Life was pretty good growing up near the Chesapeake Bay. Fishing was a regular past-time with family and friends and I have fond memories of long summer days spent bottom fishing for flounder or trolling for stripers. In the smaller tributaries of the Bay, I would use imitation frogs and leeches to catch little perch and pickerel. As I grew up, I taught myself how to fly fish. Back then, I took fishing for granted.
After high school, I moved to Florida and assumed fishing would continue to be a part of my life as it always had been, it was part of who I was. Not to mention, Florida has seemingly endless miles of coastline to explore. It didn’t take long to realize I was out of my element. The water was different. The fish were different. I didn’t know where to start and I didn’t have anyone to ask. I went almost 15 years without fishing. One day, as I was thinking about my weekend routine of grocery shopping, laundry, and maybe washing the car, I realized something was missing from my life. I began to ponder what really makes me happy. I love to be outside, immersed in nature and I participate in tons of outdoor activities but I was searching for that one thing that I am most passionate about. Then I reminisced about my childhood; barefoot and salty. I remembered the peace I felt being on the water and the thrill of the catch when I could fool a fish into biting my lure.
I am married now with a family, but without relatives nearby who fish. I needed to figure out how to get started in the sport as an adult woman with no one to show me how. I checked online and found some fishing clubs for women, but the closest was over an hour away. After a little more research, I discovered Ladies Let’s Go Fishing (LLGF) was planning a weekend women’s fishing university in my area over Mother’s Day. I signed up and received a great refresher course on all the things I used to know and a crash course on all the things I needed to know. On the second day of the LLGF weekend, we fished. I felt that euphoric tug on my line again after so many years. My spirit was revived and I felt like a new woman.
Fishing doesn’t need to be a difficult sport to get started in. Attend a seminar. Ladies Lets Go Fishing does weekend universities around the state annually. Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission also holds a few fishing events specifically for women. Visit your local bait and tackle store and buy a rod and reel combo. Get a silver or gold spoon lure or ask an employee what they use. You can learn so much from the people at your local bait shop. They will give you good information; they want you to get hooked! You don’t need a boat and you don’t need to spend thousands of dollars on equipment. You have probably gone to the beach a million times with out of town visitors or your family. This time, leave the cooler, beach chairs, umbrella, buckets, and shovels at home. Grab your rod, your cell phone (in a Ziploc bag) and you will probably need a pair of fishing pliers to get the hook out of the fish you are going to catch. It doesn’t need to be complicated. In fact, fishing has simplified my life. It is my time, where I find my Zen. Go fishing. Take a deep breath. Find your Zen!
Karla George is a former accountant turned fishing bum. She resides in Stuart, Florida with her husband and son. She works at Florida Oceanographic Society in the development department and fishes the Indian River Lagoon as much as she can on her Maverick HPX-V.
