From the Court to the Helm
Gary Tarbuk, a rising senior at Derry High School, has swapped the familiar squeak of sneakers on a basketball floor for the gentle hum of an outboard motor on Deep Creek Lake in Maryland. Instead of typical teenage summer jobs, he now runs a fishing charter business that draws visitors from as far away as Seattle, Texas and Kentucky.
Operating from a boat named Lazy Minnow — a nod to his father’s bait shop — Tarbuk leads groups of three to seven passengers on four‑hour excursions across the lake’s 69‑mile shoreline. He shares tips on catching largemouth bass, walleye and stocked trout, and has even landed a fish that nearly broke the state record. Each charter earns him tips ranging from $75 to $100, a modest but steady income that funds his dual passions.
Tarbuk is not alone on the water. His first mate, Alex Prater, a junior at Penn‑Trafford High School, assists with navigation, bait preparation and safety checks. Both hold the required boating license and CPR certification, and they have learned to react swiftly to emergencies, such as a sudden storm that forced them to cut anchor and race back to shore.
Beyond the lake, Tarbuk dreams of expanding his operation to ocean charters and, ultimately, to playing basketball at the collegiate level. The summer gig offers more than cash; it provides real‑world experience in leadership, emergency response and customer service — skills he hopes will serve him both on the court and in the classroom.