Page 24 - 2019 MAR/APR Outdoor Oklahoma

ANDREA CREWS/ODWC

Youth fishing tournaments help keep young anglers engaged in the sport. They teach anglers respect for resource and appreciation of fishing.

the tug against the tension of a steadily retrieved line Keeping At It
and setting the hook.
Now that you’ve got a new angler “hooked” on fish- Introducing someone new to fishing is easy. Creat-
ing, let’s recap the basics. Take a new angler fishing ing a fisherman is a challenge. Many factors contrib-
during good weather conditions on small bodies of ute to keeping us away from the water. For kids, it’s
water at the most productive times of year. Keep school activities, sports, video games, and a pleth-
the equipment simple: bait and bobber, or small, ora of other interruptions that can quickly detract
steady retrievable lures. Teach your new angler to from the desire to go fishing. For the mentors, it’s
be self-sufficient: how to tie knots, bait a hook, cast a matter of making time available for them and the
and reel. Provide encouragement during moments children to go fishing. As we get older, work, financial
of failure. From the most elite BASS Series anglers to obligations and other distractions keep us off the
the first-timer, everyone will miss catching a fish that water. Like all hobbies, fishing takes passion to stay
should have been caught. Remember to stay patient engaged. Anglers are the reason many of us even
and positive. Reinforce good experiences by taking have access to the resource in today’s world.
new anglers out as often as possible. Every learning Anglers drive fisheries management, public access
curve will be different. A self-sufficient angler can be and conservation efforts. Every time someone buys a
molded in as little as a summer or as long as a life- new lure or a fishing license, he or she is ensuring that
time. The most important aspect is that we’re passing the next generation will have access to the resource. As
along a heritage. anglers, we are as dependent on the fish as they are on

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