Do We Need More Fishermen?

[Mike G]

I came across this thought provoking article this morning. Though it is written from a fly fishing perspective, it really has broader application. Here's a tease:

 

"So a few months ago, we floated the question in “Angling E-News,” asking very simply: “Do we want to grow angler numbers?” and here’s how the 130 responses (pretty solid sampling from niche this small) broke out: Forty percent (52 votes) said, “The business owner in me says grow the sport; the angler in me longs for more solitude.” Another 21 percent (27 votes) said, “Absolutely not. The waters are crowded enough as it is, and more is not merrier.” And then 38 percent (50 votes) answered in the affirmative, “Absolutely. We need more people fishing, and that should be our number-one priority.” One voter said they didn’t have an opinion on the matter."

 

Try it.

 

https://www.anglingtrade.com/2016/01/12/editorial-what-we-really-need-more-three-knot-anglers/

 

I'm still thinking about it.

 

[John Gillio]

Good article Mike. I suppose I would be in the 40 % group. The sport needs to grow, but that growth needs to be with those who care about the sport enough to protect the resources that allow the sport to continue. Along with growing the sport, there is a need to grow a respect for the land, waters and wildlife that we have. In this respect more anglers does mean less solitude, but it also strengthens an ethic that is good for the sport and the environment it thrives in.

[Norm M]

More younger ones to be sure .

 

The rest of y'all stay off my river without advance written permission .

[Mark K]

From the perspective of someone fishing for bass and trout in rivers and streams, probably not.

But it really doesn't matter what I think. Angling...either you get it or you don't. I can't stop anybody or force them to start. Personally I see no evidence of it going away.

My son starts high school next year, they actually have a fishing team.

[Rob G]

Yes, I would love to see more fishermen giving us a stronger voice politically and environmentally.......... and hope they all fish above I-80

[Guest rich mc]

we do need more fisherman. especially ones that practice select harvest . we do need more anglers to replace the license holders that cant fish anymore. rich mc

[ronk]

I agree with Norm. More young involved is crucial both for our sport 's future and for the environment in general. It's disheartening to see so many so removed from nature. Good to see that some schools like Mark's are trying to do something in this regard. TU has for years had a trout in the classroom program for kids along with other youth oriented initiatives.

[Mark K]

MISSION
We are everyday people.
Our mission is to show the world an elevated
perspective of our addiction to fishing
through our music, creativity, fashion and
lifestyle. An epic movement of supreme
angling that is on the verge of a takeover…

There are fishermen…
And there are wishermen…
As for US…
WE are FRESHwaterMarauders.

– C.A.S.T. CREW

 

http://cast312.com

[Scott Ferguson]

I agree with Norm. More young involved is crucial both for our sport 's future and for the environment in general. It's disheartening to see so many so removed from nature. Good to see that some schools like Mark's are trying to do something in this regard. TU has for years had a trout in the classroom program for kids along with other youth oriented initiatives.

 

The schools participation in fishing programs these days is putting together competitive fishing teams. I guess anyway to get them involved. The programs are not intended to teach newbies to fish or increase participation to get more students to fish, they just run tournaments.

Today's culture does not encourage outdoor activities. I doubt there is much we can do to change that which makes the long term prospects for the fishing industry bleak.

[ronk]

Hopefully there are in this and future generations enuf parents like Eric to keep the sport & the environment viable.

[John Gillio]

http://www.okeefesreef.com/"Make America Fish Again" T-Shirts. Find under fun print T-Shirts.

 

Eric, in an article on good parenting I read that it is a a good parent that takes his or her kids fishing. I am sure there is something to that statement.

[Steve S.]

I became a grandfather in September, and one of the first things my daughter told me about her little girl was "she can't wait to go fishing with Grampa"

 

Eric, a good fly shop is still a great place to talk fishing.

[Rob G]

this reminds me of the time I took my son, whom I had exposed to fishing since he was a toddler and a friend of his, fishing down on the Ohio river one night. I couldn't believe that his 18 year old friend had never been fishing even once in his entire life. His dad never fished and so he had never even been on a boat before, let alone a boat in the pitch blackness on the big Ohio. Needless to say, he had a blast and I'm sure will remember that evening for a long time.

 

[John Gillio]

Wow! Looks like they had fun. Is your boy with the gar or the carp?

[Mark K]

My parents had me late in life. My Dad really did his best to entertain me. I remember going to lots of Sox games, back in the 70's. Think Wilbur Wood, Bucky Dent, Ralph Gar etc. I saw greats like Reggie Jackson, Catfish Hunter and Nolan Ryan many times.

My Dad took me fishing, often, but a cane pole was his speed. it and really didn't help that he was old and sick from of a lifetime of smoking. My older brother was much older than me, old enough to be my Dad. He took me fishing occasionally and was a little better at it than our Dad.

i don't want tome off as ungrateful because some fathers never take their kids fishing anywhere. We did go to Wisconsin a couple times where we hammered white bass . That got me pretty hyped up. Then my Dad went to Wisconsin, once with his buddies from work and He came home with a pike about 8 lbs. It looked like a freaking sea monster to me!

So we had a little Chicago Public Library branch around the corner. I read every book they had on fishing. One comes to mind "Fishing with Worms and other Live Bait" by Ray Bergman. I also read Outdoor Life and Field and Stream cover to cover every month. We rode our bikes to Marquette Park and used garden worms or Pillsbury dough for bait. City boys on bikes with fishing rods. Urban angling at it's best.

Point being, if you really love doing something you'll figure out a way on your own. My Dad still took me to the Cook County FP lakes like Sag Quarry and Maple Lake.

Then for a long time, I stopped fishing. My Dad got really sick and died.

Then I was in a store and I picked up an issue of In-fisherman. Spring 1983. back then it was as thick as the Sears catalog and really great information. Anyway it had a lot of information about panfishing. so I bought an ultralight rod and boom, I was catching fish like I never did before.

Fast forward. Congratulations! It's a boy. and a new fishing partner. I had Max fishing when he was really little. He sat in my lap and together we caught bluegill after bluegill. Then he got old enough to hold the rod, but I still helped him set the hook. Really it wasn't that long before he could cast a spinning rod effectively and pretty much do everything on his own. Using light line, small jigs under light bobbers we fished CIRCLES around people next to us. Adults just getting their asses kicked by a 4 year old right next them using to come up to me and tell me "that's amazing". The point I am trying to make here, is teaching someone to fish is more than handing them a sucky-ass spin cast rod with a bobber the size of a tennis ball, then walking away. To get them as good as they are was a lot of attention on my part and I rarely fished myself in those times.

LOL I used to rig up a rod with stink bait and I would let him battle these big cats when he was really little. It was highly entertaining.

Max, A Nice Cat and I. by Mark Kasick, on Flickr

Max got better and better, then it wasn't all that long before I wasn't doing anything for him, and he could fish on his own. I could actually fish! Max caught this fish on his own, baited his own hook and beached it. Fought it in current with light line, just like a pro.

Max's Channel Cat by Mark Kasick, on Flickr

 

Then he got a little brother and the process started over.

Will's First Big Bass by Mark Kasick, on Flickr

 

Both of them are at home wading Rock Creek flipping rocks, catching minnows and crawdads as well as in shorts wading thru armpit high water willow and all the critters that reside in there.

The great thing about having kids, is you have full license to do all the dumb shit you would be embarrassed to do as an adult.

 

 

Max is really, really great at photography. i'll have to post his shots.

Man before you know it they are as tall as you.

20150907_133752 by Mark Kasick, on Flickr

 

Last year we went to Sylvania and kicked it ups notch. It was freaking awesome.

20150813_101453 by Mark Kasick, on Flickr

I have hundreds of fish pics with them. I need to get organized and make a slide show.

[Rob G]

Wow! Looks like they had fun. Is your boy with the gar or the carp?

 

My son is holding the long nose......... he is a G(a)rider after all

 

Caught some nice cats tight lining as well.

[Mark K]

Point I was getting to there is teaching someone to fish, is not going to happen in an afternoon. i see well intentioned people totally put people off on fishing for the rest of their life. Here is an example. A relative asked if my boys could tag along on their kids cub scout troop. I was okay with it. they told me there was one kid there that in the last 4 years they had done this he had never caught a fish. I thought that was peculiar since the lake they were on was awesome. I fished there a lot. Our company is right next door so I used to go there at lunch. It's just crawling with nice fish.

So I come to pick up my kids the next morning. My relative told me the skunk happened again and the catch overall that day was pretty pathetic. this kid was maybe 10? let me tell you he was convinced that it was his fault. So I grabbed an ultralight with a tiny jig and a small bobber. I had some gulp baits. I took both him and his dad and explained to his Dad, how this all works. I told the kid you are going to catch at least 10 fish right now, twice as many as anyone else. Do you believe me?....No.

first cast he catches his first fish. A nice gill. Then he goes on to catch 9 more one was a really big gill before a thunderstorm rolled in and we had to leave. his Dad took pictures and all and this kid was freaking beaming.

did it inspire a life long desire to catch fish? I don't know. And I bet a million bucks his Dad didn't listen and buy the magic set up and taken him since. point here is that kid was convinced that either fishing sucked, or he sucked at it or both. That's why I think if you are going to take someone fishing you need to make sure they are gonna catch fish.

[Rob G]

. That's why I think if you are going to take someone fishing you need to make sure they are gonna catch fish.

 

I couldn't agree more.

[Steve S.]

Good stories Mark. Sounds like we grew up in the same part of town; I used to take the bus back from Marquette Park with mayonnaise jars of tadpoles and crayfish. My Dad took us to fish all the CCFPD lakes as well. He had a lot of patience with us. We fished when we wanted and explored the rest of the time. Our first camping trips to the K3 hooked me for life on rivers and creeks.

 

My Dad wasn't a great fisherman when we first started, but he devoted the time and we all got better together. It's a bond we still share today.

 

Your boys will be writing about you someday, if not already. Good stuff.

[Mark K]

Good stories Mark. Sounds like we grew up in the same part of town; I used to take the bus back from Marquette Park with mayonnaise jars of tadpoles and crayfish. My Dad took us to fish all the CCFPD lakes as well. He had a lot of patience with us. We fished when we wanted and explored the rest of the time. Our first camping trips to the K3 hooked me for life on rivers and creeks.

 

My Dad wasn't a great fisherman when we first started, but he devoted the time and we all got better together. It's a bond we still share today.

 

Your boys will be writing about you someday, if not already. Good stuff.

 

Gage park for me Steve, 54th California. Yes. Fishing' poles on the "Green Limousine" for me too.

[John Gillio]

I totally agree with Mark too. You just need to take the time to make sure they are set up right, give them some guidance, and be ready to call it a day when they have had their fill. If a bunch of gills, chubs, or bullhead doesn't do the trick fishing probably just isn't their thing.

[eugene f collins]

Teach at their pace. Walk, explore, patience!

Having the fun again this wdecent

inter teaching nephew ice fishing.

Yesterday while we were walking around following coyote tracks

i made sure he slowed down enough to understand why the coyote

was scratching at the ice at shore. Then finally he saw a frog frozen

upside down! We chipped it out of the ice, bagged it. Hope i get a decent

Report Next weekend when he plays on the ice again.

[ronk]

My 1st fishing experience was when i was about 7 when my mom & aunt took me to Marquette Park.Catching a cane poll bluegill i fell in love with the sport that day.When he got out of the service my dad & uncle & I began panfishing on the Chain along with perch on the Lake. My 1st bass came in my early teens from Saganashkee Slough in the Cook Cty forest preserves on a hula popper surface lure.Wow!! When I got a car a few yrs later I started fishing Sag almost exclusively.That place was fishing heaven loaded with 2-4lb bass, 9"gills & for a few years big pike where boats were not allowed while wading & floattubing were. The result was that I & the few other buddies who floatubed had the entire 350 fish filled acres to ourselves. In winter we joined the scores of ice fishermen there. There was also very good bass fishing at Tampier Slough. For 10 yrs in the 60s & 70s the forest preserve lakes afforded me the best fishing of my life.After my parents moved to Indy in the late 60s I also fished central Indiana's stripits & newly formed impoundments for bass/gills along with its streams for smb primarily Sugar Creek & the Flat Rock River which was loaded with crawfish. I introduced my teen age brother 14yrs my junior on those trips teaching him to flyfish as well.

For a # of yrs I participated in TU's summer long events teaching ffing to various boy/girl scout troops and i continue to assist Orvis Lombard to do the same to newbies on summer weekends every year.Btw anyone interested should contact them for info about their classes which are free.

[John Gillio]

Ron, the first LM Bass I remember catching with a lure was also on a hula popper. I was in maybe 8th grade, fishing a strip pit with my dad. I accidentally tossed my lure over a limb. The lure swung just above the waters surface. I think it was on the second or third swing when a nice bass went air-born to take the lure. It took me right off the limb and I was able to land the fish.

 

Long before I ever had a fishing pole in my hands mom and dad would take us kids for walks along the little creeks in the nearby state parks. We would scan the waters for minnows, scuds, snails, water striders and such.We also liked to float walnut shells on the creeks trying to figure out how they would react in the currents. Mostly I remember it as fun time spent with the family. Dad would take me to the river sometimes when he fished. I was armed with a small net which I used to catch crayfish or hellgrammites. Dad would use them for bait. I may have been in about third grade when I first fished.

[Mike Clifford]

The ISA has mentored thousands of kids in this regard, and if you ask any volunteer that was a part of it they will tell you that the experiences are nothing short of magical. Will the kids ever fish again? The statistics we have for returning anglers say they do. At the same time, the number of first-time kids rises every year. There is no magic bullet. Just knowing that we try our best and see the results as big smiles and squeals of delight from excited kids catching their first fish may be as good as it gets.