The title goes without saying but I really don’t see enough people doing it. Some believe you require a certain skillset or even be a certain “type“ (i.e outdoorsman) to be successful. This is absolutely untrue because I am far from either nor are my children. My wife, Jackie, spent her childhood summers in Mississippi fishing and riding on 4-wheelers but, even her skills are limited (love you).
It’s difficult to articulate the effects fishing has on you. If you understand it as a past-time, grab a chair, wait for a bite, set the hook, and reel in what you hope is the largest fish in the sea. Although, if you are new, that extreme bend in the rod was merely your exaggerated focus and, when it surfaces, you quickly realize it was a fish 2 inches long…or a crab 🙂 So your emotions soared while reeling it in, adrenalin was high and everyone is cheering for you, then you went into either awe, confusion, sadness, laughter, or a little of all. But, you caught something and you did it with your family there, who took videos of everything, good side or not. These memories are burned into you forever…just by a little fish on the end of a hook. The same is true for your kids, which I absolutely did not think mine would enjoy. But, there they were waiting for those bobbers to go down. Nothing but screams and excitement, and the question of “Can we go again?”. We have turned into fishermen. I even made my own fishing cart to make it easier to tote everything back and forth, which is for another post.
I encourage everyone to try fishing, even it’s just once. Go with a friend if you don’t have the equipment. Or, find a place that rents rod and reels. It’s an excellent way to spend family time, talk together, bond, enjoy nature (we even night fish), and just have fun.
God Bless