“I don't know that it's really a joke. It's a fact.”
This is what Derek “Deep Freeze” Friesen said about the fishing ability of his friend Steve “Bubba” Peters, which has been the subject of various jocular signs around Morden and Winkler for a few months now.
Embracing the joke
News of the signs has spread quickly through town, noted Peters.
“Driving down Main Street with my window open on a nice day, I've had a few people yell, ‘Bubba sucks at fishing,’ and I have no idea who they are, so I just wave and smile,” he said.
Whether or not Peters is a good fisherman, the signs (which are put up by a still-unknown prankster) have led to more than a community-wide running joke.
In June, Peters used the awareness garnered by the prank to raise funds for fishing gear for local children.
Now, he’s continuing to add to the developing legacy of the Bubba sign. His next stop? The Winker Harvest Festival parade.
#bubbasucksatfishing
The beginnings of Peters' decision to participate in Winkler’s parade have their roots in a guided fishing trip that he and his friends go on each year.
For the trip, he said that it’s tradition to make “unique” shirts for the occasion.
This year’s locally-designed shirts, as suits the past few months, poke fun at Peters’ fishing ability just as the signs do.
The clothing, however, is not just a tongue-in-cheek accessory for a fishing trip — it’s also a means to spread love of the sport further.
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Peters said the shirts are available for purchase by the community. The funds will go toward handing out fishing gear at this year’s Winkler Harvest Festival parade in August.
According to the fisherman, the float is already taking shape.
“It’s going to be a boat, and on the side, [there will] be little signs or banners with the hashtag #bubbasucksatfishing,” he said.
Anyone interested in purchasing a shirt (which comes in various colours) is invited to contact Peters at 204-384-1213.
Friesen added that getting involved with the project is something that can enrich the local fishing community. He said that if local businesses wish to get involved, their participation is also welcome.
Fun among friends
In the end, amid the jokes, community outreach, and passion for fishing, the Bubba sign saga is one of close friends sharing their bond with the community.
For Peters, it’s meaningful that from the beginning, his friends have been on board to support him with the projects that the sign pranks have spawned.
“When they ... chipped in, it just showed that they've got [my] back,” he said.
The fact that Peters has many friends makes it all the more difficult for Friesen to solve the mystery of who the prankster behind the signs is.
According to him, it could be anyone.
“[Peters] is in every friend group ... around the Pembina Valley. He's a jokester. He loves to play into this stuff, so I don't know,” he said.
With files from Jayme Giesbrecht