Three times in one year i’ve been skunked in an area that can be extremely productive at time. It seems to go from non-stop action to absolute barren landscape with very little signs of life in the gin clear waters of the lower Susquehanna River on the Upper Chesapeake Bay. This past weekend, I was once again skunked and left wondering how such productive little stretch can change so much. On the ride home, the light bulb went off as a came to realize that all the days I was skunked on the this particular river had one thing in common. It was the change in tide and lack of water release from the Conowingo Dam.
More than i’ve seen on the tidal Potomac River, the outgoing tide really pushes the baitfish out and down the Susquehanna more than I would have ever expected. On an outgoing tide the clear water is almost void of life with the exception of some extremely large shad, handful of catfish and a few stray smallies, there are no fish to be found. The change in tide and the flood of water back into the river or a water release from the dam cause an explosion in baitfish and bass activity
The goal now is find out where all the fish and bait push to on an outgoing tide and capitalzie on the new information that I have gained and become more productive
Now that Bassmaster Tournament Trail has changed the rules about rod lengths, does my idea below become more relevant. How many new techniques can come out of this rule change. Comment below if you have any thoughts!
Fishing the Tidal Potomac and Susquehanna in Maryland on the weekends can be daunting. Dealing with weather and tides also comes major pressure from countless; fisherman, commercial fisherman, and pleasure boats. Starting early in the year, the influx of tournaments that are almost every weekend. All those factors combined, can put strain on the fishing conditions and not to mention the abundance of heavy weeds. Following behind fisherman has helped me learn a few things and I figured if I could catch what they missed I must be doing something right.
Finesse fishing in heavy cover seemed to be the trick for me. However, throwing light finesse style lures on big heavy flipping and pitching gear just wasn’t working for me. The light bulb went off and I decided I needed a heavy duty spinning rod to match my heavy duty casting gear.
What I settled for was a 7’6″ Heavy Action surf rod, one with a thin profile. This rod affords me the same rod qualities as a great flipping a pitching rod. I chose a high-speed spinning reel to match it with braided line and occasionally a mono or flouro leader.
What did this setup get me? Now I have the ability to throw extremely light lures in places I would normally heavier lures. I will say, I’m not trying to punch through the weed mates. I’m just finesse fishing around heavy cover with smaller lightweight lures. The rod provides plenty of power for hauling fish from the structure and the high-speed spinning reel quickly picks up the line. The spinning rod allows me to throw light lures without worry about potential back lash. I can pitch a small finesse worm a huge distance, which couldn’t be done by “most” fisherman.
What do you think, want to give the short surf rod a try? Tell me your thoughts below or on social media.
Contour maps to me were usually found on the most popular and productive fishing lakes in a given area. As a kid growing up I remember finding an Iowa Hotspots fishing book loaded with contour maps of lakes across Iowa. Now, these maps did not have precision contours noted; however, they were a great start to finding structure. I’ve always found myself fishing the smaller bodies of water and even down to local ponds. These are ignored frequently so really understanding the bottom is hard.
Today, you will find more info on lakes and even more contour information than ever before. Now, there is a new tool available for anglers across the world and its the first of its kind, social mapping.
This new tool can be found at gofreemarine.com and once you create a free account and log in you will have access to thousands of shared topo maps by other users. This site is updated frequently and I have found that most maps are updated with even more accurate bottom contour information.
So how do you use the topo maps found on Insight Genesis, besides the normal use of loading them onto your Lowrance, Simrad, and B&G unit. Boat anglers that don’t have the previously listed marine electronics can print off copies for on the water use. The big one is for shore fisherman, now you can compare the fishing location which you found on either Bing or Google Maps. Now you can see the bottom contours of the shore location and see if they fit the needs of what you are trying to fish. Go create an account and find a new body of water in your area, or structure on your favorite lake that you didn’t know existed.
You will be shocked to see the number of lakes already mapped nearby your location, so go take a look!
If you haven’t already, please check out the other articles related to finding fishing locations through Social Media, and the Internet on the site. Any questions, please ask below!
Social media has taken over this world and opened communications that good and bad and also extended communication to those you wouldn’t normally talk with. Most would associate social media with a younger generation. However, all generation are jumping on social media to share and brag about fishing adventures. Instantaneously a person can reach out to hundred, even thousands of people to share information about their latest catch. Today with social media you don’t have to wait a week, month or seasons just to get a report about the latest fishing. In the past, a person would go fishing with a plan in mind and ultimately get to the fishing location and have no luck. Now, that same person can reach back out to those same hundred or thousand people and get instant advice on how to fish that exact location or how to change things up. Social media has definitely made an impact on the fishing world, whether perceived by some as good or bad. Social media is forever part of the fishing world.
In the coming weeks, I’ll continue my posts about finding fishing information. Check back in to gain the amazing insight to becoming more productive at locating fishing locations.
All maps embedded are interactive, so please take a look around and see how they can help you!
Once you have located a potential access to water for the purpose of fishing. Now is the time to toggle the satellite and street views to gather more information on whether the spot looks accessible or not. When viewing in the map mode, you will notice areas that look like small ponds or streams. A little more digging with satellite and street view might prove the areas are not worth any more of your time. For example, finding a small pond on the regular map, then switching to another view to discover it’s actually a run-off pond that might not really ever hold water, except during periods of heavy rain. The opposite may hold true, you could locate what looks like another run-off pond, but a switch to another view reveals a community pond that is worth a visit. Never overlook a potential body of water, as you never know what you will find.
Unfortunalty this ended up being just a run-off pond that was about 2 foot deep.
The second way I use Google Maps is for recording my fishing locations. I use both my home computer and my smartphone. When using the smartphone functionality of the maps is not a robust. However, you can put a mark on the map and then save it for future reference. I discover most of my potential fishing spots on my phone. If a spot is saved on a smartphone as a star and you are logged into your account. That same star will show up on your computer when logged in.
Once logged into my computer, I review the recently saved location on the map and save them into a file I call FISHING. Once you save the location in your personal file you can select how you want the mark or push pin on your map to look. There are many options and color choices to choose from to organize your building list of fishing spots. Once the spot is saved you can then go in and add any type of description you want. In the beginning, I discussed the Discover Fishing Checklist. This is where you can start to build this information.
The same functionality as Google Maps, Bing brings in the additional feature of Birds Eye. Bing map, satellite, and street view because it comes from different sources and taken at different times could help. Bing’s best feature is the bird’s eye aerial imagery. Panning around a particular area may reveal imagery from different seasons or years. One view may show the water level in a lake that is full. Panning in either direction will change the view and could then show you a view of the same spot at a different point in time when the water is low and showing the structure of the lake that isn’t normally seen. Bing brings the same types of features when it comes to saving information to a map for future reference. You will ultimately need a Microsoft account, which is also a requirement of Google.
Here is an example of finding structure on a lake via Google Maps satellite view. Below that is Bing Maps in the same location with satellite view. Notice the difference? Plus both shots are taken at different times of the year!
The same location now using the Bird’s Eye feature take a moment to use the arrows on the side of Bing Maps to change the perspective of the area and see how things change. Showing high water and very low water, which reveals so much more structure. Unfortunately, Bing Maps does not allow the Bird’s Eye view to be embedded in this post so you can follow the link below and I promise if you haven’t seen this yet, you will be glad you did. Google Maps has a 3D view but the difference is the Google 3D view is changing the perspective of the satellite imagery and Bing Maps actually has aerial photography for the Bird’s Eye view.
The final way to utilize Google Maps and Bing Maps is through their respective street views. Bings Streetview is not as robust as Google Maps so you may not find the best street views of potential fishing locations.
Potential fishing location below and please the map is interactive, so take a look around!
In conclusion, both Google Maps and Bing Maps bring two positives when trying to find your next fishing location. Both have their own unique satellite imagery from different time periods and perspective. The big difference is Google Maps excels with the Street View and Bing Maps excels with the Bird’s Eye view.
If you have any questions please fee free to ask below or contact me through social media.
The idea of using multiple maps for discovering information, is that all of them will have different views of the same place. Google and Bing both use different sources for the satellite view and Bing adds in aerial photography as well. Each of the views could be taken at different times of the year or could even be years apart. The best way to understand is to pick a particular body of water and look at all the different views and see the vast differences in them. These differences could open your eyes to potential fishing locations in general or identify structure within a particular body of waters. So it pays to use multiple sources to get the best idea of the lay of the land. Below are two links, one to Google Maps and the other to Bing Maps. See if you notice the difference. If you spot it, comment below!
Mapping today is so much better that anything of the past. Initially, you could use paper maps and then my favorite portable GPS. Today, all fisherman have free access to amazing mapping programs online, downloadable or mobile to find new fishing spots. The mapping services that I use the most are Google Maps, Bing Maps. All these mapping services are available online and also available in a mobile app. As discussed earlier, this is how I do initially planning to for a trip or in the off-season. The ability to toggle street maps, satellite view, and nautical charts will help identify potential fishing locations and save valuable time and gas.
“Local knowledge is KING, and if you don’t have it, this is how you build it.”
Joe, The National Angler
The value of these and many other services are tremendous. In this section, we are going over finding locations. Later will be using maps to find structure in a particular body of water. The review of the mapping services will be individual since they are bring something to the table to help discover fishing locations. There is not one service that holds all the info and they must be used is some combination to get the best spot on a map to fish.
GOOGLE & BING MAPS – These are my go-to mapping service for most of my fishing place discovery. It has really replaced my GPS from the car. It is also the location to which I save all my fishing locations in a Maps folder for future use. Three topics to discuss with Google Map; map use to include “map” view and “satellite” view, street view and how to record newly discovered spots and information from the checklist discussed earlier. Google’s satellite view does provide a tilt mode to give you a different look, but it really doesn’t add much to discovering anything. The first thing that must be done before using a mapping feature is registering for a google account. This will come in handy when saving information about fishing spots.
The first use for mapping services is to simply locate water that is easily and legally accessible. Please note the laws associated with accessing water, DO NOT trespass or break any rules. While in the regular map mode you will notice three distinct colors that will help guide you to potential fishing locations. The First color is what you are looking for and associated on maps as water. Some variation of the color will indicate land and the final color will be examples of roads that will lead you to water access.
Some of the things I look for and first is blue which will be an indicator of water. Next start looking for green with water close by, which will usually be some sort of park with water. Next while search near blue areas, I begin looking for access points like roads that dead end or run parallel to the water. Below are some examples of what I look for.
If you have any comments or questions, please feel free to ask below or post it on my Facebook Page @thenationalangler.
Semper Fish!
Joe, The National Angler
Check back in as I share more on this topic!
Here is an example of a bridge that allows access and a nearby road that provides access to the river. Pay special attention to Brown Bridge Rd and Tucker Lane.
This article series is dedicated to a fishing friend that helped inspire finding people and fishing information on the internet, Burton “Burt” W. Phelps (June 15, 1942 ~ February 8, 2010). I met Burt in a strange way. Most would think I ran into him through some fishing event, while fishing, bait shop or fishing group. I found Burt on craigslist, YES Craigslist! He had posted an ad in the boating section looking for a fishing partner
. He said he had everything including the fishing information. He just needed someone to drive him that had a boat. I took a chance and emailed Burt and invited him to go with me on the Chesapeake Bay. Little did I know, Burt and I would have quit the adventures that summer. Once out on the water, I quickly realized (me being new to the area) we had no clue how to fish the Chesapeake Bay with light tackle. Through the summer we developed a relationship that will never be forgotten. If I had the information back then that I can find on social media and on the internet today we would have saved so much time and probably been more successful. I was fortunate to have my first summer in Mar
yland to fish with Burt. Sadly that following winter, Burt passed away.
BACKGROUND
As an Active Duty military member, I’ve had the opportunity to travel throughout the Western Hemisphere and live on both coasts of the United States . I would consider myself a multi-species angler who just likes to be outside fishing. Along with growing up in rural Iowa, I’ve experienced some great fishing. One of the hardest things about moving around after leaving home was finding new fishing spots. At home, you know people and can rely on word of mouth to when and where the fish are hitting. In the world of fishing “local” knowledge is KING, and if you don’t have it, well I’m hoping that my Internet and Social Media article series will help you build it.
I’m not saying you will catch more fishing, but you will spend less time searching for where to fish. The time saved in the search will mean more time fishing and eventually becoming a seasoned angler with the “local” knowledge.
After leaving home and starting training in Northern California, I began trying to learn to fish on the West Coast. I quickly learned that the techniques from back home would not work in California, nor the ocean. Before the social media and smart-phones, I used bait shop to gather info on fishing hot spots. This first bit of info from the bait shop helped me land my first ever saltwater fish from an ocean. I 13in greenling caught on basically a bottom rig with anchovies and a bass rod.
Back then, I didn’t have a phone that did much but call and text. I didn’t even own a computer and internet wasn’t really a concern like it is today. I did, however, have this handy gadget called a Garmin GPS, that I stuck to my windshield. Because California wasn’t flat and open like Iowa, I used the GPS to find potential locations to fishing locations. I would routinely sit in my car and scan for areas of water that had roads leading up to or near water. I was always on the lookout for small waters like ponds and streams.
Pick a spot on the GPS and drive to it, and potentially fish if it seemed worth a shot. Back then, I can’t even begin to tell you the amount of time that went into checking out all the spots I would find on the GPS. Some would lead to dead ends, others to private property. Eventually, I would always find my way to a new spot. Once you found the spot, it could take some time to figure out if fishing was worthwhile or not. Today I don’t use the Garmin GPS, but I do use Google and Bing maps from my phone or laptop. Doing the research at home saves a tremendous amount of time. Now I can pick the spots I want to drive too.
I would also pick up local fishing guides, which you could find at local tackle shops or retail stores. These guides, usually developed by a local fisherman with local knowledge were great starting points for finding popular spots. In the description, it usually talked about species and techniques used throughout the year. Another form of information were state or region specific fishing magazines and the ones specifically were great sources of info. I couldn’t always remember the information and sometimes the info was just a little too late. So instead of recycling the books and magazines, I would stash them away and make reference to them the following year.
My favorite technique of “dropping in”. “Dropping in” basically means I drive around looking for water access for fishing and I stop and say “HI” and talk to every person I see fishing. People would always share how the fishing was and what they were using and how. After some small talk, I would gather more info and new spots and venture on. I still use this technique today and especially in today’s digital world, just stopping by and saying “HI” goes a long way.
Back in 2005, I met Pete and his son while driving up the American River in California. Dropped in to fish next to him to talk, and the conversation led to an exchange of phone numbers and an invite for Salmon fishing in the next few weeks. Two weeks later Pete called and gave me a location near Sacramento and what fishing tackle to bring. I showed up that Saturday morning to catch my first Salmon, along with a limit and personal best!
Taking all the old techniques to develop the knowledge needed to save time and money, so more time is spent fishing is now replaced with technology and mobility offered through today;s applications on computers and smart-phones. All of these new advances can lead to more time on the water. Everything that took time out driving endlessly can now be accomplished in a matter of hours from home. Downtime at home, during the night or even the off-season, can now be spent researching and preparing for the next year, season, day or trip. Having your homework done beforehand means you can get to the business of catching fish vice searching just for a spot to fish and trying to figure out how to fish the spot.
Now, the internet and social media offer so much information you can develop a plan for the spots you find on the various maps. Just like I discussed, once you find a spot, then you had to figure out if the spot was productive or not and how to fish it. Today you can find the spot and use social media to discover if the spot is worthwhile. Information from the internet and social media will also help with the time of year, day, weather, tides, and techniques to help you catch more fish and have more time available to fish.
THE GOAL: a dot on the map with picture, season, species, bait and presentation.
The goal of these articles is to complete the following steps in order to start developing local knowledge. This guide will also help you will keeping the information handy and usable for future fishing adventures. The more information you can find to fill out the checklist below the better. Sometimes you make find out information a little too late. Keeping track of it this way will help you get ahead of the fishing curve the next year when the weather and seasons are the same again.
Stayed tuned and I will begin posting all this valuable information on how to take advantage of social media and the internet!
Have you ever thought about the one rod and reel that you use the most and couldn’t live without?
So in my quest to become more productive while on the water and make the most of my precious time, I like to keep things simple. I’ve made more of an effort to fish smaller bodies of water and try to explore when time just doesn’t allow me to get the boat out, or I want to take my girls fishing. I always find myself dragging multiple rods for myself along with the important Barbie Rod and toys! Even trekking through the woods to get to a small body of water can be precarious with a couple of rods. I also through my Deeper Smart Portable Fish Finder and Water Wolf HD Underwater Camera while fishing, so I have to make sure the rods I bring can handle chucking those things into the water. A rod that can handle a heavy lure or camera to a small beetle spin.
So, I’m not a professional fisherman and being a professional is not in my sights currently. My goal is to show you what I used and why I picked a certain product. I’m not specifically endorsing and I’m also not working for any of the companies mentioned in the article. The target setup is a rod, reel, and line choice that compliments all my requirements, but it may not be 100% ideal and that is okay by me.
The Rod:
The rod is a Tsunami AirWave 7.5ft Surf Rod that I picked up from Bass Pro about a year ago, and boy to I love this thing! It is the one rod that is always with me when fishing. The other specs to the rod include a slim rubber grip that helps support the 10-20lb line class that is rated for 1.5-2oz. lures. When I was picking out the rod I need something that could handle flipping, pitching, catfishing, surf fishing, light saltwater. Heck, I’ve used this for crappie and bluegill when I fishing with my daughter. It has also become the workhorse of “The National Angler”. It is the rod I use for testing all my lures and my Water Wolf HD camera, and can’t forget the Deeper Smart Fish Finder.
The Reel:
Luckily for me, I already had a reel in my stash that fit my needs for this solo fishing rod application. What I’m using is the Okuma Trios High-Speed Spinning Reel. The number one choice for this reel for this application and buying was for the speed. The reel is 6.2:1 that picks up 34 inches of line per turn. My personal thinking is; I can always slow down but speeding up can be hard. Pitching, flipping, and top water are my number one choices for the high speed. The reel also comes in at a moderate 10oz. and a great drag set up. The one thing that had me sold on this reel was the high speed and man can this thing pick up fishing line in a hurry.
The Line:
Well, I’m not actually using just one type of line for this reel. The main line I’m using is 50lb test Tuf-line XP in green. Wait, I did say I was using more than one type of line. Some applications like my Deeper, Water Work, and Flipping I’ll tie braid directly. When the conditions require, say monofilament for topwater or fluorocarbon for clear water, I can easily tie a certain amount of leader directly to the braid.
I’m curious, after reading this what would you select as your choice for just one rod and reel to do it all?
I recently wrote an article about keeping things simple with a three-rod setup for bass fishing. Now, this may not be applicable to every type of fishing, but it’s the idea behind which is the goal. One thing when I’m fishing from my buddy’s boat or walking the shore of a local pond I can only bring a couple of rods. However, I always desire to constantly switch baits some days, maybe from a jig to top water. It’s the constant tying of knots that can consume your trip. For me, I usually only go out for a couple of hours, especially when walking local ponds. Well sometimes because I’m rushed, I spend an enormous amount of time changing baits and tying knots over and over.
Take a look at professional bass fishing. The pros in today’s tournament trails carry a crazy amount of rods in their boats already rigged up. Sometimes you will see 15 to 20 rods just on the deck and that’s not including what’s packed away in the rod lockers. To the pros, time is money and even thinking about having to re-tie lures is not acceptable. I’m not a tournament guy, but my time fishing is usually precious time away from the family. I don’t want to waste what little time I do get.
As a kid, I always tried to use a snap swivel, but it just never worked out and it was just too much. Plus it was one extra thing to grab more weeds when I was fishing. It just never made sense for me to use that type of terminal tackle when fishing for something other than maybe catfishing.
Plus, growing up as a kid all I ever wanted to do was be a pro in the Bassmaster tournament trail. Pros don’t use snap swivels on crankbaits, jigs, spinner baits, and finesse baits. Again, when money is on the line a person would not want something to mess up the action of the lure. Tying directly to the lure with various knots seems to be preferred.
Today, after a decade in the military and another to go, I want to keep things simple as possible. The aspirations to become a pro angler have gone, but the desire to fish hasn’t and never will change. My biggest focus is making sure my fishing hobby or addiction doesn’t take away from my family. Today my focus is getting more from my time on the water and being productive and keeping it simple not complex.
Like the pro, I want to take advantage of my time. Instead of carrying dozens of rods already rigged I found a piece of terminal tackle that is new to me, and doesn’t seem to be used by too many people. This simple new piece of tackle has really been a game changer for me.
Quick clips, quick snaps, snap (minus the swivel) or whatever you want to call them are a great opportunity to speed up the process of changing lures and saving time on the water. Now some lures, like a spinnerbait with no defined “eye” with just a bent arm. Well, this piece of terminal tackle will just not work that well. Anything with a defined “eye” and you are good to go! Shockingly I’ve heard before you should always tie directly to the lure because it could take away from the action of the lure. Look at most all crankbaits, even those that are $15+, they all have split rings or snaps on them. Well…guess what…these clips essentially do the exact same thing.
So instead of the terminal tackle on the lure is just on the end of your line, no big deal then! Well, maybe to some really picky technical fisherman this won’t work. For me, this is ideal. It may take away a little action on the lure and cause me to not catch a few fish. I’m really ok with that because this one little piece of terminal tackle does one thing, it gives me more time on the water, with the little time I get. That is the most important part of all this, maximizing your time on the water.
I will say that my fishing partner has got hooked on using these things as well. He only brings two rods with us fishing and now he LOVES these little things. We recently fished the lower Susquehanna River on the northern Chesapeake Bay. We were both swapping out lures to see what was biting. Fish an area, then switch things up, both bass below were as a result of quickly changing lures.
Not all things can be good, and there are a couple of downsides to using these help pieces of terminal tackle. First, they are a little hard to figure out and get used to because of size, and this might cause some distress to those anglers. So the first thing is just getting used to these things, once you do that, you are Go To Go! Second, some eyelets and lure attachments are either too small or just don’t work. I few jigs I tried, didn’t work because the eyelet was too small. Also, a bent arm spinnerbait for example, will also not work because now the clip will slide up and down the arm of the spinnerbait, which is no good. Lastly, and this was kind of a fluke, but I got my brand new $15 Picasso Lures FX Shock Blade wrapped around a try. While pulling on the line to free it, the pressure from being wrapped up must have open the arms of the Norman Speed Clip, and then it happened. In Slooooow motion, my FX Shock Blade floated off the end of the line and plopped in the water, SAD L. Also the Norman speed clips are a little tricky so with big fingers, cold hands or gloves they are difficult. Also to note are baits that require the angler in inpart an action on a lure to make it do something, like a jerkbait, spook, spoon, etc. These baits and do to the jerking motion tended to get hung up between the split ring and the snap. If you want to stick with the snaps on everything you use, some modification will need to be done, like removing the split ring and attaching the snap directly to the eye of the lure.
Over a period of a month I’ve had the opportunity to try other clips that I have found mostly at the local Bass Pro, and this is due to the Quick Shot Snap being sold out and the results have generally been the same with all the competitors
My ultimate recommendation would be to go with the Bass Pro Shops Offshore Angler Quick Shot Snap, has a slight break-in period to loosen up and worked the best for all types of lures. For smaller lures my choice would be the No-Knot Fas-Snap, it is a little smaller but perfect for tiny jigs or flies.
In the end, whatever you want to tie onto or not, is totally up to you! I hope this maybe makes you think of how to help make things more productive on the water the next time that you are out fishing! If you have any questions or comments, I want to hear from you.
Fishing has helped me at so many pivotal points in my life from a teenager to a father. It’s the drive that keeps me sane and focused. To help me take care of myself so I can take care of my family and others. The vast array of resources available is pretty incredible, so I ask that you take advantage of those opportunities to fish and take someone fishing. The inspiration behind this article is to help veterans find ways to cope and deal with stressors, but in actuality anyone can use this in life to help them stay on track.
Since that point I’ve used fishing a motivation to help me keep things in-line so that I can always do my job and take care of my family, without it, I would be struggling. Even this very website is helping me ensure I continue to fish.
Just a few weeks ago I met Justin, a Marine Corp veteran who served two combat tours in Afghanistan and reached out to me for some fishing information. Over the next several days, I really got to know Justin and his stories, from his time in the Marine Corp to fishing. Let me tell you, this guy is an inspiration and the reason behind how this whole article came to. Being Active Duty myself, I completely understand the struggles of working yourself back into a life you had before. I’ve never personally had to live this, but I’ve helped a few people over the past few years.
As I’ve gotten to know Justin and his amazing story, and it truly is amazing! Struggles while deployed, dealing with physical and mental rebuilding, dealing with the VA…. Justin found himself at a point in his life where he needed a change. Instead of going down the wrong path, he fought back as you would expect any Marine to do. Reeling from the effects of combat, Justin has found “FISHING”. Fishing has brought solace to his world and helped him focus and decompress from daily life and the effects of combat.
Fishing is helping him take care of himself, and in turn helps him be an even better father, husband, and friend. One of the things intrigued me was our discussion of his cheat sheets on fishing. Combat effects may have an effect on his memory. However, the problem solving that was instilled in a young Marine in years past can never be taken. He has learned to adapt to his new world and make things easier. YES, FISHING has helped him use what he already know to develop new tools to adapt.
Many people may not realize this, but through fishing, Justin has developed new skills for his current situation. Something no doctor, therapist, or medication could ever do. Justin has persevered and coped to help himself heal, and he did this with fishing.
Just recently, I had a great talk with Justin and he shared some pictures from his recent weekend camping and fishing. Now, Justin really keeps things simple with camping and fishing and nothing fancy. An amazing Oregon backdrop of snow-capped mountains, stunningly clear lakes, this is truly how an American Veteran takes care of himself. An inflatable pontoon boat, couple rods and the fish he catches, Justin has chosen a new path. Again, it keeps him focused taking care of himself and ultimately his family! His saying when we talk is “the tug [the fish] is the drug.” It is that tug that keeps us going back to the water.
I’m truly thankful for Justin reaching out to me and asking a simple question, which has inspired this. I want to make sure I can reach anyone who may need some help and let them know, they could find what they are looking for in fishing. I’ve put together a resource list of fishing opportunities for veterans to utilize. Maybe this info can reach someone else and inspire them to follow the same path that Justin has and utilize fishing for a new purpose.
In reality, this information goes for everyone, fishing is definitely a way to help with the stressors of life. If you have haven’t served in the military its ok, do you know someone who did; a family member, friend, neighbor, or a co-worker? I hope that maybe this will inspire you to reach out and help someone you know and introduce them to fishing or just get them back involved in the sport.
If you or someone you may know, has a story like Justin’s or another way fishing has helped coped with stressors I would be honored to hear from you! I want to hear your story just like Justin’s! If you would like to share your story below and maybe it will inspire others. Maybe a private conversation is in order, all my contact information can be found below. I challenge you to share this with your friends, family and most importantly a veteran you may know.
I’ve also created a new Facebook group geared towards helping veterans find outdoor resources and link up with others. You don’t have to be a veteran to join, just have the desire to help with fishing information. The Facebook group is called The National Angler to help people connect!
Semper Fish!
Joe – The National Angler
thenationalangler@gmail.com or on Facebook @thenationalangler
Here is a list of resources that you can take advantage of. If you are not a veteran, you can always help out one of these great organizations. If you can’t locate one in your area let me know, or maybe an option to get something going.
Veteran Fishing Organization – This is just a list of organization that I have found with the help of my friend GOOGLE. There is no endorsement for these organizations, just wanted to start a list to help others out. If you find one that is missing, please let me know so I can get this list updated.
Project Healing Waters Fly Fishing, Inc.™ is dedicated to the physical and emotional rehabilitation of disabled active military service personnel and disabled veterans through fly fishing and associated activities including education and outings.
The Wounded Veterans Fishing Program – Washington State Only
Our goal is to provide an alternate means of therapy for our wounded returning from combat with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI), and Physical Disabilities. Give them a stress-free, nonmedical environment to interact with others returning from combat and those with previous combat experiences to increase their moral. Finally to provide them with a tool to reutilize in the future should relapse occur.
The wounded Veterans Fishing Program was created in the beginning of 2009 by VFW Post 318 of Olympia, Washington. Originally the concept was done by
Danny Gabriel with a few of his fishing friends who felt the need to help American wounded.
Fishing is the most relaxing sport and is a very good way to build a person’s confidence and morale.
We assist communities at large, by offering them the ability to show their support for the troops by sponsoring our Take A Soldier Fishing program. This allows service members to see just how much they are appreciated. For those that serve to support our fishing program, it gives the individual the ability to see how their support makes a profound difference in a service member or veteran’s life by providing a safe and positive outdoor experience.
We strive to show that there are people out there that care, and want to help. By providing these events, we have found they give the soldiers something to look forward to. We have also found that soldiers have also changed their outlook on life – the way they feel about wearing their uniform and a new sense of hope.
Veterans of all ages, from young men and women who have recently returned from overseas conflicts to those in our greatest generation, deserve our support, appreciation and help. Sometimes the best help we can give is to offer a moment’s peace or a chance to share a laugh or a memory with others. Let’s Go Fishing offers veterans the opportunity to put aside thoughts of service if they wish and experience being the recipient of service from all of us.
A non-profit organization raising money to enable us to take wounded or disabled American veterans, active duty military personnel and their families on hunts and fishing trips around the country
Lone Star Warriors Outdoors (LSWO) was founded by Retired Army and Combat Veteran Chris Gill. Chris has hunted, fished and worked with non-profit organizations offering these outdoor adventures for Wounded Warriors for years. In 2011 we created a program focused on hunting and fishing trying to say thank you to every Wounded Warrior out there. As of 2012 the combined number of combat wounded warriors from Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF), Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF), and Operation New Dawn (OND) was over 50,000. This means that there are many Wounded Warriors that have hunted or fished in the past or that have always wanted to hunt or fish and this is their opportunity. It is our goal to get those warriors back out doing what they love and allowing them the time with other combat vets to talk and feel a part of something again, which is why we created Lone Star Warriors Outdoors.
Montana Wounded Warriors was formed to provide residents of the State of Montana, who were wounded as a result of combat service in the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, with high-quality hunting and fishing opportunities in the state of Montana. These veterans must also have received at least a 30% disability rating from the VA. We are based in Columbia Falls, Montana, near Glacier National Park.
Patriot Hunts is dedicated to providing outdoor experiences for our Wounded Warriors, and Gold Star children of fallen heroes. With all of us sportsman and Patriots working together, we truly can make a difference in the life of a soldier who has chosen to lay his life at the altar of freedom on our behalf. These men and women have not only paid a physical and mental price, some have paid the ultimate price, for their fellow man. The cost of freedom is not measured in dollars, and it is paid for by patriots in our armed forces, by their courage, their commitment, and their willingness to stand in harms way for this country.
The primary mission of Patriots and Heroes Outdoors is providing outdoor activities for Purple Heart recipients and military with service-related injuries to show our appreciation of their sacrifice. Our mission reflects the changing needs of service families and offers a therapeutic break from daily routine for our warriors and their loved ones.
Team River Runner envisions a national network which creates innovative paddling programs designed to assist with the recovery of those injured while serving our country. Through paddle sports, TRR volunteers and partners provide local communities unique opportunities for the active, safe and positive support of healing service members and their families.
Established in 2007, the Wounded Warriors in Action Foundation (WWIA) is a national 501(c)(3) non-profit organization headquartered in Apollo Beach Florida. The WWIA is dedicated to serving our nation’s combat wounded, Purple Heart recipients, by providing world-class outdoor sporting activities.
Wounded Warrior Outdoors, Inc. is a non-profit organization exclusively founded to provide wounded servicemen and women with therapeutic outdoor adventures across North America. WWO gives deserving Active Duty Warriors in transition the opportunity of a lifetime in the wilderness location of their choice. We call them “Adventures Enabled.” Their adventure could take them bear hunting in the mountains of British Columbia, Canada, on alligator hunts or fishing excursions in the Gulf Coast region of Florida or deer hunting in Texas. During their experience, they will participate in therapeutic activities such as backpacking, trail expeditions and numerous social interactions.
id I know, Burt and I would have quit the adventures that summer. Once out on the water, I quickly realized (me being new to the area) we had no clue how to fish the Chesapeake Bay with light tackle. Through the summ
er we developed a relationship that will never be forgotten. If I had the information back then that I can find on social media and on the internet today we would have saved so much time and probably been more successful. I was fortunate to have my first summer in Mar
in the next few weeks. Two weeks later Pete called and gave me a location near Sacramento and what fishing tackle to bring. I showed up that Saturday morning to catch my first Salmon, along with a limit and personal best!
you find on the various maps. Just like I discussed, once you find a spot, then you had to figure out if the spot was productive or not and how to fish it. Today you can find the spot and use social media to discover if the spot is worthwhile. Information from the internet and social media will also help with the time of year, day, weather, tides, and techniques to help you catch more fish and have more time available to fish.
opportunities to fish and take someone fishing. The inspiration behind this article is to help veterans find ways to cope and deal with stressors, but in actuality anyone can use this in life to help them stay on track.
Since that point I’ve used fishing a motivation to help me keep things in-line so that I can always do my job and take care of my family, without it, I would be struggling. Even this very website is helping me ensure I continue to fish. 
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