A Good Deed Designed to Plant the Fishing Seed

Read the account of an angler who, like a lot of other folks, prefers having a lake or area to himself when he's spending a day on the water. As I also learned, however, this fella always has a soft spot when it comes to kids, especially those who are trying to learn the sport.

"Their interest in fishing, no matter how short-lived, due to the usually short attention spans of children and/or other distractions," he noted, "can be stoked with a little success and the realization that results are within their grasp, based on their decisions. Friends and family alike can have a hand in this process."

He went on to describe a scene he had happened upon a couple of days earlier while fishing the eastern side of a cove on one of his favorite lakes.

"I saw a dad helping his two sons and a daughter fish off their dock at the back of the cove," he said. "It was like he was trying to keep plates spinning while he ran from kid to kid. Meanwhile, they were casting over each other's lines and trying to figure out how to work the reels.

"It was all kind of humorous," he continued. "In the 20 minutes or so it took me to get closer to their dock, I caught three bass, which as would be expected, caught the kids' attention. After the third one, the dad asked what I was using for bait. Even though I was tossing a Ned Rig, I thought it might be easier for the kids to use a wacky-rigged Senko...and likely would net results, too.

"I  motored over to their dock and was going to give them a pack of worms when the dad exclaimed, 'Oh, those are YamaSenkos...we have some of those.' So I spent about two minutes showing them how to wacky-rig the worms and told them that the bass weren't really chasing today, and thereby showing them how to fish it slowly.

"I mentioned that the bass were getting ready to spawn, how they would be moving shallow, and some different areas they should cast to. I looked over at the oldest boy (about 10) and told him that he likely wouldn't feel a strike from the fish but rather just see his line moving."

After spending no more than five minutes helping them, the Good Samaritan motored away in the opposite direction. He was still within earshot, though, when the heard the 10-year-old yelling, "Dad! Dad!" The fella turned and looked, just in time to see the oldest boy hook his first bass. His mom was videoing the whole fight, and they took a bunch of pictures afterward, then released the fish.

"I gave the boy a sitting ovation from about 50 yards away," said the angler. In return, the boy waved and yelled, 'Thanks for the help.'

"With the seed planted," said the fella, "it will be interesting to watch over the next few months and see if the boy is bitten by the fishing bug, or if this was just a cool moment he got to share with his parents, brother and sister."