Family is important. It always has been and it always will be. Unfortunately, in the middle of our busy lives the importance of family can sometimes be forgotten. That is why you are so glad that three years ago your family, at least they guys in your family, started a new tradition. A tradition of getting together for a long weekend every summer. The first time it was just a weekend at a cabin where the biggest activity was a little fishing at the lake and some campfire cooking for dinner. The fishing interest has increased and now this next summer you have some pretty elaborate plans. You have a fishing charter scheduled for the third weekend in June, and the “womenfolk” have announced that they want to be included by next summer.
Whether it be a fishing charter with just the guys or a weekend fishing at the lake with family, many Americans have realized the value of scheduling time to connect with each other and with nature at the same time. While the days of long afternoons of kids walking miles to the fishing pond are almost all gone, the lure, pun intended, of fishing is still present. In fact, 55 million Americans still took at least one fishing trip during the year 2013.
Free Fishing for All Events Can Give Your Family a Chance to Try Their Luck with Catching the “Big One”
Now a national celebration, the National Fishing and Boating Week is an event that highlights the importance of recreational boating and fishing. Scheduled for June 4 through 12 in 2016, the free weekend offered by state parks and recreational associations is an opportunity to experience a popular American pastime. Often staffed by retired veterans, fishing enthusiasts, and state and national park personnel, many locations provide poles, bait, and plenty of secret tips and advice. In an attempt to get more people in touch with both nature and what state and federal parks have to offer, the event has grown in popularity every year.
Interested participants often go on to purchase year long fishing and boating licenses. These license fees not only allow families a chance to fish and boat year round, they also go to pay for the upkeep and continued development of fishing lakes and other park offerings throughout the state and the country. #FirstCatch photo posts encourage others to join in the excitement of a family activity that promotes connecting with nature, spending time together, and finding ways to eliminate stress after long weeks at work.
Sports Fishing Can be a Great Activity for Many Groups
A fishing charter is one way that fishing enthusiasts can enjoy the thrill of big catches and beautiful surroundings. Often found in areas like the Great Lakes and off the coasts of California, a fishing charter allows longtime fisher men and women to learn and enjoy the unusual aspects of different fishing environments. Deep sea fishing, for example, can involve learning to use live squid for bait on a San Diego fishing trip for vermilion rockfish, sculpin, whitefish, sheephead, and sand bass.
No longer just a sport for men, more than 25% of all anglers are female. As an industry the U.S. spends $15.47 billion on recreational fishing equipment every year. Individually, the average American angler spends $1,261 a year on fishing. And while the monetary numbers may be significant, the most impressive part of a weekend fishing trip may be the implications it has for a family of group of friends. Two hours from shore on a deep sea fishing adventure, families connect without the interference of cell phones and social media. Workers who spend office hours stressed about meeting deadlines can instead work together to bring in an impressive catch. Most importantly, all of this can happen in the midst of a greater appreciation for the vastness of the ocean, the solitude of a Great Lake, and the quietness of cloudless skies.
Families who are looking for a new way to connect and spend time together may find that a weekend of quiet shoreline fishing or a fishing charter adventure may be just what they need to remind themselves about what is important in life.