Mid- to upper 60’s, a bit of a breeze, only a few clouds to be seen…this is fantastic golfing weather! There have been several nice days so far this year, just not on a weekend. So what more could I possibly ask for? This is the perfect day to hit the links for the first time this year.

But I didn’t. Instead, my boys and I hopped in the car this morning and made our way to the bait shop. We grabbed a couple dozen night crawlers, headed out to a nice lake and proceeded to spend the next few hours casting our lines into the water hoping to reel in a good fish tale.

But I have to ask myself…is there something wrong with me? What I mean is, I have waited all winter for a weekend day like this one to get out on the golf course. And when this day finally comes…I go fishing instead! I guess the easiest way for me to explain it is that I have a connection with fishing that I don’t have with golf.

You see, I began playing golf only about thirteen or fourteen years ago. But fishing? I can’t even remember when I began going. Despite living practically around the corner from a golf course as a kid, it never really called out to me as much as the lake hidden back in the woods across the street. I can’t begin to explain how many days my friends and I would spend back there, for hours on end, pulling out bass, trout, perch and catfish. It’s a connection with my childhood that I don’t want to lose. Golf will never have that connection for me since I took it up much later in life.

But fishing isn’t something I get to do very often anymore due to hectic schedules, kids playing sports and my newer summertime love…golf. But every once in a while, I have to take the time to get back to my childhood. And then, golf has to take a backseat. It helps that my kids enjoy it also. They were as excited to go as I was.

People ask me how I can fish for hours, possibly not catch a thing, and not get bored out of my mind. The answer is, I have no idea. The connection with my youth? The potential to catch “the big one?” Just spending time outside, relaxing at a nice place on a nice day? Maybe it’s a little bit of all those things. But, in some ways, I can equate fishing to golf. But none better than this…

While sitting on some rocks on the side of the lake, a ranger (we were at a state park) comes by and asks my boys how they were doing. My oldest responded “OK, we haven’t caught anything yet.” The ranger then responds “That’s OK. It’s a nice day and you’re outside. What’s better than that?” After the brutal winter we have just come through…he’s right…what could be better?

Swing (or cast) ’til you’re happy!