16-year-old gets special day on Guntersville

Bassmaster Elite Series pro Chris Lane and B.A.S.S. Nation director Jon Stewart met in the Wintzell’s parking lot in Guntersville, Ala., to surprise a young man who’s battling leukemia.

Bassmaster Elite Series pro Justin Lucas came, too!

Auston Ballard, the guest of honor, arrived soon after, along with Richard Parker, the Mississippi B.A.S.S. Nation youth director. Parker started driving at 2 a.m. this morning to pick up Ballard and drive him to Guntersville, where Ballard thought he was just going to get a nudge of encouragement from Jon Stewart. He had no idea that he was going to meet some of the pros and spend a day on one of the best bass lakes in the country.

Ballard looked ahead and saw who was waiting for him.

The 16-year-old tried to hold in his excitement …

… as he met the pros.

Ballard is here on a special trip after nearly 2 years of battling leukemia.

Lane had some gifts for him …

… as did Lucas.

Ballard got hats, lures and a gift certificate to Tackle Warehouse.

Ballard posed with the pros …

… and then with the whole group, which included Jon Stewart, Richard Parker and Cal Lane.

Stewart had something for Ballard, too.

It was a backpack filled with Carhartt gear …

… a lifetime membership to B.A.S.S. …

… and a pack of Bryan Kerchal trading cards.

Ballard was loaded up!

Up next, Ballard takes the wheel of Lane’s boat.

The guys talk fishing for a little bit …

… and Lane tells him he’s about to take Ballard out on Lake Guntersville.

Lane and Lucas do a quick, fun video stream on Periscope before they go.

Lucas heads out after spending a couple of hours with the crew …

… and then Ballard puts his boating safety course skills to use as he helps Lane back the boat into the water.

Wait, before we get too far, who’s that at the dock?

It looks like it might be a Randy Howell sighting …

… yes, it is!

Howell had just been out on the lake with his crew from Daiwa doing a photo shoot.

He had been out on the water for more than 2 hours without catching a bass, so he asked Ballard to go catch one for him so he could use it in his shoot.

Howell was happy to meet Ballard unexpectedly. Lane said that’s what it’s like at Guntersville now; you can’t drive down the street without seeing a Bassmaster Elite Series pro!

Howell reminds Ballard to go catch him a 5-pounder, and then he heads back to meet with his photographers.

Ballard is an angler at Hatley High School in Mississippi.

Lane is excited to learn that Ballard loves fishing with frogs — because that’s exactly what Lane has planned for the day.

They head to an area full of grass mats …

… and start casting.

Lane instructs Ballard every step of the way, giving him suggestions on where to cast and how to reel in just right.

The thicker, the nastier, the better, says Lane.

Lane told Ballard to listen for Rice Krispies in the mats. “When you hear the snap, crackle and pop, you know there’s bass here.”

Behind us in the cove was the rest of the crew, Cal Lane, Jon Stewart and Richard Parker.

Lane pointed out what he called the greatest fisherman in the world …

… a great blue heron. “If one of those is here, you know there’s activity.”

Ballard was diagnosed with leukemia 1 1/2 years ago after several headaches and pass-out episodes signaled something was very wrong.

He’s been undergoing treatment ever since, including weekly treatments at the hospital and nightly doses of a chemotherapy pill.

The experience has taught him patience and positivity, he said. “You just don’t know what tomorrow might bring,” he said, “so you just have to be happy right now.”

The leaves on top of the mats are a sign of the storm of that just went through, says Lane.

He points out another area for Ballard to cast to.

So far, the day has been fishless …

… but when Stewart caught one …

… Lane got one at the same time.

“It’s a two-fer!” said Stewart.

So it’s not huge, but it’s a bass.

Back to fishing …

… and another!

Wow, it’s getting to be a great day!

Now, Ballard has one on.

Looking good …

… well, maybe not …

Ballard and Lane laugh …

… as Ballard continues to pull in …

… the ugly gar.

Lane releases it.

Time to move, but look at all the grass …

… that’s accumulated on both boats.

On to another area …

… and Cal Lane catches one pretty quickly.

This note — “Focus. Find. Figure Out. Enjoy” — has been on Chris Lane’s windshield this year. “It’s worked for me this year!” What did you have last year?, I asked. “I don’t remember. My wife will remember. But they worked, too!”