By Charlie Beasley
I taught myself how to use a baitcast reel when I was around 11 years old. I had been fishing since I could walk, but I wanted to fish tournaments with my dad and didn’t want to be limited in my choice of baits or techniques. We went fishing anytime we could. The opportunities for kids, back in the early 1980’s, were limited. I fished with him in a small club and in wildcat tournaments when we could get to them. Those are some great memories from almost 40 years ago. I wish there had been junior and high school fishing back then. I fished against adults in almost every situation.
The advent of the youth fishing teams has opened a lot of opportunities for the young people of today to learn and compete against people their own age. It is a great thing to see the growth in those areas of our sport. Youth can also benefit from scholarship opportunities to a number of colleges.
I sponsor the high school fishing team at one of the area schools I attended. There are many local companies doing this as well. The young anglers have access to all of the quality fishing gear through many manufacturers who also support the youth initiative. B.A.S.S. and MLF/FLW have numerous opportunities for them to compete and learn during the course of a season. A lot of the kids today can read a graph better than many adults who aren’t as tech savvy. You can also see the effect of the college programs on the professional level. Jordan Lee came through Auburn on his way to getting a berth from the college championship into the Bassmaster Classic, which he won, back to back, a few years later.
I think it is great for so many young people to be in the great outdoors instead of being glued to the screen of a computer in the house. That is how our beloved sport will grow and continue in the future. The kids on the lake are getting to spend quality time with family and friends. That is actually more important to a lot of parents than the kids realize.
I guess my point is to take a kid fishing. Not only will you enjoy it, most of them will cherish the time spent on the water with friends and family. Very few will make a career out of it, but they will make a lot of memories like I did with my dad.
Remember, it isn’t always how many fish you catch. It is the experience of getting to enjoy God’s creation and savor the great outdoors our area offers.
Charlie Beasley is the owner of 129 Fishing in Maryville, TN. They provide the resources to help anglers catch more fish on every trip.