She’s Hooked On Fishing

“Hey, you want to go fishing tomorrow?”

“I do, but I need to check with my wife first.”

How many times have you had this conversation with a friend?

What if it was your wife, not your buddy, who was asking to go fishing?

Recently, I discovered another reason I am a fortunate man. My wife Leigh and I went on a weekend fishing getaway to Live Oak Plantation in Adel, Georgia. Walking out of our room at the lodge there to grab a bottle of water, I ran into two brothers who were staying on the property for a fishing trip. We made small talk, and they were stunned when I told him I was there fishing with my wife.

Introduce your wife to fishing and who knows, maybe she will suggest a weekend cabin at a plantation with trophy bass lakes.

One of them said, “Dang, I wish I could get my wife to come with me.”

My suburban Gwinnett County neighborhood has two small fishing ponds. Prior to the quarantine, my family and I had fished in the ponds several times but not regularly. While we fished, a bucket of crickets or tub of worms kept my two daughters and wife entertained with plenty of bream and the occasional small bass.

During the quarantine when many of our usual activities were cancelled, we began to fish in the pond almost every evening after dinner. We caught plenty—most likely the same poor fish multiple times. The neighborhood ponds provided enough entertainment, but the biggest catch we could expect was a 1- to 2-lb. largemouth. But seeing my wife’s reaction was even more fun than what we actually caught. My wife, who is not an avid outdoors woman, got hooked on fishing and found the tug of a line exhilarating. One evening she made a comment about how exciting it would be to catch some bigger bass. That’s a pickup line if I’ve ever heard one.

I researched our options and planned an overnight trip to Live Oak Plantation so we could fish one afternoon and the next morning. The afternoon outing was slow due to high pressure—hot sun, no clouds—but we managed to put eight fish in the boat. We had high hopes for the morning trip, and thankfully we were able to catch 36 largemouth bass. The majority of them were in the 2- to 4-lb. range. My wife and I had a great time reeling in the fish, learning from our guide and taking in the picturesque scenery.

Husbands, before asking your buddy to go fishing with you, first ask your wife if she’d like to try it. Start slow with live bait under a cork. Be patient and see if she likes it. Who knows? This could lead to your wife asking you to take her to a trophy-managed largemouth bass fishery! A wife initiating a fishing trip is a guy’s dream, certainly for me.

Take it from me—it’s much more fun watching your wife reel in a big one than your buddy. Eleven years into our marriage, I’m so glad we found something else we both enjoy.

John Harper and his wife Leigh with a pair of bass they caught during a trip to Live Oak Plantation near Adel.