The Eagle Times

Fishing is a great American pastime. It is a sport that can be done by all people. Most people think that fishing is just a male sport, but the truth is that it is not. Men and women of all ages go fishing all year round. Father and son fishing has been done for years and years. On that note, mother and daughter fishing has also been done for years and years. It is also quite common for a whole entire family to go fishing. In some types of fishing it doesn’t even take a lot of skill. Different types of fishing take different skill levels. It doesn’t take a lot of money to get into the sport either. But there are also types of fishing that take great amounts of money and much skill. If you are new to fishing it is best to start small and work your way up. You should go with someone who knows what they are doing before you just start buying things that you might not necessarily need.

If you have gone fishing before then you know what kind of excitement fishing can bring into your life. There is nothing like hooking a big bass deep into a slough in the middle of the spillway, or a huge redfish in the southern marshes of Louisiana. As soon as you hook one of those big fish your heart goes crazy and you know that it is a good one. It is awesome to wake up hours before daylight to hook up the boat to the truck, pack all of the gear, load the ice chest, poles and trolling motor, fill up with gasoline, grab a few snacks, and take off toward the landing with one of your best buddies. When you get there, the light has just begun to shine in the east. As it gets a little brighter, you and your best friend or family member enjoy the crisp air and that warm cup of coffee. Then you decide together, “Lets Go!”. You back the boat into the water, pull the truck up, and take off toward that special hole deep in the bayous. The water is as smooth as glass, the ducks are flying overhead, and egrets and cranes are craw fishing along the banks. As you pull up to the fishing spot you idle in and kill the motor. After taking off your life jackets, you reach for your rod and reel, drop the trolling motor in the water and start to troll forward. Before you cast, a huge bass jumps and you and your friend both see it. You say to each other, “Gonna’ be a good day today buddy”. You both laugh and start fishing. As you make the first cast the splash of your bait breaks the calmness of the water. The ripples continue outward in every direction. As you’re reeling in, you feel a tug back. You know it’s a bass. As you set the hook, your line takes off. You keep on reeling and pulling with your pole. It begins to bend. You know that it is going to be one of the biggest fish of your life. As you’re fighting it, the anticipation of seeing it is really getting to you. You are so excited and all you want to do is get it to the boat. At that exact moment it happens, that giant fish jumps up out of the water. Now you know that it is the biggest fish that you have ever caught. You keep fighting and finally get it close enough to the boat. As you go to reach for the net, here comes your best buddy with a smooth scoop of the net to bring in the fish. You are so happy that he was there to share that moment with you. The two of you give high fives, hugs and talk about how awesome that experience just was. As you troll off casting and reeling on either side of the boat you exchange, “Do you remember when we” and, “Yea I remember, and do you remember when we went.” You continue to fish and exchange stories.

The most important part of fishing is bonding time. There will be plenty of days when you don’t even get a single bite or nibble. It is important to enjoy the time that you have with your loved ones. Sometimes the best things in life become expected instead of cherished. We should cherish every moment that we have and never take a persons presence for granted because you never know what day may be their last. Anything is possible so keep your loved ones closest to your heart.

By Kyle Albarado and Garrett LeBlanc