The package of letters my mailman delivered from Jackson Heights Middle School was a bonus, one in which a hundred sixth graders thanked me for speaking to their classes on career day. One of the letters said, “Mr. Kumiski, I’ve never been fishing. Could you take me some time?”

It is a sad, sad thing when a 12 year old has never had the chance to go fishing. For ten plus years I was a teacher in the Seminole County school system, and there’s a lot of kids who never had the chance to fish, to camp, to hunt, to run around in the woods. I do what I can to get kids out, but there are way more of them than I can accommodate. They need your help.

Every fisherman who reads this knows some kids. They might be relatives or they might be neighbors. Many of them have never fished and are just waiting for you to ask them to go. Be sure to get parental permission before you ask the kids!

If you take a kid fishing it’s important that you do just that. Don’t bring them with you. Take them fishing. You might not mind waiting five hours to catch one big fish, but most kids will. The younger they are the more true that is. They want action, and little sunnies, catfish, and other less glamorous species fill the bill.

Lots of snacks area good idea, too. If they’re hungry they won’t have fun. Fun is what you’re after here. Don’t get too hung up on catching fish. Take time to watch turtles, dragonflies, and other wonders of nature.

now THAT's what I'm talking about!

Some kids will go and not like it. My son Alex doesn’t care to fish very much. That’s OK. Some kids will love it though, and become treasured fishing partners.

As it turned out, I already knew the family of the boy who wrote the letter mentioned in the first paragraph. I asked his mother if I could take him out, and we went to the Mosquito Lagoon for a four hour trip. Colin caught the first fish of his life, the biggest being a 23 inch redfish, and said, “Hey, this is pretty fun!” He thanked me at least a half dozen times.

The future of fishing needs today’s kids to become tomorrow’s conservationists. You can help by taking a kid fishing soon.

John Kumiski
http://www.spottedtail.com/

All content in this blog, including writing and photos, copyright John Kumiski 2011. All rights are reserved.