Make a difference

Teach a kid to fish

AAssociate Pastor Hunter Bethea at Mulder Church in Wetumpka talked about mentors a few Sundays back, people that have inspired our journeys in faith and how we could be mentors to others. Family members, friends, neighbors, teachers, coaches, church members, co-workers and others. In some cases, these are lifelong relationships, and in others, only brief encounters. =

I am who and what I am today because someone introduced me to the pursuit of fish. Some mentors in my life I have never met in person, but for one reason or another, they inspired me.

I latched onto fishing at an early age, and it’s been a passion ever since. The things I’ve learned, the places I’ve been, the people I’ve met, the experiences and the memories are parts of the fabric of who I am today, all because someone mentored that passion.

What is it about fishing that can be so powerful? In some cases, it’s the challenge. In others, it’s the interaction with nature. For some anglers, it’s the relationships built or strengthened spending time together on the water, or it’s simply putting food on the table. For most of us that enjoy the outdoors, it’s all of the above and then some.

Every angler I know has been inspired by someone who simply made it possible to wet a line the first time. As our passion for fishing grew, we learned not only on our own but also learned a lot from others who knew more than we did.

Although I may not have recognized it at the time, those people who introduced me to fishing, made a personal investment of their time and expertise to fuel the passion I was developing. I’m forever grateful for that, as well as for the many other aspects of my life in which others invested. They were, and many still are, mentors.

I’m sure my parents’ generation said the same thing when I was younger, but it seems kids and teens today have so much more competition for their attention. Good mentors are critical in helping younger generations become good people and likely becoming good mentors to others in the future.

Fishing is one piece in the puzzle that can provide the next generation with a positive experience. There are many other outlets that will provide positive experiences, build relationships and teach valuable life lessons. Ball sports, church, art, music, water sports are just a few quick ones that come to mind.

I want to say thank you to all of those who are investing in our younger generation in some way or another. Not just with money but more importantly time and inspiration. Providing that personal positive influence is powerful. Because fishing has become such an important part of my life, I want to especially thank those who do a little extra to give the younger ones a chance to experience time on the water.

Looking back more recently at the COVID years, I have heard from a lot of kids and teens who had gotten into fishing during their spare time. Many of them discovered their passion for the outdoors then, when it could have been easy to get drawn into some destructive activities. Someone made that opportunity possible for them. Hats off to those folks

Now that there are junior and high school bass tournaments, a lot of families that might not have been interested before are getting serious about fishing. Families that are getting into it are investing time and money into the activity these days. For many, a tournament day is a family affair with grandparents, aunts, uncles and friends in the stands for the weigh-in. from the

One element of the junior and high school events is the need for boat captains. These are the people that often have a boat, ride along with the kids and teach them along the way. Being a boat captain is an impressive effort because they do a lot of the work that comes with preparing the boat and tackle without getting to fish during the event. Their goal is to guide the kids toward becoming good anglers, and the lessons they share will inevitably be the foundation for how the next generation approaches the sport. They are most certainly mentors, hopefully teaching the importance of ethics, conservation and hard work on the water.

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Big Catches

BY GREG VINSON

If you or someone you know has a heart for mentoring, I suggest to first be the catalyst to provide the younger generation the opportunity to fish. Buy a rod and reel; get some crickets, worms or artificial baits; and give a kid or two the chance to see what it’s like to try and to catch a fish. Often, one good experience draws a person to angling. Get pictures and/or video, so you can revisit the experience with them later. Some may be more interested than others, but the ones that are interested could go on to be very good anglers, conservationists …. mentors. Who knows the potential?

When working with motivated young anglers, help them learn to answer the question “why” as they fish instead of just telling them to “throw this bait in this spot.” Challenge them to understand what’s going on in the world beneath the surface of the water. It’s rewarding to put that puzzle together and will help them to become even better instinctive anglers in the future. Maybe they’ll go on to be college or professional anglers or maybe not. They will most definitely become better problem solvers, and that will be valuable later, no matter what they do.

Lake Martin is an incredible lake for getting kids into fishing because there are so many fish in it. Bluegill, catfish, bass, crappie, stripers and more. Give the young ones an opportunity to experience all that Lake Martin has to offer. Take them fishing.

Greg Vinson is a fulltime professional angler on the Major League Fishing Bass Pro Tour. He lives in Wetumpka and grew up fishing on Lake Martin.