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Cathy Lewandowski tells how she continues the fishing legacy started by her mother - and should make every parent realize how important fishing with their children is.
Remembering Mother
Cathy Lewandowski (mommyfish)
"The day belongs to the kids," I think as spring comes once again and thoughts turn to fishing. During these times, I find myself remembering my mother and our festive fishing trips. Both my parents were killed all to soon when I had barely surpassed 12 years old, but the love for fishing felt by my mother and her children continues to this day with my family and me.
I can remember many a time when my mother would take all three of us kids fishing. Growing up in Delaware, we were able to fish both fresh and salt water. Whether it was catfish and eels from the brackish water on drop lines, or blue clawed crabs that came up when we checked our bait every five minutes, fishing at age 6 was a treat. When fishing the lake for bream, seeing mine and my younger brother's eyes light up when we would catch a fish filled my mom with pride and joy.
Of course, at that age, every one was a keeper. My mother (bless her sainted soul), would clean them all, no matter how small. Looking back now, with 20/20 hindsight of adulthood, I don't think we ever caught a fish larger than 6 inches. Often times, my mother would even take the neighbor's three kids in addition to her own three. I can still hear her saying, "what's three more? I can take as many fishing as I like! The law just says 'a licensed adult must be with all children!'"
I don't think I ever saw my mother fishing; she was always busy baiting hooks and taking fish off. But she never seemed to mind, she always seemed happy with the fact that we were having the time of our lives. And with no limit on bream, we caught many, many fish. After my mother would clean them all, we would have a fish fry with corn from the garden. My grandparents would come over to eat with us and to celebrate all the fish we caught, so it would seem more like a party. I always loved those times, I always felt so loved and important.
Time, it seems, passes all too quickly. I am now 46 years young, and a mother of three of my own. And yes, I take mine fishing. We own a 24 foot pontoon boat, so now I watch my kids catch bream, crappie, and anything else that will take a worm or crappie jig. I find I often don't have as much time to fish as I would like. Just like my mother, I spend most of my time baiting hooks and taking fish off. I too clean the fish, but unlike my mother, I have imposed a 4 inch size limit on cleaning the fish. (Anything smaller becomes bait for the trotline to try and catch catfish.)
The joy on the faces of my children when they see the marker on the trotline moving, or when they land a fish with their own fishing poles, makes it all worthwhile. My 16 year old daughter can now clean fish as well as I can. My 12 year old son has even informed us that he is old enough to run his own trotline this year with no help from us, and my 6 year old son stated that he is now big enough to cast his own fishing pole.
