Let the Season for Outdoor Fun Begin

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The official start of summer is almost here and I, for one, am ready for it!

Although the colder months bring with it the peak of hunting seasons, these warmer months have much to offer as well.

For the outdoorsman or woman who still has the passion to got to the fields and hunt, then hog hunting may be what quenches their thirst. However, with the coming of summer also comes a host of outdoor activities that might peak your interest as well, especially if you have never tried it before.

My wife and I have always tried to open doors for our children to tease their palates of outdoor life. We have always made it a point to introduce them to new summer activities and, what we may think, is exciting and fun. Hopefully, they will discover one or two things that will blossom into a life-long love of the outdoors. I just think that any activity that takes the kids out of their room and away from their computer games is a good thing.

Spending a few weeks a year camping in just one of those things. Every kid should get a chance to go camping. It is a great experience for them and they will look at it as an adventure. What kid doesn’t like a new adventure? It does not matter if you are using a full size motor home or a tent with sleeping bags, the point is you are outdoors as a family and enjoying life the way it was meant to be enjoyed. Personally, I think the young ones would have a much better time in a tent…while the adults would prefer the comfort of sleeping above ground level in an RV of some sort.

I have many great memories of starry nights, the warmth of a campfire and the endless campfire stories of ghosts and goblins that seemed to make the sleepless night never end. But when the morning sun peaked over the horizon, the day promised to be filled with outdoor activities that did not include a smart phone… and we had fun.

Someone came up with the statement that if you give a person a fish, they will eat for a day, but teach a person to fish and they would eat for the rest of their life. It may not be verbatim, but you do get the point! Kids from 5 to 95 love to fish.

Many life-teaching discussions have been made on the banks of a favorite fishing hole. The important thing to remember is that if you bring a child along fishing, make sure the spot you choose is infested with small pan fish. Toss a worm on the end of the hook and you can have hours of fun in the sun.

Many companies offer a wide variety of equipment that you might need depending on the body of water you are fishing and the species of fish you are after. If you decide to try your luck in fresh water, then you might consider a lightweight pole to make the small fish feel like a lunker. However, should you chose to chase some of the big boys of a nearby river, then you might want a medium weight pole along with some 10 pound test line.

My friend and I spent many hours along side a river trying our luck with the catfish in the area. We had a hot spot. Many times you would be working a big cat when another line would sing out and both of us would be trying to net our dinner before the line snapped. We would get there just before dusk and start a nice fire along the riverbank before setting up our rigs for big catfish or whatever else we might catch that evening.

One particular night a young couple came and set up about 100 yards downstream from us. We noticed that they did not have the luxury of a warm fire. It was unavoidable to hear their laughter every once in a while, as they would miss fish after fish. Soon the laughter was changed to a deafening silence that lasted at least a half hour. Suddenly, we heard the couple reeling in their lines and head for their vehicle. I shouted to them in the darkness and asked if they had caught anything. The young lad hollered back “ I hope not!”

I am not sure if the sound of the slap that followed was louder than our laughter, but it sure was funny! It was one of those moments I will never forget. I cannot remember if we caught any fish that day, but we had a blast!

It is moments like this that stay embedded in our minds. It is the many moments in life that bring us countless memories that last through the years. It is the summer outdoor fun that proves to be some of the most important times of our lives.

So what are you waiting for? The warmer weather has finally arrived and Mother Nature is screaming for us to get off that couch and enjoy all she has to offer. Answer the call and go have some fun.

– Lou Marullo

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