Let me ask you a question. Who took you fishing for the very first time? Was it your Dad? Maybe it was your grandfather? Or was it just a friendly neighbor with a little extra time and an extreme love of angling that he or she wanted to pass along to you? Regardless of your answer, my guess is that that very first fishing trip left a lasting impression on you. Can you remember the feeling when your bobber plunged below the surface for the first time, or the first jump of the first largemouth bass you ever landed? Were you hooked?

I remember my Dad taking me to a small farm pond not far from our home. He patiently tied on my hook and bobber while letting me pick the perfect worm from among the many we had found the night before. I couldn’t have been more than 4 or 5 years old, but I remember it like it happened yesterday. Dad taught me how to cast the old Johnson reel and after a couple of “practice” throws I had it down. Then, he told me to keep an eye on the bobber really closely because when it disappeared, I’d have a fish. Sure enough, the bobber took a plunge and I can remember literally running up the bank to land my first bluegill. Hey, I was ready to head straight to the taxidermist and have it mounted, but Dad told me to gently release him back into the water so he could grow up a little and we could come back and catch him again another time. And while I was a bit disappointed, it didn’t take long to understand as Dad and I caught and released dozens of bluegills and even a few small bass that day.

Obviously that experience has stayed with me, and I’ve passed it along to my son and daughters. But today, as the average age of fishing license holders continues to rise, it’s more important than ever for us to pass along the legacy of angling to young people.

And now there’s an organization that’s primary mission is to do just that. It’s the Anglers Legacy program from the “Take Me Fishing” Foundation. The Take Me Fishing Foundation is a national effort to get avid anglers to take young people boating and fishing and to introduce them to our enthusiasm and love of fishing and the outdoors.

So do your part to insure that fishing remains America’s favorite pastime. Take someone you know fishing and give a little back of what you’ve been given... the gift of angling. And get involved locally by taking the Anglers Legacy pledge to continue to promote the ethics and joy of fishing. There’s no membership fee or obligation, just a promise to do your part in helping to promote our sport. Join with me and noted anglers such as Denny Brauer, Bill Dance, Gerald Swindle, Kevin VanDam, Shaw Grigsby and many more in this effort to insure that what was given to us is passed along to others. Visit anglerslegacy.org today to get started.