Winter fishing continues here in Tampa Bay. We have been very fortunate this winter in that even with the cold fronts that move through we have had some very nice windows of opportunity to catch a lot of fish. OK who am I trying to kid? Even on some of our days when the weather has been less than beautiful we have been catching our fair share of Redfish and Trout.
On my most recent charter I had the pleasure of guiding Sara and her father Jeff. Sara (16 yrs old) was very excited about the charter. I was also excited. Yes I get excited before every trip. I love to fish and I love to teach and watch others catch them. Sara was not used to spinning gear as she uses closed faced Zebco type reels when fishing at home. That was no problem as it is my job to instruct. I gave her short lessons in casting and it did not take to long and it was apparent that she had the hang of it when she began to school her father in the art of catching trout.
During the half day charter Sara and her dad both caught many trout and redfish. The thing I really noticed on this charter was that it seemed as though this was a bonding experience for both father and daughter. I could tell that they both truly loved being on the water together sharing the experience. I do not have children of my own and it seems that every time I get the opportunity to guide a a parent and their child I wish I had my own to share my experiences with. I guess that is one of the reasons I love to take kids fishing.
