Back to basics: Why go fishing?

Most of the time my blogs are pretty detailed. They’re for guys and gals who are serious about catching bass. This time, though, we’re going to look at the basics of fishing. 

Not everyone is experienced, but that doesn’t mean that they can’t enjoy time on the water fishing. And that enjoyment isn’t limited by physical condition, age, gender, race, religion or by how much money you have. It’s open to everyone. 

One of the great things about fishing, especially now, is that you can do it socially removed from crowds and in compliance with whatever local or national restrictions are in place because of COVID. No matter if you agree or disagree with them, I encourage you to comply with them when you go fishing. I’ll never tell anyone to violate the law or the rules, and I’ll never knowingly do that myself.

Another great thing is that you can go fishing anywhere you live. All you need is water. Don’t worry about the fish. If there’s water around, there will be some fish living in it 99.9% of the time. I guarantee it. Fish are very adaptive. They can live almost anywhere.  

That’s all well and good, but the question remains: Why go fishing?

The first answer to that is fishing is one of the last great sports that’ll connect you with the outdoors. 

There are trees, grass, flowers, birds, raccoons, squirrels and whatever other animals live in your neighborhood. There’s nothing like being able to experience all of that under a beautiful sky and a soft breeze. That’s different from most other big-time sports. They’re being played indoors these days, away from nature.

Another thing is that there’s nothing better for a kid than taking him or her fishing. I learned some of the most amazing life lessons from my uncle while we were fishing and just generally enjoying the outdoors. I’ll be forever grateful to him for taking the time to do that with me. There’s no telling where I’d be today if he hadn’t done that. 

You learn patience, solving a puzzle (finding the fish and making them bite), time management, basic research skills, physical and mental coordination, communication and the concept of trying again if your first attempt isn’t successful too. There are very few activities and sports that’ll teach a kid that much. Fishing is a great investment in a kid’s future life.

Maybe the last thing I want to mention is that we’ve made videos that’ll show you what basic equipment you need and the same thing with basic tackle. I’ll demonstrate how to spool a reel and how to organize your tackle. We’ll practice casting. I’ll also show you how to find fish. Finally, I’ll take you out fishing with my two youngest kids. You’ll see how it all works in the real world.  

If you’ve never fished before, don’t be intimated. If you’re taking a kid fishing, it’ll be easy to teach them how to do it. Fishing is fun. Do it!