Anyone Can Fish!

Anyone Can Fish!
By Gary Howey

Fishing is enjoyable, and an individual, or the entire family can take part. Most fishing takes only basic equipment and a little time to learn.

The easiest way to get started is to have a friend or relative show you the basics at a local fishing spot. If this isn’t possible, there are programs to help beginning fishermen get started. One of these is Take A Kid Fishing.

I've been involved in several "Take A Kid Fishing" programs. These are typically conducted by a fishing club (call your local club), by natural resource agencies, or by state game and fish departments.

These programs often include seminars by fishing experts. Nebraska has fishing educators trained by the Nebraska Game and Parks Department. These volunteers give classes and seminars throughout the state making it easier for prospective anglers to get started.

Some programs involve not only the kids, but dad and mom also. They show how to use the equipment needed to catch a few fish. Many of these are hands-on programs, so students learn how to cast, tie knots and use equipment. Other programs take kids on-the-water fishing.

I've been involved in several of these and will remember the kids and the looks on their faces for my lifetime.

One such trip was with the Platte Valley Bassmasters from Columbus, NE. They took a group of youngsters to Branched Oak, near Lincoln. The three youngsters in my boat (two boys and a girl) were quite excited. I asked the little guy what he had caught before, and if there were any fish that he'd particularly enjoy catching. The only fish he had caught was a bluegill, but he really would like to catch a crappie. We were in a backwater area that was full of small crappie, so we fished several brush piles. Within moments, we were catching fish.

The little girl said she always wanted to catch a bass. I had her throw her bait towards a bassy-looking spot and after three casts she landed a scrappy little bass.

The third youngster was bouncing off the sides of the boat by the time I got to him. He was really excited about the possibility of catching a different fish. I questioned him about the fish we were catching and how much fun he was having. He was really having a great time since this was his first boat ride. His fishing companions had both wanted to catch something they had never fished for, so I asked him what kind of fish he would like to catch. His eyes lit up like a Times Square billboard as he blurted out ''a shark" … "I've always wanted to catch a shark."

I explained that there weren't any sharks in Nebraska, so he became content to try for a largemouth bass.

Before our trip was over, he did catch a bass and kept it to show mom. We arrived at the dock and the parents met the kids. This little guy was talking so fast to his mother that neither she nor I could understand him. He kept saying shark and bass and mom was really confused. She finally calmed him down and told him there weren't any sharks in Nebraska and that he probably didn't catch a bass. He dragged me over to mom so that I would verify he had caught a bass, and to show her the fish.

Something happened to me on that trip too. On that trip I became hooked on taking prospective anglers fishing. It fills out the trip and brings me back to reality that fishing is more than bringing home a limit of fish.

Fishing is about enjoying the outdoors and all it has to give. It's about the good times that you have with friends and family. It's getting away from the hustle and bustle of everyday life. If you are an experienced angler, perhaps the most fun you can have when fishing is to introduce someone else to our sport.

If you haven't tried fishing, visit your local sporting goods store and ask if there’s someone who can help you learn how to fish. Most fishermen need no more encouragement than this to arrange a fishing trip for you.

Gary Howey is publisher of The Outdoorsmen magazine and host of Outdoorsmen Adventures TV show. Gary is an active member of the Outdoor Writers Association of America and The Association of Great Lakes Outdoor Writers on which he serves on the Board of Directors.