Fishing 101 !

When I was a child about seven years old my Father called me over to his arm chair and asked me what I knew about fishing. Eager to spend time with my Dad I told him I really didn't know a thing, and asked him to teach me. He broke out his favorite spinning rod and proceeded to give me a lesson. As the lesson progressed he told me there was going to be a fishing contest for the children of our town over the Easter holiday weekend. He thought I'd like to participate. Heck ya! We worked on my casting ability for the next week and the Friday night of the contest, he woke me at midnight. Gave me a flashlight and pointed me to the back yard where I crawled on my hands and knees capturing night crawlers for bait. We arrived early that Saturday morning to find the pond lined with local children. The whistle was blown and the chaos ensued. First fish for a boy and girl was the goal. As the well stocked pond delivered it's trout to the banks, kids raced with fish toward the check in station. It was total insanity, but what a ball! There and then I was hooked on fishing. Through out my youth I won first fish, first three fish, biggest fish, and the top prize for the two day event.

In that little pond I was a pretty big fish! Having success there I broadened my horizons. We ventured to the river and the reservoir. We fished on vacation and just about every chance I got, there was a rod in my hand. I read every magazine I could on fishing, imagining what it would be like to live where the big fish were. I had a dream, and a vision.

While I had fleeting success I never really hit the mark until I found a fishing mentor. Someone to show me the ropes. Then I dedicated myself to action of that knowledge. Everyday I fished and everyday I challenged myself to improve. I watched and learned as the better fishermen around me revealed their techniques. Again I applied what I learned. Son of a gun, if it didn't pay off. I won my first contest with a 90 lb fish, it paid pretty well to be a winner. Then came the utopia of fishing. One night 120 miles off the coast of Florida I caught a snapper of a proportion like I've never seen. I was sure it was a record, and by golly it was! An IGFA All Tackle World Record! No fisherman could ever attain a higher accolade.

Here's the point. You can chase your goals and dreams as a hobby, or you can find someone who has the success you want and learn. The satisfaction of achieving that goal will only come when you take your endeavor seriously, and devote to it the time it deserves. There are the few lucky fishermen who trip on a big fish in life every now and then, but to be a consistent winner takes dedication to the task. Find the person who has accomplished or nearly accomplished your dream. Learn everything he knows. Then go apply the knowledge.

Keep your eye on the prize, and you'll never notice the bumps in the road on the journey!

God Bless
Capt. Bill