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I’ve recently had the pleasure of being able to spend some time with all three of my Sons and their families based on a surprise birthday celebration. This surprise visit was accomplished through no small feat by my Wife and some very special friends. At least 3 of the NFGFC members participated in bringing all this together, although in a very subversive roll, (there may be others who have not yet been brought to justice). Last Saturday, I was able to fish (for the first time ever) with all three boys (Bobby, Brian, and Blaine) and myself in the same boat on the same day. Due to the tournament activity in Saint Marks, we chose to fish the Econfina that day. Even though we were not very productive, what a treat that was!


Since yesterday was the last day before my Son Brian and his family headed home to Oklahoma, the two of us decided to squeeze one more fishing trip out of the visit. We launched at the Lighthouse pool around 10am. It was breezy with a North North East wind and cool but not too bad when the Sun was out.

We headed South to a couple of deep flats numbers that I had. My plan was to try and get both some bottom fishing and drift the flats. We stopped in 17ft and the first cast that Brian made produced a small sea bass which got him excited for the day. We drifted a few spots but the wind was producing a faster drift than what we wanted so we anchored on a spot and played with the bottom dwellers for a while. We never caught anything special so we headed back in to try the flats. As long as the sun was out we were very warm but the clouds kept increasing and as the day went on it got down right cold. With the wind shifting around more to the North we drifted in front of Stony Bayou. We started catching “shortsâ€

To all 3 of Buds' sons. Next time you are down here and want to catch some serious fish call me.

That's a great offer you guys! You'd better hold him to it

That sounds like a wonderful few days. Congratulations on the suprise and your good fortune to have such friends who helped pull it off.

Sounds like a great time. I bet you had fun!

Nice report and pics SR.
Maybe this get-together will set a trend for ya. Maybe an annual thing.
Tough pulling them all away from thier lives- Even for a few days, though- Particularly all at the same time..
You know how the song goes-
"Cat's in the cradle [] and the man in the moon, when you coming home son?" "I don't know when, But we'll get together then, dad.
You know we'll have a good time then." Harry Chapin

'Glad y'all had a good time together.

Thanks for the offer on the next fishing trip, I'll have to print it out and hold ya to it
I guess all the birthdays are getting to the old man(SR) , there were two that were right at 15" that we released! Just for the record, I would have stayed on the water until the sun came up again or we got our limit; whichever came first It was a great time, I have to give the credit to the skipper, he did a great job putting us on the fish!

Good fishing gentlemen,
Brian Halbert
AKA: 1st mate
AKA: #2 son (birth order only)
AKA: the one in Oklahoma
AKA: the best looking Halbert

It's obvious he got his humility from me

It's also obvious that he got yer good nature time spent with your family is always something that can be cherished for a life time! It looks and sounds like there where many great memories made on this occasion I envy the opportunities that lay ahead of ya'll

I had the pleasure of attending Sir Reel's birthday bash, and was given the job of keeping him busy till 6PM that Fri so the "surprize party" could gather. Not that you don't know this about him, but the ever-helpful Bud was easily pulled in to a plea for help to "evaluate a shotgun" that I was "thinking about buying for my son." (I even had Tallahassee Gun and Pawn owner, Bobby Caruth ans staff in on it.)

Anyway it was great to see all 3 "boys" and 2 wives and 3 grandklds assembled for the first time ever. They are all 3 chips off the old block and a credit to the old man. And like the old man, the two married ones have somehow convinced wonderful women to put up with em. ("Old" being just a figure of speech, you understand.)

Carl Vinson -- aka BlindHog