Sea Island Life Magazine Spring/Summer 2013 | Page 14

family first

gone fishing

Kid s ne ver f or get c at ching their firs
t fish a s the y
be gin a hobb y tha t c an la s t a lifetime.
By Joe R ad a

w

ide-eyed excitement. Dancingin-place exuberance. Yelping
joy. That kind of enthusiasm
marks the magical moment
when a kid catches a fish for the first time.
Witness this rite of passage involving a wiggly
prize and unabashed pride, and you won’t soon
forget it. Neither will the child.
Lasting memories—that’s the power
behind youth fishing. It helps explain the
national trend of programs introducing
youngsters to the pastime. Wherever there
are mountain streams, inland lakes, coastal
marshes or open seas, there are guides glad
to share a contagious interest in angling.
Why take kids fishing? It gets them off the

couch, into fresh air, active and away from
TV and video games. It surrounds them with
nature, stimulating their curiosity about
the outdoor world. It nurtures practical
skills ranging from navigation to knot-tying
through hands-on encounters with boats,
rods, reels, hooks, lines and sinkers.
It builds character, teaching patience
when fish aren’t biting and an understanding
of life and death in food-chain terms. It
provokes one-that-got-away storytelling, a
cherished anglers’ art. If parents join in,
add quality time to the equation.
But mostly, fishing is just plain fun.
Around Georgia’s barrier islands—where
shallow waters teem with redfish, yellowtails,

blue crabs, croakers, flounder, trout and
sharks—youth fishing has never been more
popular. Kids line the dock daily behind The
Cloister at Sea Island, casting rods and lifting
crab traps for a look-see.
“Some kids are at the dock all day, every
day, the entire week of their vacation,” says
longtime fishing guide, Charter Captain and
Yacht Club Manager Mike Kennedy, who got
his first boat at age 10. “Like me, they never
get tired of fishing.”
Some of those dock-hounds join excursions
led by Kennedy and other Sea Island guides
aboard 27-foot, single-engine, Georgia-built,
Rambo boats holding up to six passengers.
“Two-hour trips are perfect for beginners.

14 sea isl and life | spring/summer 2013

SI_KidDept-R2-H.indd 14

3/15/13 9:06 AM