Connections with Nature

Ever since I was little I have always been more into fishing than hunting. I never was a fan of sitting in a deer stand or staying still for hours on end waiting for a chance to kill something. With fishing, whether it be on a boat or on shore, you have the option to talk or move around as you please. Most people say they don’t have the “patience” for fishing, but that is because they aren’t doing it right. My step father, Carey, has taught me most of what I know about fishing. From knots to lining a pole, targeting fish and what time to do so, he has been a huge factor of why I love it so much.

My favorite memory of fishing was on Father’s Day of 2016. Carey and I are very fond of pond hopping, so we spent the whole day riding around going to our favorite spots. We got up early that morning to start off at a new lake he had found a few days prior. The day started off slow for the both of us. Frustration hit with hard with lots of back-lash and bird nests. After all of that, I finally caught my first bass of the day. It was a big deal for me because we always have a competition to see who can catch the most fish for bragging rights for the next time we go fishing. At the first spot, I caught two bass and a bluegill, and Carey had nothing to show for, just some grass and sticks.

Our second spot was a lake the two of us haven’t been to in a few years. The worst part about it was the lake had no trees around it, meaning there was no shade for the fish, not to mention us. Carey decided to change his lure from a crankbait to a rooster tail, his favorite lure in his tackle box. He started pulling in bass left and right. I started to get irritated because I had such a good start but at this point I haven’t caught a fish in an hour. Because of there being no shade, and the temperature being in the 90’s, we decided that we were done with this spot and we were ready for our third spot.

The third spot was two ponds in an apartment complex. Immediately I hook into a nice sized bass, and Carey does as well. After a few minutes some kids walk up to the two of us and ask if they can touch a fish. Carey caught a small sunfish and let the kids hold it and touch it before throwing it back into the water. About 30 minutes after the kids left, this cranky old lady runs up to me and snatches my pole and yells, “There’s no fishing allowed!” Carey was mad about the attitude she had just given me, so he said, “I’m sorry ma’am, could you repeat that?” as he took another cast into the pond. She rolled her eyes and angrily walked off. After a few more casts, we left to go to our fourth and final spot.

Now this fourth spot is my favorite place to fish. It’s my favorite spot because there is a massive six to eight pound bass there. I call this spot “Grandpa Bass Lake” because the bass is close to impossible to catch. The reason being it lives in a small pond not much bigger than a classroom, with limitless bait fish and sunfish to eat, meaning it won’t bite or eat anything it isn’t familiar with. Aside from this pond, there are three more lakes within walking distance, so we spent hours here. At the end of our fishing trip, I had caught 13 fish, and Carey had 19. To this day, I haven’t been able to beat him in one of our all day fishing competitions.

I’d say the reason I have a passion for fishing is it lets me connect more with nature. Not killing anything I catch, but tossing it back for next time, or for someone else to do the same. I like the peace and quiet, the time to myself. Whenever I’m stressed or not having a good day, I grab my pole and walk to my neighborhood lake to clear my head. It’s a fun way for me to pass the time, and it gives me opportunities to improve on my mistakes with using different types of reels or lures. Fishing has become one of my most valued hobbies in such a short amount of time. It’s definitely something I will carry with me for the rest of my life, and something I can pass down to my future children and grandchildren.