[Jarons]

This thread reminded me of the first time I took my now 21 year old son fishing for the first time. We were living in Shelbyville at the time, he was 5 and I took him fishing for the first time. It was a hot June afternoon at Lake Shelby in Shelbyville. I'm trying to get his rod baited up, he was excited to fish and kept bugging me to get it done faster. I got it all set up and I dropped the bait into the water about 2 feet from the shore to keep him occupied so I could get pole ready in peace. My plan was to teach him how to cast when I came to start fishing. I didn't have time to get to my tackle box when he tells me that his bobber is gone. Without turning around, I tell him to reel it in thinking it was a small bluegill or sunfish. He tells me he can't. Aggravated, I turn around and he is fighting just to stay on the bank, his pole was was doubled over and he is fighting it as hard as he could. I run up to help him and we pulled up about a 15 in largemouth bass.
He has been addicted to fishing ever since. It was only thing that would calm him down as a child. After he fishes or surfs, he comes back energized and happy. He likes to go out in the intracoastal water and fish for red drum or whatever he can get a hold of.
I haven't been fishing since we moved to NC. I don't have a boat and we have alligators here and I really don't want to meet one. My son has the good fortune of having friends with a boat and they just fish from the boat to stay away from the alligators.