Cris Southers, a Port Aransas fishing guide with Land Yacht Fishing, invented a way for disabled veterans to gain their passion for fishing back and reel in a big one—even if they may be missing an arm or have little upper body strength.
“Well, fishing has always been my passion. I grew up fishing here," Cris Southers said.
Southers is a United States Army Veteran and a fishing guide for Land Yacht Fishing in Port Aransas. He grew up in New Braunfels, Texas, and while he was young, he spent his vacations in South Texas fishing along the coast. He said his love of fishing kept him going after returning home from the war in Afghanistan in 2013.
“The first trip with disabled veterans, we had a guy that had lost an arm in Afghanistan, and his other arm, it was very limited what he could do with it," Southers said.
Southers said that experience is what made him start thinking about how to help disabled veterans to be able to fish again.
“He was like, 'Well fishing is my passion my whole life. But when I lost my arm, I lost my passion of fishing as well.' So that is what got me thinking about if I had lost my passion for fishing," Southers said.
This prompted Cris to invent the "pedal reel." The pedal reel is a device with a seat that is powered by pedaling and connected to a fishing rod on top of a trailer.
“If they can’t use their arms, don’t have their arms, they could pedal like a bicycle, so you just bring that rod over with the fish on, put it in the rod holder here, plug it in, and now, they can reel that fish in," Southers said.
The pedal reel device allows veterans who may have had arm amputations or limited upper body strength to still feel the thrill of reeling in a fish by using only their feet. This fishing tool that Southers invented has a deeper meaning to him as an Army Veteran himself.
“Got stationed in Fort Campbell, Kentucky, with the 101st airborne. We deployed to Afghanistan in 2010," Southers said. "I guess without me knowing it, though, I found myself isolating from everybody else. And just started fishing, which really kept my mind off of all of the bad stuff and crazy stuff in my head from Afghanistan.”
Southers battled severe PTSD after returning home from war in Afghanistan, which was one of the reasons why he was hesitant at first to take veterans foundations out on his boat as a fishing guide.
“So, that took a few years to want to even be around veterans. Not because I didn’t like them, I just didn’t want them to spark any things that go on in your head after you went to war," Southers said.
After about three years of being a fishing guide, Southers finally agreed to start taking veterans groups out fishing.
“And that’s really when the story of my life changed for the better," Southers said. “Because I honestly think that’s what kept me human was after the war, coming to be able to enjoy my passion again. And if I didn’t have that, I don’t even know where I’d be right now. ”
That is why Southers invented the pedal reel—to help fellow veterans regain their love for fishing while also focusing on himself and his own passion.
“I’ve felt myself start to heal as well. Which is why I went all-in and I’ve done what I’ve done. It was helping others which helped me," Southers said.
To get in contact with Cris Southers about a guided fishing tour, click here. Fishing trips for veteransare free of charge.
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