My father always caught more fish than me when I was younger. Dad
always cast in the right spots and had just the right lure tied
on. Every fishing trip, he always caught the biggest fish. I
remember fishing trips to Lake Millac up in Minnesota where I would
catch fish after fish. It was exciting to fish in such a
large reservoir compared to where we came from in Northeast Iowa,
where you only had farm ponds, small lakes, and rivers to fish.
When I was growing up, everyone was just fishing for fun. There
was no large prize money or boats with 250 horsepower outboards
costing three times as much as the house we lived in. Times
have changed since then, but the values that my father instilled
in me today live on through me as I teach them to my daughters.
My dad,
Dean "Cuppy" Wiegmann
of Allison, Iowa, holds up the biggest bass
he ever caught while fishing with me |
For
my father, fishing is the only time he gets away from honey-dos
around the house or his job. Although dad is retired, he
still works part time. For my father, it is less about catching
the biggest bass, a certain species of fish, or running around
the lake in a hurry. No, it can be as simple as setting
up a chair on the bank and casting out a bobber with a worm on
or fishing out of an aluminum boat up a river for catfish or whatever
will bite. I remember this one Father’s Day when my
dad asked me why I needed such a big engine on my boat to get around. At
the time, a 150 horsepower outboard was the norm for a big engine.
Interesting how things change.
As I look around at other anglers in boats or on shore, I see other
fathers teaching their sons or daughters how to cast or thread
a worm on a hook; it is encouraging to know that the passion for
fishing is being passed on to the next generation. Just as
I have exposed the joys of fishing on to my children.
I remember wanting to be just like my father growing up. Imitating
his walk or repeating what he said to my other brothers. Every
day wishing dad had more time to spend fishing with me and not
working. Like all teenagers, I rebelled against my dad’s
authority but still respected him. Charles Wadsworth once
said, “By a time a man realizes that maybe his father was
right, he usually has a son who thinks he’s wrong.” As
I get older, moving through different stages in my life, I realize
my time fishing with my father is passing me too quickly.
Almost every angler fishing in bass tournaments has one thing in
common: a father who took them out fishing and taught them
to cast, set the hook, seasonal patterns, and everything else on
how to catch a bass. On this Father’s Day, many of
these proud sons or daughters may even get to take their father
out fishing. Sharing their experiences, either good or bad,
with someone they respect and love. For fathers, this time
together is worth more than any gift someone could buy.
On this Father’s Day, I reflect on my dad’s remarkable
wisdom and how it changed my life. I think back to how everything
would have been different had dad not taken me fishing when I was
younger
Thanks,
Dad..
Brad
Wiegmann is a full time fishing guide on Beaver lake and
Lake SWEPCO in Northwest Arkansas. Brad guides for Largemouth,
Spotted, Smallmouth, Stripers and White Bass. He is also a free-lance
writer who's weekly column "Speaking of Fishing" appears
weekly in several local newspapers. You may also see him doing
seminars, working outdoor shows or featured in outdoor magazines such
as BASSMASTER Magazine, Outdoor life and Arkansas Sportsman. He
also fishes the FLW Tour, Stren and local open tournaments. He
is currently on the Pro staff, promotional staff and guide programs
of numerous tackle manufactures, lure companies, and fishing related
companies. You can contact him at (479) 756-5279, at