It’s back to work after a couple of weeks off. I spent Father’s Day with the family; that’s always a special day for all of us in the Lane family. We do things right on Mother’s Day, and then get going again on Father’s Day. Mom and dad are important. Without them, most of us wouldn’t be where we are today. I know that’s true for me and my family, anyway.
We’ve been lucky to have had a good father, and he was lucky to have a good father, my grandfather. I want to carry on the family tradition in that regard. I try to be the best I can at it. Nothing you do in life is more important than how you raise your kids. It just isn’t. All the accomplishments in the world won’t matter much in the end if you’re a failure as a father.
I’ll tell you what, though, it’s not easy in this world. With all the distractions out there, you have to work at it 24/7. There’s no time for rest; and if you back slide, things will get out of control in no time flat. I try to never forget that, even when I traveling and fishing out of town.
That’s one of the things I think is so good about fishing. It’s something that everyone can do with their family at almost any level. You don’t have to be a professional with a lot of fancy equipment to go to the lake or river and spend time together. There’s more to it than catching fish.
Anyway, I’m up in La Crosse, Wis., getting ready for the Mississippi River Rumble and the family is with me — for two weeks. That’s special. Back in the day, they traveled with me all the time but as the kids got older they started staying home more. I understand why they stay home more now but I still miss them. This is a welcome change for me. I’m loving it.
Speaking of the Mississippi River, this is going to be a fun tournament. This place is full of shallow fish catching opportunities. It’s a flipping and pitching paradise, just my kind of water. And when they’re not attacking flipping and pitching baits you can catch them on a frog. That’s my kind of fishing. It’s how I grew up. It’s what I know.
It’s not that I don’t like to catch them deep. Heck, I like to catch them anyway I can. It’s just that I have a certain familiarity with shallow water, grass, wood, rock and other stuff. I suppose we’re all that way. You know, we have something we like to do, and it’s usually what we think we’re good at.
I don’t make fishing predictions before an event — there are too many good anglers for that — but it’s looking good. You’ll probably see a lot of fish caught by a lot of anglers. This one will be interesting. I can’t wait for Thursday.