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Muskie Fishing -> General Discussion -> Muskies as parenting tool
 
Message Subject: Muskies as parenting tool
nd89sc88
Posted 7/20/2004 10:35 PM (#112611)
Subject: Muskies as parenting tool




Posts: 51


Arrgghh . . . so I've been having trouble connecting with my 8 year old daughter recently (I think "whatever" is the only word she knows). So after dinner, I tell her to meet me outside once she's finished with her popsicle. When she comes out, I had the boat hooked up to the truck, and told her to get in because we were going fishing. So, I take her over to Lake Elmo, 5 minutes from our house, and hook her up with a spining rod and a black jitterbug (hoping to hook her into some bass), while I was throwing a red and white spinner bait looking for a bunch of northerns (I was thinking action). Well, five casts into the evening I get a strike and hand her my rod. Frankly I didn't think much of it, unitl she got the fish to the surface near the boat. Then I realized it was a small muskie! So I quickly and clumsily got the net and we managed to land the fish. It was a 28 inch Tiger. Her first muskie. And guess who forgot a camera?

Anyway, best night I've had with her in months. We actually talked and laughed; she teased me about being the worst dad in the whole world (for forgetting the camera), and we generally reconnected. All from one little fish. Pretty cool. Who would have guessed?

Bill
lobi
Posted 7/21/2004 12:02 AM (#112621 - in reply to #112611)
Subject: RE: Muskies as parenting tool





Posts: 1137


Location: Holly, MI
My 7 year old boy Alec was begging to go with me yesterday. My brother and I were going to hit the lake about 5 and fish until dark. I kept telling Alec, no he couldn't go, because he always gets bored on a longer trip than about an hour and that we would be out for many hours and it was a long drive to the lake and back. He kept promising that he would not ask to go home or say that he was bored. Finally I made him agree to not whine or say he wanted to go home and that he could go, but.. If he did whine at all the entire time we were out I would never take him fishing again. My wife (behind his back) says "yea right, like you would never take him again". I said, I know better than that but he doesn't. We went and he had a blast. Was casting up a storm with his shimano baitcaster, changing out his own lures, picking whatever he wanted (didn't want my advice on lure choice), running the tiller electric motor for us, playing game boy, eating all my food, etc. We only ended up with one small pike for the evening and no skis in the boat but moved a couple.

Long story short, no crying or whining, all had a blast and I found out that he could endure a 2 hr ride each way and 5 hours on the boat. I think I'm as happy as he was. Kids and fishing rock.
Beaver
Posted 7/21/2004 5:07 AM (#112626 - in reply to #112611)
Subject: RE: Muskies as parenting tool





Posts: 4266


Man, I guess that I've got it made. My 8 year old daughter loves to fish and she plays hockey, even with her old man standing behind the bench. When we fish the Mississippi River together, she'll fish for 5 or 6 hours. If she gets bored, she plays with her Pixter. But if we are trolling, she always beats me to the rod when we get a hit, Pixter or no Pixter.
She's been practicing with a baitcaster and an old jerkbait body in the back yard and plans on pounding some MN lakes with me this September. I can't wait.
She still calls me her "Best Buddy".
I keep telling my wife, if I ever find out who she had an affair with, I'm gonna send the guy a thank you card. This kid can't be mine
Beav
nd89sc88
Posted 7/21/2004 8:22 AM (#112634 - in reply to #112611)
Subject: RE: Muskies as parenting tool




Posts: 51


Good news. The good feelings lasted all the way to the morning. She woke up this morning and told me she was going to write a book about our adventure!

I think we need to go fishing more often. Maybe next time I'll remember our digital camera so I can post a picture of a smiling girl with a muskie.
sworrall
Posted 7/21/2004 9:28 AM (#112646 - in reply to #112634)
Subject: RE: Muskies as parenting tool





Posts: 32761


Location: Rhinelander, Wisconsin
My boys and I fished and hunted together at every chance! I had 'disagreements' with the schools at times because I would pull them out of classes for a week to go to Wyoming hunting or Canada fishing. We would travel slow, stopping at landmarks and national parks.

I always felt the lessons learned in the woods and on the water are as important as those learned in class. It worked,I guess, both my sons are outdoorsmen and are, I am proud to say, fine young men.

Beav, that little girl is YOURS all the way, man. Chip off the 'old block' as us old guys like to say. You and I are fortunate we met the ladies we did, and that's a fact.
Beaver
Posted 7/21/2004 1:03 PM (#112672 - in reply to #112611)
Subject: RE: Muskies as parenting tool





Posts: 4266


THAT is the truth.
Amazing what can happen when you quit drinking (14 years now) and meet a good woman.
Yes we are lucky.......and I haven't puked in 14 years
Beav
Slamr
Posted 7/21/2004 2:41 PM (#112704 - in reply to #112611)
Subject: RE: Muskies as parenting tool





Posts: 6995


Location: Northwest Chicago Burbs
Though not a father (at least as far as I know) I want to take a second to tell it from the other side of the coin. I fish, my father fishes, and my grandfather fished before us; all muskies. No matter where I was in my life, growing up through many strange and bizarre phases (gotta love pics holding a muskie with 6 earrings in your ears) me and my father always had muskie fishing. On the way to the lake, in the boat we could always talk and reconnect. He dealt with my crazy hatred of my family, he put up with the time when I was in college and was sure I knew EVERYTHING, he dealt with me on the phone half the day when I was with some girl or another, all while we were casting, just enjoying being out on the water and having fun chasing muskies.
As I am a bit older now (at least chronologically) I do the "guiding", planning, and tactics decisions for our days on the water, and we get just as much enjoyment out of me basically taking him fishing, versus when I was 8 and he was taking me.
The Goon was fun, because I got to be with my friends and my other "Dad", but my trip to the Indian Chain in September with my father is the one I'm really looking forward to. The fish may not be as big, but the enjoyment is still there, just for different reasons.
My only thought to you with kids: take them fishing, deal with their craziness, know that they hate you now, but they'll come back when they become real humans.
blackdog
Posted 7/21/2004 3:26 PM (#112708 - in reply to #112611)
Subject: RE: Muskies as parenting tool




Posts: 2


Location: Littleton, Mass.
Those are great stories, guys. There's nothing more important than family, fishing coming in a close second. And when you can combine the two, well, now you've really got something great going. I'm getting ready for my first musky outing, my dad's taking me and I'm taking my 19 year old son. Three generations in a boat fishing for muskie. Should be awesome.

Also wanted to thank the guys that responded to "Live Bait", my first post. Thanks for responding and thanks for the tips. 15 more days...

blackdog

Long live musky!

Edited by blackdog 7/21/2004 3:27 PM
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