.

“I had a few people message me to donate but after a weekend vacation, I said instead of taking money and donations I’ll take him for free. The page has done a lot for me and I’ve met a lot of good people, so thought I’d give something back,” Young said.

On the morning of the trip, Young headed out and caught bait in advance. He met Stash and his mom at Cockroach Bay just after 8 a.m. Within 15 minutes Stash had a bent rod, which would remain that way for the next three hours.

“The fishing has been so good right now. It’s like prime springtime bite and every shoreline has hungry snook,” said Young. “I told him the best bet was the snook, trout and redfish, and he was excited to learn.”

Young kept Stash engaged and Stash kept asking questions, filling his brain with as much knowledge as he could get from the captain.

“He caught probably 25 snook. He was the perfect kid for a charter trip and listened great. Mom sat back and watched him have fun, which was perfect. He hooked a big snook up near the mangroves which went up into the mangroves roots. I told him to drop the rod to get the line low and he did perfectly. He fought it right to the boat and it spit the hook as it came into the net. It was the biggest snook he had ever caught and he said his second biggest fish other than a shark.”

The snook — 30 inches — provided a great photo opportunity for Stash and Young. Stash lit up smiling with the line sider. Young was impressed with his ability to pull such a hard-fighting fish out of the mangroves.

“If he stays with it, he’s going to be darn good,” Young said, praising the youthful angler. “He had great technique and most importantly he was willing to learn and listen.”

Captain Todd Young can be reached at (813) 541-5866 or through his website www.ReelMemoriesFishingCharter.com