|
|
Posts: 13688
Location: minocqua, wi. | chasintails - 7/21/2015 7:45 PM
Some of the problems that I see in limiting our youths interest is access. Everything is posted as No trespassing or No fishing or NO NO NO. We are more scared of lawsuits as a society then our kids turning into pansies. Its time to wake up America. The Pussification of our Youth is happening right under our noses. If things are remotely dangerous, well we better not allow them. If things are offensive to a few, well we better not do that anymore,
sounds like it's time to move. here in N. Wisco there is more public land than you could hunt in a lifetime and enough water to keep you busy for the same. great place to raise kids and a terrible place to raise adults. |
|
| |
|
Posts: 8717
| Chasintails is correct.
There are forest preserve lakes all over down here, and some great fishing to be had on the shores of lake Michigan. We've fished most of the forest preserve lakes, and while it may seem like a great place to take a kid, it's not somewhere that provides an experience they are likely to want to re-create. The shorelines are littered with garbage, up to and including used diapers. The parking lots have become a great place for drug dealers and users alike. Not that a small child is likely to notice either one, but what do you tell them when they ask why there's a dirty man sleeping on the picnic table? How do you provide them with a fun experience when you spend the entire time watching everyone that comes and goes, wondering if your vehicle and its contents will still be there when you get back to the parking lot? How do you explain what the people passing around a pipe are actually doing? Or the family that doesn't speak English who leaves with a bucket of (undersized) fish while you're trying to teach the kids about conservation and catch and release fishing? We've seen violence, drug use, people passed out on the ground, and a young couple who obviously couldn't afford a motel room for the day. You expect that stuff in the less desirable areas, but this is happening in the affluent suburbs of DuPage County. Short of a 6 hour car trip, there's no place around where you can take a kid and let them explore and enjoy nature, and not have to fear for their safety. |
|
| |
|
Posts: 255
| Long time Lurker I'm with you. I'm in a 12 year marriage with 3 kids 9, 7, 5. I don't go like I used to out of sacrifice for marriage and kids. And I think we're doing very good. Haven't caught one since 2012, a 42"er that holds me over til the next one. 42"er before that in 2007. Thank God I got a 50" before marriage, cause that helped me sacrifice years. People with me have got one, like a nice 46.5 last year that also holds me over till the next dumb fish bites. I only get a weekend a year and some hours over other weekends, even with a cabin on a musky water. Kids are in baseball, football, soccer, church activities, and all things kids do within reason. I went boatless for a year to save for a family boat.
But this and last year all three of the kids know how to catch fish, and two can bait own hook and release the crappie and gills. Passing it on takes sacrifice. I think next year my 7 year old will be a boat partner.
We don't watch tv; don't have a game system. Kids have friends, play outside, and life is still so darn busy. It's a good life.
Generally people are more lazy and more selfish IMHO.
|
|
| |
|
Posts: 20179
Location: oswego, il | Having worked in a state park in a summer job growing up, not the greatest of places, not great fishing. |
|
| |
|
Posts: 609
Location: Seymour, WI | Here's a couple pics of my two boys from this past wk end. They caught blue gills, bass and a bonus walleye.
My older son caught the SMB fishing by himself in a peddle boat. He was so excited when he got back to shore with the fish that he could hardly talk.
I fileted all the panfish that we caught this wk end and had a fish fry for the whole family.
All the SMB bass that we caught were released to fight another day.
Good times,
Grass
(big gills 7-18-2015.jpg)
Attachments
----------------
 Gordon 18 SMB.jpg (139KB - 368 downloads)
big gills 7-18-2015.jpg (99KB - 354 downloads)
|
|
| |
|
Posts: 90
| I agree that not taking your kids fishing is just idiotic and selfish.
But
I don't see why less people exploiting the fishery is a bad thing? Unless of course your all about the fishing industry and not the fish themselves. I mean really could your local lakes and rivers handle a 2 fol increase in the anglers on it? Likely not. |
|
| |
|
Location: Eastern Ontario | There's a commercial can't remember what for... but the last line is
Don't let your kid be the one that got away |
|
| |
|
Posts: 720
| As a father of two kids now getting older 22 and 19. Both kids love to fish and always have. My kids have been MI members along with my wife for years. They have been very fortunate to meet some great people along the way. For example my daughter still has a lure and still uses it from when she was a little girl. ToddM gave that lure to her. Its men like him and others that are keeping this sport alive. There is a flip side to this. We are an opinionated group with strong beliefs and value as it pertains to this sport. We don't seem to have any problems telling others what their problem is. And that's ok too. But don't just scold some young guy because a fish is being held wrong. Take the time to show them how and why we hold fish the way we do. Or stop being the loud mouth from their truck. Yelling and carrying on like baby when someone probably a new boat owner is struggling at the launch. Get out an offer some help. Your going to be waiting anyhow. Why not do the right thing? I've seen people make the attempt to go out and be a part of this great sport. Only to see them pushed right back out. So before we start to blame everybody and everything else for why our numbers are down. Because its easy to do. We should look at ourselves as a group. We need more folks like Todd. Who get it. Take the time to enjoy the things that happen off the lake. Like giving a little girl her favorite musky bait. Teach Mom and Dad how to hold that fish. As cliché as it is this is so true "If you're not part of the solution your part of the problem". |
|
| |
|
Posts: 1169
Location: New Hope MN | Hunter4 - 7/23/2015 10:28 AM
For example my daughter still has a lure and still uses it from when she was a little girl. ToddM gave that lure to her. Its men like him and others that are keeping this sport alive.
In 1991, at the age of 9yrs, I was given a brown and yellow suick by Don Pursch. I still have it to this day. It's always in my box, but I haven't thrown it in years. Too valuable to risk it. Little things like that go a long way. |
|
| |
|
Posts: 193
Location: Mayer, MN | Flambeauski - 7/21/2015 10:17 AM
I think everyone needs to actually follow the link Dave provides in his article. The decline of participation he mentioned mainly took place in 07-08 with the recession and has held steady and in some years grown since then. You see a lack of participation from some age segments, mainly the 16-30 year olds. Why? Cause fishing can be expensive, and people have to work more nowadays (for less) just to put food on the table. Especially those just joining the workforce and starting families.
Economics. It kicked our household's ass. Wife and I both lost our jobs within 4 months of each other and she was 8 months pregnant and we had a three year old. Boat sold, but we never missed a house payment or were ever late on anything else. The survival years. Not a lot extra now days either.
Now were involved in so many other activities that fishing has taken a big backseat. Kids sports, camping, etc. I still get them to the river for rough fish once in a while or for some ice fishing and they love what we can do. They don't care what's tugging on the line, size and species doesn't matter.
I get a gut ache, physically feel it when I see the guys going out on Waconia or Tonka in their boats. I sure do miss those days. |
|
| |
|
Posts: 8717
| Lots of luck brings up a good point. A lot of us got our asses handed to us during the recession. And there's something else that happens to a lot of guys when they get older: You used to drop $25k in a summer to go musky fishing all over the place and not even think about it. You went to every club function, fished every tournament, traveled wherever and whenever starting in May... If there was fishing to be had, you were there and you were all in.
Now you have a wife, kids, a house to take care of, mortgage, property taxes, utilities, activities for the kids, braces to pay for, sports uniforms to buy, ball games to attend, ballet recitals, furniture to buy, lawn to mow, payments on 2 cars...
There's a lotta guys sitting around on Saturday watching Musky Hunter who would be out there if they could, but adult life dictates that MH is the only fishing they're gonna get this week, or this month, or even this season.
|
|
| |
