CatchermenU: Volume 1 - Tapa blanda

This book is written as a dedication to those who enjoy spending time on the water catching fish. I believe fishing to be a very intense sport. Many would dis-agree with me but look at the facts: The weather changes day to day, the fish are moody some days, Boat traffic, Lure selection, and if you are trying to catch a big fish then that complicates things even more. I have spent my entire life fishing and enjoying the great outdoors. I have caught many species of fish from fresh water to salt water. In my adventures thru out the United States I have been fortunate to fish some great waters and catch some big fish. There has always been an outstanding joke between me and my dad about fishing. It came years ago when someone made the comment about “good Luck fishing”. The proper response would have been to say “Thank You”. But instead we proceeded to state that it was not fishing but more than that. If we were heading out to go fishing then we would stay home. Instead we were heading out to go catching. With that type of attitude to start the day off before we even got to the water was positive. When we headed out together fishing we did more than that, we caught a lot of fish. So when ever we headed out we would tell everyone we were heading out catching. This way to started off the day on the right note. When you tell someone “Good Luck” when they are going fishing you are assuming they may not catch something. Then the slogan “That’s why they call it fishing and not catching” comes to mind. So instead we came up with many slogans that we use when we go fishing. When we use to go fishing, my dad would control the boat from the front and my grandma would be in the back of the boat. Me, I would sit in the middle and cast all around. I would go thru my tackle box looking for the right lure combination to catch a bigger fish then my dad. Some days it did work and back then with out me knowing it, I was becoming a catchermen. My grandma would always complain about fishing in the back of the boat because she was fishing all the “used water” after we had beaten it to death with our selections of baits we were using. She did well for the water she had. A lot of these slogans were used last year when my son and I had the opportunity to fish the Cub Scout fishing derby. He told me he hopes we catch something. I told him that we are going catching and not fishing. Later that day when he turned in his score sheet with over 60 inches of fish that he caught, he had a smile on his face. He did win a trophy for first place that day at the age of 7. I told him that when ever he goes out to have the positive attitude that he will catch something. To all who go out to the great outdoors in search of that once in a life time catch or to just enjoy the outdoors- Good catching!