MATAGORDA

Reported by CAPT. MARK TALASEK

Take a Kid Fishing

 

 

IT’S A COMMON SIGHT nowadays to see a family sitting at a restaurant with everyone glued to their phones instead of enjoying each other’s company. I’m guilty myself sometimes. Kids nowadays are entrenched in the technology world. Gaming and smartphones are the only entertainment they know. Very few kids get to experience God’s great outdoors. Technology has become a built in babysitter. 

Remember when we got our first push button rod and reel? I would tie a weight on the end and play cast all day long before the days of video gaming. That is what entertained me as a kid. Trying to cast into buckets set up in the yard. Practicing until we are ready for the real thing. Get a pound of dead shrimp. Put one on a circle hook with a weight and cast it off the pier. Dangling your feet in the water waiting for a hardhead to bite. The moment something tugged on the other end of your line it was on! It was fun even though most of the time there was a trash fish on the other end. There’s something about never knowing what you are going to catch. 

I was lucky enough to have a father who was a fishing guide. I jumped in the boat every opportunity to go fishing. Some kids don’t have that. If you get a chance, pass that knowledge on to them youngsters. Something as simple as tying a knot. We take it for granted but someone else might not know. We all have to learn from someone. 

I learned something from every fishing trip. Countless times on the water, some good some bad. Each trip was an experience. Where to go at certain times, where not to go. What bait to use. Hook size, line type, rod and reel, weather, moon, tide etc. There are so many factors to catch fish. Someone has to teach us. 

Basic navigation of a boat is something we take for granted. Putting the plugs in, loading/unloading, safety equipment, docking, submerged objects etc. I unloaded my boat for the morning trip and was waiting for my customers when someone came up and said that my boat was sitting low in the water. Sure enough I forgot to put the plugs in. Back on the trailer to let all the water out. Lol. Even the pros get complacent. 

It’s my job to teach people how to fish. Take the time to share your knowledge of fishing with others. Also how to be courteous and respectful of the outdoors. 

Summertime is upon us once again. Shorelines are holding fish early for waders throwing artificials. Midbay reefs are holding trout with drifters throwing live shrimp. Flounder gigging is great at night.