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Grand Daddy Started It

GRAND DADDY STARTED IT [Spoken Intro] They say I joined the Crooked Hooker crew. "Huh"!?! I didn’t join it. I started it. [Hook] Grand Daddy started it—way before the brand, Hospital halls all week, fishing rod in hand. Thursday night at Flipper’s, family in the boat, Years before the logo ever landed on a coat. Grand Daddy started it—every mile, every trip, With a baitcaster ready and a questionable grip. Moo keeps the boat running; I tell him where to go. He keeps right on moving—but Grand Daddy knows. [Verse 1] Name’s Larry Barlow, nineteen-fifty-two, Founding father of this unsupervised crew. Worked the Gallatin hospital till Matt was fifteen, Then built Life Safety Express from a practical dream. Life-safety drawings, evaluations and plans, Helping hospitals get survey-ready across the land. Work put miles on the truck, fishing brought us back; Family in the boat with the tackle overpacked. Thursday nights at Flipper’s became our tradition, Minn Kota Owners, charity and cystic-fibrosis fishing. Matt started coming, then the whole thing grew; Crooked Hooker happened ’cause I gave ’em something to do. [Hook] Grand Daddy started it—give the old man room, Daylight on the water, home before the moon. Three rods, fresh line and somewhere good to throw; You boys can watch the screens—but Grand Daddy knows. [Verse 2] My partner is Marshall—everybody calls him Moo. He rigs every wire like an engineer should do. N-M-E-A two-thousand talking clean, Every unit on the boat communicating with the screen. Only communication problem that remains: Moo mumbles directions while the trolling motor gains. I say, “Stop and fish this spot—we caught one right here!” He hits no button, keeps on going like he didn’t hear. He runs that autopilot all the way down the bank; Turns around a dock, never slows the tank. If you see a spot you like, better cast before it goes; Moo drives the boat—but Grand Daddy knows. [Break] Moo said something. Huh"!?! Never mind. No, I heard you. [Verse 3] I like a baitcaster; sometimes it fights back, One wrong turn and the whole spool has a nervous attack. I say, “I blew it up!” Nobody hit the floor; It just means bring fresh line—I ain’t picking anymore. Daylight is my shift; when the evening disappears, I’d rather see the stump before my lure gets near. Still, every piece of cover gets inspected firsthand; If there’s one snag in the lake, I can find where it stands. Caught a crankbait once—but it wasn’t in the lake. Buried in my calf; that was one painful mistake. I asked Moo for pliers while he laughed himself sick; His emergency response time wasn’t exactly quick. [Hook] Grand Daddy started it—somebody bring the net, And bring another spool ’cause this one’s finished, I bet. Moo, stop the boat! Boys, fish this spot slow. You can chase the whole lake—but Grand Daddy knows. [Verse 4] Met Kevin VanDam at an Owners event, Shook his hand and told him where my money went: “I spent so much money on your crap,” then walked away, Left Matt standing there with some explaining left to say. Here’s the missing context Matt had to provide: Brand-new Smoke rod and reel, first cast of its life. Lost my grip and launched the whole outfit in the drink; Zero casts completed—it went down before I’d blink. Was the product defective? Not a single part. Was my review still honest? Came straight from the heart. Kevin liked the equipment; I probably would’ve too, But it’s hard to test a rod when it’s sitting out of view. [Bridge] I’ve crossed state lines for hospitals and lakes, Made a living solving problems and learning from mistakes. But the best thing I built wasn’t drawn on a plan: It was giving this family a reason to fish again. The jokes are part of it, the stories make it last, Every Thursday-night launch connects us to the past. Put a camera in our boat—if somebody remembers; Dad and Moo make evidence without trying whatsoever. [Final Verse] Matt’s building websites, trying to pay for the fishing. Bailey brings confidence and tournament ambition. Mushy brings confusion, cold drinks and supplies. Moo brings the boat—and occasionally replies. I bring years on the water and advice they ignore, Then catch one near the place we just went flying by before. Fresh spool of line, one lure, pliers standing by; Tournament miles waiting underneath a daylight sky. I didn’t join the crew, so let the record show: I accidentally started it. Grand Daddy knows. [Final Hook] Grand Daddy started it—way before the brand, Hospital halls all week, fishing rod in hand. Thursday nights at Flipper’s put the family in the boat; Now Crooked Hooker carries every story that we wrote. Grand Daddy started it—founding-father flow, Moo, hit the Spot-Lock button—we caught one here, you know! He keeps that motor running while we leave the fish behind. Huh"!?! I heard you, boys. I’m fishing. [Spoken Outro] Now bring me those pliers. Moo? Quit laughing. Huh"!?!