For years, my Mom kicked the butt of every health problem that was thrown at her. Man she was tough. But last year, battling Alzheimer’s and cancer simultaneously was just too much for her to take. Since her passing, my Dad has been incredibly strong. He’s as tough as she was.
To help him stay happy and healthy, I’ve tried to be a good son and spend as much time with him as I can. It probably comes as no surprise, but a lot of that time is spent fishing together. It was Dad who baptized me into the magical world of angling, and I will be forever grateful. So now, when we share a boat, it’s as if I’m paying him back in some small way.
Last spring, a particular outing stands out in my mind. We were crappie fishing on one of our favorite lakes. The action was decent, but that’s not what was memorable. No, the beauty of the day was just seeing my Dad completely at ease. He wore a constant smile as he vigilantly watched his bobber. With each bite, his hook-set timing was as true as it was in his youth. Each fish delighted him. I mean, here’s a guy who has literally caught thousands of crappies – and big ones! And on this day, each routine 10-inch fish made him as gleeful as a 10 year-old boy catching his first fish.
We talked a lot that day. About Mom and growing up. About grandchildren and growing old. We shared a nice pre-packed lunch. And we enjoyed long moments of silence, save for the sounds of wavelets, passing birds and splashing crappies. Through it all, there was that un-erasable smile on Dad’s face.
Another fortunate detail about the day was that our crew at Babe Winkelman Productions was there filming. The episode aired a few weeks back, but it will repeat on our TV syndication during the week of May 31, 2008. I hope you can tune in. It includes a look back at many of the fine fishing adventures I’ve shared with my Dad. Tons of viewers have sent notes and e-mails about the show, saying how touching it was and how it inspired them to take their own fathers, mothers, sons and daughters out fishing.
I tell you, that just warms my heart. I think it’s the job of every outdoor writer, television personality, tackle manufacturer and all fishing industry insiders to get people out on the water. Our wonderful sport is not what it once was. Too many kids today are spending all their free time playing video games, text-messaging with their friends, and not enjoying outdoor recreation with their families.
We have to turn the tide. We need to get pro-active and dedicate ourselves to fishing. It’s such an important part of the fabric of American tradition. Fishing fosters togetherness. It instills an appreciation for nature and conservation. Best of all, it’s a ton of fun.
So I want to issue every reader of this column a challenge: Take someone fishing this month. Choose someone who has rarely, if ever, gone. Maybe that’s one of your kids, or another relative or friend from work. Perhaps it’s a son or daughter PLUS one of their friends who has never experienced the magic of angling. Whoever you choose, act out the Nike motto and “just do it.”
Let’s speculate that a million people read this article, which is conceivable since it runs in several hundred publications across the country. If every reader acted on this challenge, that would mean a million people would be introduced to fishing. Holy smokes would that have an amazing effect on the future of our sport.
If everyone reader vowed to make it a monthly mission, a whopping 12 million new anglers would be recruited in a year! We need that kind of involvement friends. The sport needs it. The environment needs it, since license sales help fund conservation efforts around the country. America needs it too, because the pure bonds that form between fathers and mothers and daughters and sons while fishing are too precious to lose.
My Father taught me that. So thanks for fishing Dad, and let’s get out again this month.
Good Fishing!
Babe Winkelman is a nationally-known outdoorsman who has taught people to fish and hunt for more than 25 years. Watch the award-winning “Good Fishing” and “Outdoor Secrets” television shows on Versus (formerly OLN), Fox Sports Net, Comcast Southeast, WILD TV and many local networks.By: Babe Winkelman / Babe Winkelman Productions
