Take a kid fishing and they will learn to be successful in life.
As an avid fisherman for over 30 years I have to look back on my life and consider it a success. I credit that success to my passion for fishing. Why? You ask. Well, I am the youngest of three boys of a single mother. My oldest brother was six years older than I was and loved the outdoors. On occasion he would take me with him and his friends to go fishing. We really had a great time. We caught a few fish, but most of the time we just wound up in a rock skipping contest or swimming.

When I was ten, my brother joined the Navy right out high school. His best friend Joe and I had become pretty good friends. Joe would still come by and pick me up every couple of weeks to go fishing with him. I still remember the first time he took me fishing some thirty years later. Joe liked to fish for catfish, but on my first trip with him I picked up a small white plastic grub worm and asked him to tie it on for me. He said “You won’t catch anything with that” and began to dig around in his tackle box for his “secret lure.” I protested until he gave in and showed me the proper way to attach it to my line.

Joe returned to his tackle box as I headed to the shoreline to present my offering to my prey. On my first cast, I caught the first fish of the day, moments later I had another. Before Joe could even get his line wet I had three fish to my credit, and my own “secret bait”. I believe to this day if I went back to that spot and cast out a white grub, I would catch a fish. That is when I really fell in love with fishing.

The reason I believe my love for fishing helped mold me into a loved husband and an idolized father is all of life’s lessons I learned from it. Patience for one, what I mean is if you cast your bait out then just reel it back in. You won’t catch many fish. The lesson in that is to cast in the right spot the first time, and then wait for the desired response. To translate this I mean you can’t just go from job to job or marriage to marriage and expect to be successful at it.

By taking a kid fishing you also teach them respect for the space of others. For example: If you cast your line over the line of another fisherman you both become tangled, greatly decreasing the success for both of you to catch any fish. To top it off they may become angry, especially if you continue to do it. Translation: Teaching a kid to fish teaches them to co-exist with others by respecting their space.

These are only a few of life’s lessons that can be learned from fishing. You may know a kid that would benefit for a lifetime from the lessons in fishing, even if you just wind up skipping rocks. If you don’t have any kids or are considering having a kid, I would recommend Big Brothers/Big Sisters. They match you with disadvantaged kids in your area, all you do is hang out with them every couple of weeks and teach them life’s lessons. I was involved with them as a boy and still hang out with my big brother from time to time.

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Everyone’s an Expert, So Who Has The Right Answers?

Have you ever been stuck in a conversation with a fisherman who thinks they know everything there is to know about night fishing?

I know I have. After listening about how many fish this person caught yesterday or hearing about the 8 pounder he brought home last week, it may be tempting to take the advice this person gives with absolute certainty.

And in some cases, this is a good idea. I am a strong believer in listening to experts who are achieving the results I want to achieve, learn what they do, and then do the same thing myself.

I have had good success with this method in the past, but there is one thing to be careful of.

You will surely come across people who can “talk the talk”, but couldn’t catch a fish if you put one on his line for him. The key is to identify this type of person before taking his advice. I would always be polite and listen to his stories or theories, but I wouldn’t be trying to take mental notes or try to remember everything he is saying.

There are expert fishermen out there that gladly share their knowledge with you. Seek these people out. I learned this first hand on some fishing related forums on the Internet. Whenever I had a question about something, I posted it on these forums. Sure enough, I would get responses from people that I’m not sure have fished a day in their life. Had I taken their advice, I could have been killed, injured, thrown in jail or worse yet, come home with an empty fish bucket

Rather than ask the guys hanging out at the Bass Shop for advice, why not ask the guys out on the lake who are reeling them in faster than you can cast your line out?

If you can’t see the results for yourself, I’d be leery of taking a stranger’s advice. With that said, another sure fire way to learn what works is to test many different things. If you try 20 different lures, you are sure to find one that works with the location you are fishing. When you find one that is working, write it down in a notebook somewhere, along with the location you are at, what lure is working, time of day, etc.

Daniel Eggertsen is a long time fishermen, as well as President and Founder of Evening Secret Fishing - (http://www.eveningsecretfishing.com/specialsecret/experts.php)

Preparation is the Key To Successful Night Fishing, You Better Have These…

Night fishing requires quite a bit more preparation than daytime fishing does. Even if you “think” you know the waters pretty well, you need to take extra precautions when fishing at night.

If you are night fishing from a boat, you have even more to think about. Make sure you have enough flotation devices onboard and that they are easily accessible. If someone falls overboard, it is much more difficult to see them at night, so you need to be able to throw a flotation device out to them quickly.

Proper lighting on your boat is also essential. Enough flashlights and batteries should be an obvious commodity, but you would be surprised how many times those batteries that you “thought” were new, die off within minutes of the trip.

You should have a GPS monitor at all times (good compasses are better than nothing if you can’t afford a GPS). However, don’t go out and buy a GPS right before your first night-fishing voyage. Buy one in advance and learn how to use it first! Trust me, it is no fun trying to read the manual when it’s pitch dark and you’re lost.

Not only are the tree stumps harder to see at night, so are the shallow waters. It definitely pays to learn the waters well before heading out at night.

Before you venture out into the darkness, make sure you let someone know (back onshore) where you are going or are planning to go. If you aren’t back home at a specific time you suggest, at least others will know where to start looking for you.

It’s also a good idea to pack your insect repellant. Night fishing not only brings out the best fish, but also the meanest bugs. It’s prime feeding time for many insects, and to them, you look pretty tasty on that open water.

Prepare your rods, reels and lures BEFORE you hit the water. There is nothing worse than getting out in the water and realizing you forgot to bring your favorite lure.

A little nap during the afternoon before you head out is also a good idea. Of course, if you are catching a lot, I doubt you will be tempted to doze off.

And remember, safety always comes first. I am yet to see a fish worth getting seriously injured or killed over.

Daniel Eggertsen is a long time fishermen, as well as President and Founder of Evening Secret Fishing (http://www.eveningsecretfishing.com/specialsecret/night-preparation.php)