Sneaky Pete and what he meant to me
Sneaky Pete Cooper Jr and what he meant to me
I don’t even remember how ole Pete and I met up other than it was through Crappie.Com. One thing for sure was that we both loved crappie fishing, although I think Pete had a slightly higher affection for chasing the salt water species on fly. Pete Cooper Jr. put Louisiana on the map for fly fishing and also had a web page dedicated to it (LaFlyguy if my memory serves me correct). Pete held numerous fly fishing records in the state of Louisiana with some still holding. There are too many to mention here and I don’t have the data in front of me but you are welcome to look it up.
I don’t even remember how it happened but I was able to talk Pete into making a trip with me to Bundicks, a small lake south east of Deridder, Louisiana. Over the next several years, ole Pete and I made several trips to that small lake. After a while my daughter, Laikyn, stated accompanying us on our little adventures to this quaint little lake. I remember the first thing ole Pete asked me when I told him that Laikyn would be joining us…..”Where am I supposed to pee with a girl in the boat?” I told him to just come to the front of the boat and we will tell her to turn around. Pete always waited until we got back to the launch and then go find some tree to hide behind, a gentleman to the end.
There are several stories that I remember of the trips that we made together and I will try to retell some of them to the best of my memory here.
It almost always started with me calling him the night before a potential trip to the aforementioned lake. Conditions have to be just right to fish this lake, the wind needs to be calm and I always liked it to be cold. I remember calling Pete and asking if he wanted to make a trip to Bundicks and it almost always was responded to by him saying “Do you know how cold it is going to be in the morning!” To which I would respond: “Yea, it should be just about right for fishing!” I would always hear him laugh and probably cuss me under his breath and say, “you know, the fish will bite when it’s warm too!” But he almost always, without fail, would ask me what time I wanted him to meet up with me in Lake Charles.
As I have mentioned before, Bundicks is a very hard lake to fish. There are tons of hang ups in that lake but that is what makes it appealing to the fish. I have probably lost close to my weight in jigs out there, and I am not a small man! Ol Pete would always say- “Bundicks, that lake suffers from a lead problem! Of which, I have added to!”
Another one of Pete’s favorite sayings while fishing out there was “time to change out bottom hole assembly”, you old oil field hands will recognize that one. He would make that statement when whatever jig he had on was not doing its job. I remember one of the first “cold” mornings that we went out there, ol Pete was looking at the bottom of a cypress tree that was on our way to our destination and would say “Dwyane, look at that tree! There are icicles hanging from it!” To which I would reply, “Yep, should be good fishing!” He would just shake his head.
I remember one time that I called ol Pete to go fishing with me and he would always debate if he had something lined up. Well this particular time, he had a doctor’s appointment lined up. Well ol Pete thought about it for about 10 seconds and then said, “I’ll be there, why go to the doctor if you are not sick anyway”
Pete has written thousands of wildlife and fishing articles over the years and 5 books (Fly Fishing the Louisiana Coast, Redfish, Fly fish for specks, A paradise lost and the Fine art of Creek fishing). I would always trade Pete a quart jar of mayhaw jelly for a SIGNED book! I told him I would gladly pay for them but I wanted them signed. Well I got 3 of the 5 signed anyway. Pete also turned me on to how good mayhaw jelly is with wild game, whether it be smoked duck or sausage or any other wild game you could think of.
Well as many of you know Pete got a terrible diagnoses in January of 2016. Here is a copy of what Pete posted to his Facebook page on February 23, 2016.
I have been directed by the Female Caucus in my life to reveal my present physical situation. On 27 Jan. I was diagnosed with Stage 4 Lung Cancer which, on 11 Feb., the oncologist stated was treatable if not curable. Had my first bout with chemotherapy on the 15th. Further treatments will come three weeks apart before another evaluation to see if it's working or the medication needs changing. You will be updated to any significant changes.
Some of you may have been floored by all this. I wasn't really surprised - sort of like the highest degree of a self-inflicted injury. Anyway, I must sincerely request that you respect my family's and my privacy in this most-private of all life's events. I want no cards or visits, no phone calls, and no weeping and gnashing of teeth among you. E-Notes of concern will definitely be appreciated but will probably not be responded to individually. And please do not ask for prayers to be "shared" or whatever. On the other hand, I know in my heart that you do care and want the best for me during this awkward and trying time. And I do thank you for that.
Well Pete did get on some medicine that did help remarkably for a time but in the end Pete finally gained his independence from this world on Independence Day of this year, 7-4-2017.
I was able to make ONE FINAL TRIP with Pete to Bundicks in March of 2017 and we caught fish! I even managed to catch my biggest crappie to date on that trip, 2.4 lbs! I don’t know if I will ever catch one bigger than that and if I don’t I’m ok with that because of the significance of being able to bring Pete Cooper Jr. fishing at Bundicks ONE LAST TIME!
Keep them biting in heaven until I can get there dear friend!
Missing you dearly and think about you every trip to Bundicks,
Dwyane
