Fishing with Granddaughters

There is nothing to compare with a fishing trip involving granddaughters. Each has traveled with Grandpa on his boat. Most often these are big family affairs with Nana spending her time helping the girls with what ever needs arise.

This allows their parents to actually fish, enjoy the scenery, or hold hands.

Each granddaughter has approached fishing differently. It truly reflects their personality. All of them wanted to ride and drive the boat, but fishing was not their primary function.

Rachel is Miss Curious. “Why are you doing that , Grandpa?” However, she is the most serious about catching a fish. After all catching a fish is the whole point, Right Don? Rachel can also cast fairly well. She practiced off her deck with a Lighting McQueen fishing pole I bought her. It already had a fish (artificial) attached.

Before I took any of my girls out, I pre-fished the lake. Competitive fishermen do this all this time. I do it to avoid hearing “I’m bored”. Bass champion Kevin Van Dam faces less pressure to produce that me.

So on every trip I located a spot where bluegills were active. Generally it isn’t a problem finding them. Usually I try to avoid these “bait stealers”, but kids need some action. They aren’t fussy about species, just whether they catch a fish.

Preparing for one of these trips takes more time than packing for a covered wagon journey on the Oregon Trail.  There are the required clothes. These are Grandpa’s responsibility, a Bass Pro fishing hat and a life jacket.

The optional clothes are the parents’ responsibility.

We need jackets, short, jeans, hooded sweatshirts, accompanied by a parasol,  in case there is too much sun. There are special sunscreens for the kids, baby wipes, a stroller, and camping trailer. (just kidding)

The strangest piece of equipment we packed was a kid sized plastic toilet. I recall Rachel actually using it.

We pack enough food to march across Alps. Hannibal carried fewer supplies and he had elephants! There are Cheetos, Doritos, pretzels, and sandwiches for the one who only eats jelly, some for the one who only eats peanut butter, potato chips, string cheese, juice packs, water bottles, etc. etc. etc. We carry apple slices, raisins, and grapes too. They are not to eat, but just in case Family Services checks the boat, we can say they are for the kids. When they leave my boat looks like there was a food fight at Frito Lay’s employee cafeteria.

My boat has a listed capacity of 6, but that is for adults. If it was for kids, the capacity would be two and one of them would have to drive.

As I said each has their own personality. Emily now cries when she catches a fish. It interrupts her eating. She doesn’t want to touch anything that isn’t died taco orange. Unfortunately I don’t know how to catch fish that color.

Sabrina is also Miss Curious, except she wants nothing to do with casting a fishing pole. For the all the shells, bugs, and creepy critters she collects at the salt marsh near her home, she won’t touch an earthworm.

She was willing to “pet” the small catfish I caught for her at Dawson Lake. To keep her from getting “horned” and becoming so traumatized to ever fish again, I held the fish for the petting. You can see its forked tails under my hand. Her sister, Veronica, looked on. She was too young to hold a pole, but she could sure eats snacks.

Before showing Sabrina, how we catch fish in the Midwest, her mother decided I needed to learn about fishing in New York. Now Manhattan is an island. Rivers (estuaries actually) on three sides, you have heard of the famous Hudson River, East River, and less famous Harlem River. There is also this ocean( Atlantic Ocean) on the south (down town) side. Water is everywhere. Where do we fish? ….In Central Park.

Fishing in Bloomington or Texas...hook boat to truck, drive to lake. Fishing in New York City...take subway A to 168th, board M2 bus to 110th, walk to Central Park, rent pole, and bait(corn). Seriously, her pole was a fiberglass rod with 6 ft. of line tied to the tip and a hook with no weight. The only bait we were allowed to use was corn. (Next time Grandpa is smuggling in a container of wax worms).

Speaking of baiting a hook, none of them will. I have to bait all their hooks, cast for everyone except Rachel, and then reel it in when they catch a fish., hold the fish while we take a picture, take it off the hook and then throw it back. No wonder they need all those snacks, they are exhausted after watching me catch one fish!

The Texas  lake we usually fished almost completely disappeared over the past few years. The long Texas drought turned the 6000 acre Lake Medina into the 300 acre Medina Mud Puddle.  I stopped taking my boat and we stopped fishing.

Then something dramatic happened last spring. In one year the torrential rains over south Texas filled it ( and every  creek and small depression), with water . It is currently overflowing the spillway.

So the boat may return to Texas. We will go out again, wearing new fishing hats, bigger life vests, and carrying a small warehouse full of Lay’s products. Maybe the New York girls will join us. "We're gonna need a bigger boat".

We may not catch any, but as I always say, “It isn’t about the fishing”