Remember the First Time You Picked Up a Fishing Pole?
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Do you remember how you felt the very first time you picked up a fishing pole?
Maybe it was excitement.
Maybe curiosity.
Maybe nerves.
Maybe all of the above.
Somewhere along the way, a lot of us forget something important.
Fishing is supposed to relieve stress, not create it.
Somewhere between learning knots, choosing lures, and trying to “do it right,” fishing can start to feel intimidating. Complicated. Like there’s a right way and a wrong way to belong.
Here’s the truth.
You don’t need to be an expert to enjoy fishing.
We All Had to Learn Somewhere
Recently, I asked a simple question on social media:
“Who is the person that taught you to love fishing?”
The responses were overwhelming.
So many stories. So much gratitude.
Most of them centered around patient grandparents, parents, or friends who took the time to teach, encourage, and make fishing feel safe and fun.
Stories about learning how to tie knots.
About finding the perfect spot to drop a line.
About early mornings and quiet water.
For me, it was a group effort.
I’m not even sure who the very first person was to put a fishing pole in my hands, but I can clearly remember my Grandpa O. helping me the most. He was one of the kindest souls I’ve ever known.
We spent countless summers at their lake cabin near Minocqua, Wisconsin. He would wake up at the crack of dawn, long before the sun was up. When I heard him stirring sugar into his coffee, I’d climb out of bed and join him. We’d chat quietly until there was just enough light for me to head down to the dock, usually with bread in hand to feed the sunnies.
As I got older, he taught me all kinds of things.
What to look for.
How to read the water.
What bait might work best.
Sometimes he’d sit my sister, brother, and me down at the picnic table and let us make our own fishing lures out of whatever we could find lying around. Who knew that an in-shell peanut, some onion bag mesh, and a hook could catch a bass?
It Was Never Just One Person
Fishing wasn’t taught to me by just one person.
My grandma taught me how to cook fish “the old-fashioned way.”
My mom taught me how to clean them. She’s still the master at pulling boneless fillets from just about anything that swims.
The thing is, every one of us had to learn at some point. And most of us who fish regularly are still learning.
That excitement of landing a new personal best is hard to beat. It hooks you for life.
Whether you’re a seasoned fisher or just getting started, don’t let doubt get in the way. You don’t need a deep knowledge of fishing to enjoy it.
I have yet to meet anyone on a shoreline, pier, or boat who wasn’t willing to help if I asked.
You’re Allowed to Learn as You Go
Here’s something else people don’t say enough.
You can’t catch fish if your line never gets wet.
Yes, there are apps like Salt Strong.
Yes, there’s YouTube.
Yes, there are endless resources online.
But sometimes the best teacher is just being out there and trying.
And honestly? Most people are more than willing to share what they know. Especially when they see you’re genuinely interested.
Why Fishing Quieted My Mind
I don’t know exactly what happens to me when I’m fishing.
But when I’ve got a line in the water, my mind gets quiet.
Clear.
Ideas come.
I feel God’s presence.
Even when my bait gets stolen and the wrong “F-word” slips out, fishing feels like a small taste of heaven. More so than trying to meditate or do yoga.
It’s grounding.
It’s honest.
It’s real.
Don’t Let Inadequacy Keep You From the Water
So here’s my message.
Don’t let feelings of inadequacy keep you from fishing more.
Like anything in life, you learn from both the good casts and the bad ones. On the water and off.
As it says in Galatians 6:9:
“Let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up.”
Fishing teaches patience.
Faith.
Persistence.
And maybe that’s why the Bible mentions fishing so often.
And maybe that’s why Jesus chose fishermen to follow Him.
They understood waiting.
Trying again.
Trusting when nothing seemed to be biting.
Erin
