He's a Master-Baiter!

Tod called twice during the sand crab tournament. "Kay, Listen, Don't get all excited or freaked out, because I have an hour left to go, but RIGHT NOW, I'm winning."

I was so tickled for him, so thrilled that after 4 years he had his chance to win.

Tod and I know he hardly EVER wins anything, no contests at work, no raffles, no fundraiser raffles, no lotto, no nothin. It seemed like his luck was starting to change, just the week before, he won on a football pool! VERY COOL! Tod and Kira jumped up out of their seats screaming, "YEAY! YEAY! WHOHOOOOOO!" in the living room, as his team made the touchdown, moving Tod into the winning football pool square, where his name was scribbled.

Just a little over an hour had past from the first call from Tod. My mom had picked up the phone the second time and she laughed and screemed with delight. "RIGHT ON TOD!!!, OK I'LL TELL HER!" "TOD WON JEN! HE WON!!" my mom ran into the other room to let me know.

We were all so thrilled for him, I couldnt wait for him to get home, so I could see his smile, to see his fish, and the cool winner package he was set up with.... and my mom could tell him, "How cool Tod, cuz your the Master-Baiter!"

Article from the paper on the Tournament: (OF COURSE THEY GET HIS NAME WRONG- PSHT!)

Local and visiting perch anglers met last weekend for their yearly surfcasting showdown. The annual Sand Crab Classic Perch Tournament provides a spot of excitement in the middle of our dreary winter, and proceeds raised from the contest go to support the Monterey Bay Salmon and Trout Project. This is the fourth year for the derby. Despite blustery conditions, threatening skies and surf that grew from merely big to huge as the day progressed, a good number of fish were brought in for measurement. Some of them were BIG.
The heavy wind and rainstorm held off just long enough for all anglers to meet at the Santa Cruz Yacht Club by 2 p.m. Once all the fish were measured, it was clear that top honors would go to Todd Schallenberger from Watsonville, who used a GULP! sandworm to catch his 15-inch barred surfperch. Schallenberger fished his 9.6-foot Lamiglas rod paired with a Shimano 2500 Sahara reel in the surfline at 7th Avenue Beach with partner Tom Larimer. Both anglers caught and released limits of perch from the surf, where Larimer also caught two striped bass up to 24 inches. Schallenberger actually took home two trophies this year: one for first place and a special trophy for biggest fish using GULP! bait. He also won two new rod-and-reel combos as part of his prize package.