by O’Neill Williams
It’s not many days until the neighborhood children will begin summer vacation. Seems a whole lot shorter now than when you were a kid doesn’t it?
Well, with the few remaining days of school left before the bunch scatters, round up some of the neighborhood yard apes while school is still in session so they can talk about it, encourage each other, and then you stake them all to a fishing trip. It may be that their dads aren’t fishermen, or maybe their dads do not even live at home. With a divorce rate pushing 50% and home family time at a low ebb, a planned fishing trip with their buddies will light up some eyes and create smiles galore. Some might be in a day care center for the summer while the parents work. You never can tell. Anyway, I’m sure that with a little effort and a telephone call or two, you can round up a small group for a trip to the local fishing hole. You can probably handle three or four can’t you? That won’t be too many. Maybe you can get one or two of your fishing buddies to help.
A couple of things though. Be sure that the equipment works. Children have no patience or skill to deal with tangles, backlashes or unworkable gear. The Georgia DNR actually has loaner programs to equip the needy. I’m sure you can gather up some stuff between you and your friends. Secondly, use live bait. With the absence of learned or practiced fishing techniques with plastics and such, live bait is heartily suggested. The deal is that even if the fish aren’t biting, a sleeve of crickets, a box or worms or a paper sack of spring lizards will entertain your wards for hours. A company
in Madison, GA has a product called ‘Fisher’s Choice’ with product that you can buy online. They are little cans of dried crickets, shrimp and worms. They work just like live bait and will be perfect for your little rascal fishermen.
How about the destination? Pick a state park by reaching out to the Georgia DNR. They have lakes at the Charlie Elliott Wildlife Center near Covington, GA that are stocked heavily with catchable critters and are reserved just for children groups.
Remember too, you don’t have to try for a state record bass; a few tugs from a bream or catfish will suffice nicely. Your best headquarters will be the bank of or pier on a pond. Boats are ill advised for this type of trip.
Take a little grill and heat up hot dogs for lunch. The little fishermen will get hungry and will not want to stop fishing to eat. Lastly, don’t make it all day. A few hours one morning before it gets too hot will do. Four hours at the most will do nicely.
It’s likely that the three or four children you sacrifice a morning for will never have gone fishing before and may not again until you take them. With a catch or two, they’ll proudly tell everyone at school when they return, and will feel like their summer was worthwhile and that you thought they were worth it.