An unforgettable Christmas hunt

Alexander Searle ended 2013 with a Christmas memory he'll never forget.

The 10-year-old, who lives in Plantation with his mother, Michelle, and stepfather, Rick Strunck, received a .243 Rossi rifle for Christmas.

Two days later, on his first hunt, he bagged a wild hog with one shot from his new gun.

A fifth-grader at Plantation Park Elementary, Searle got all A's on his first-quarter report card, and "that's why Santa brought him a .243," Strunck said. "Yes, he's only 10, but he's able to take on a lot of responsibility.

"When he got the box open, he held up the rifle and 'Where's the safety?' was the first thing he asked."

Searle, who loves to race go-karts when he's with his father, had shot his .22 rifle over the summer and had been asking Strunck if he could go hunting with him.

After checking out his new .243, his next question to Strunck was, "Does this mean you're going to take me hunting?"

"I said, 'Yep, we're going on Friday.' "

Strunck, Searle and some friends went hunting for wild hogs at Chappy's Outfitters in Lakeport (chappysoutfitters.com).

Strunck and Searle climbed into a treestand that afternoon. Sitting there together, Searle had a flood of questions:

Do you think I'm going to see a hog? (Probably)

Do you think I'll get a shot at one? (Maybe)

Do you think I'll hit it? (If you do everything you were told, yes.)

When several pigs came out of the woods in front of the treestand, Searle picked out the biggest one and patiently waited for the hog to turn so it presented him with a perfect shot.

When it did, Searle pulled the trigger and the 167-pound boar fell to the ground, dead.

Searle's hog was the biggest taken by the group. Searle's friend Matt Lauria, who is also 10 but had hunted more than a dozen times before and killed several hogs, shot a 143-pounder. He was accompanied by his grandfather Paul Lauria.

The group included several members of the Sunrise Police Department's S.W.A.T. team, two of whom shot hogs, "which the boys were happy to point out were smaller," Strunck said.

"Needless to say, as a first-time hunter, Alexander was the proudest one in the group, especially since his hog was the largest one bagged that day."

Fish of the week

Capt. Alan Zaremba reported excellent fishing for largemouth bass in Everglades canals. Lance Benson, of Miami, and his father, Jerry, of Davie, caught 66 bass up to 3 pounds using floating and suspending Rapalas and topwater lures in the L-4 and L-5 canals along the Broward-Palm adult christmas cards county line.

Zaremba and Ted Sander, of Cooper City, caught 60 bass up to 6 pounds using floating Rapalas, Chug Bugs and Gambler ribbontail worms on a morning trip in the L-6.

Tucker Horne, of Charlotte, N.C., caught 12 peacock bass up to 31/2 pounds and a largemouth fly fishing with Clouser minnows on a morning trip in the C-100.

John Schaffner, of Fire Island, N.Y., his son-in law and his 6-year-old grandson caught 22 peacocks up to 3 pounds and three largemouths on floating Rapalas, live shiners and jigs in the C-100.

Michael Troner, of Palmetto Bay, and his granddaughter Rachael, 12, of Miami, and grandson Nathaniel, 6, of England, caught nine peacocks up to 3 pounds using Clouser minnows, floating Rapalas and shiners on a morning trip in the C-100.

Fink Finklestein, his grandson Mathew and his wife, Shana, of Toronto, caught 207 largemouths up to 2 pounds on floating and suspending Rapalas and Chug Bugs on an afternoon trip in the Miami Canal.