But, in My Opinion, we've fallen short of Really Defining what "Fishing" means.

The dictionary defines "Fishing" as the following:

fish·ing

/ˈfiSHiNG/

noun

the activity of catching fish, either for food or as a sport.

So there it is ... as plain as that. It's just something we do to catch fish.

Or is it...?

I'm of the opinion that the True Definition means so much more...And if you ask any angler I think you'd find that they too would agree that it's not just about "The Catch".

First and foremost it's about Family, and Memories...I remember, as a kid, the night before the Big Fishing Trip. I'd be sitting on the floor in the living room with a pencil through a spool while Dad sat in His Chair and wound the reels with "fresh line" ("Fresh Line" : A spool that Dad had recently found in the garage fishing cabinet that was purchased about 5 years prior and forgotten about) while uttering the constant reminder to "keep tension on the spool or the line will be curly". Mom making sandwiches in the Kitchen and my younger brother showing everyone ( quite energetically and dramatically) how he is going to use his new rod and reel to fight and land " The biggest fish in the World".

Then come the Memories of taking your own kids on their first trip. After driving a couple hours ( all the while being serenaded with a litany of "Are we there yet?...from the back seat) you're now lakeside. Just you and your family...you've set up everyone's rigs and helped the kids cast out and now it's your turn...but not before you've un-snagged, re-rigged and help to re-cast the kids lines at least half a dozen more times...

But the frustration is quickly vanquished by your children's Excitement and Joy ( and to be Honest, yours too!) as you help them catch their "first ever" fish! Now they are hooked and you'll always have a " Fishing Buddy" and a future waiting to be filled with wonderful memories as a " fishing family" ...

So there you have it..."Fishing" defined...or at least this "Fishin' Guy's" definition...

We hope you'll come up to Big Bear Lake soon and make your own "special memories" ... and stop by the shop to share your stories and pix.