[dropcap]I[/dropcap]am fortunate to have lots of grandfathers taking their grandchildren on a fishing adventure throughout the year. I even had a grandmother and granddaughter outing this year. I enjoy each trip and love having kids on the boat. I especially enjoy it when my grandchildren can accompany me on the water. I don’t get to take them out as often as I would like, but we thoroughly enjoy ourselves when we do get the opportunity.
What started out as a boat ride for the kids, their mom, Dena, and Aunt Joanie and Uncle Victor, ended up a fishing outing for the kids. Chloe and Brody love to fish and have become very good anglers. Chloe is almost ten now and I can still remember her first trip on the boat like it was yesterday. Brody is seven and has been fishing since he could walk. He is trying to break his record of catching 20 fish in one of our voyages. It makes me proud when they come to me and ask if we can go fishing soon.
I met everyone at the ramp after my morning trip on Memorial Day weekend. It was crowded on the water so we headed to the mangroves to get away from the boat traffic. We settled in a quiet area and let the kids fish while the grown-ups relaxed. It wasn’t long before Brody yelled out, “I have one” and reeled in a nice black drum to start the afternoon off with a bang. A short time later I hear him again and he lands a juvenile snook. Many mangrove snapper later, Chloe’s reel starts screaming and I can tell it’s an oversize redfish. What seemed a long time and was actually just a short battle, we got broke off under the mangroves. The kids had a good afternoon and certainly made my day! We headed back to meet up with Grandma, Cousin Rachel and Vinny for lunch. We had lots of good fish tales to tell that afternoon!
No matter what you enjoy doing, if you have grandchildren, be sure to share your experiences with them. They grow up so fast! Enjoy them while you can and give them memories that will stay with them a lifetime.
Remember, as always, fishing is not just another hobby, it’s an ADVENTURE!
