Page 25 - 2019 MAR/APR Outdoor Oklahoma

you. This is why it takes more than simply introducing
someone new to fishing. For those who take an inter- DON P. BROWN/ODWC
est in the sport, it is vital that they remain engaged, so
that one day they can instill the same passion in a new
angler just as you have done with them.
Each angler is equally important, from the most
devout to the occasional summer camper. It’s easy
to find excuses not to go fishing. I have been guilty
of neglecting my fishing urges over the years, and I
consider myself a devotee. One thing that can main-
tain interest in fishing is to try something new!
Like most, I got my start with bait and bobber as
a child. But as I became an adult, hitting the same
farm pond day after day became stale. For the lucky
few, an exotic fishing trip or traveling the country
can keep things fresh. But you don’t have to be A simple invitation for a fishing trip can yield plenty of memorable
wealthy to reinvigorate your passion for fishing. surprises. Dale Miller of Panama, Okla., caught the state-record
largemouth bass during a trip to Cedar Lake in 2013. Miller was
Something as simple as going after a new species or not an avid angler but received an invitation for the day, and it
perhaps a different type of fishing could keep you certainly paid off.
coming back for more.
I grew up in Washington state and spent my DANIEL GRIFFITH
formative years fly fishing for trout, salmon and
steelhead. I attended Central Washington University
because it was the only college in the state situat-
ed on a blue ribbon trout stream. But by the time I
graduated and migrated to Oklahoma, fishing was
becoming an afterthought. That all changed one
Friday night early at a neighborhood pond. I hadn’t
used a spinning rod in several years but decided to
dust off an old Ugly Stik from my childhood and test
the waters. By the end of the weekend, I was in a
checkout line at a local sporting goods store rein-
venting a gear bag that had been full of flies, stream-
ers and fly line for the past decade.
Nearly 10 years later, and I now fish more days a
year than I did in the previous 20. And it’s because
I’m constantly switching it up. Oklahoma is an an-
gler’s playground. I still bust out my trusty 6-weight
fly rod occasionally for some pond popper action
or stream smallmouth, but it was rediscovering my
love for simply catching a new fish in a pond that
has kept me engaged.
It will be different for every angler, but I can assure
you that when fishing boredom strikes, trying a new
species, new type of fishing or new body of water White bass are a great starter fish for new anglers. They are easy to
will go a long way to keeping the passion alive. catch and provide great table fare.

2019 ANGLERS’ GUIDE 23

OutdoorOK-2019-March-April.indd 23 2/18/19 9:33 AM