Goliath Grouper caught on a handline in Boca Grande, Florida
Growing up, no one in my family liked to fish but for reasons I can't explain I have always loved it. The first time I went fishing I was four years old. My dad took me to a kids tilapia fishing tournament in Hawaii where we lived. My dad knew nothing about fishing and I don't remember even seeing a fish, let alone catching one. On my first cast I hooked my dad's shirt and that was pretty much it. However, from that point on I was couldn't get enough of fishing. I subscribed to Field and Stream magazine when I was nine. I used to save up my allowance to buy lures and then I would just look at them and imagine the fish I would someday catch with them. Once in a while I was able to talk my friends into trying to catch bullheads and perch from the local dock in Washington state where we moved when I was 8. Unfortunately they usually preferred to ride bikes or play baseball. That's pretty much how it went for my whole childhood, and I didn't get to go fishing much until college.
In college I got a car and using my newfound mobility and independence I was able to fish about three to four times a week. Many times I would get up at 5am, fish at a local lake until 8am, and then go back for a 9am class. If fishing was good and I didn't have too much school work I would sometimes go back in the afternoon. Money was tight back then and I would sometimes park up to a mile from the lake and walk in to save the $1 parking fee. I figured if I saved that dollar on parking I could buy one more lure or some more line or whatever. Since I didn't know anyone who fished, I pretty much had to teach myself both by going a lot and also by looking up advice on the newly-created Internet. I found a lot of that advice very helpful and that was what eventually inspired me to create this website. I pretty much fished every body of water within a couple hours drive of my college. In most of these places fishing was allowed, but in some of them it wasn't so I launched a few "ninja" missions and got chased out a couple of times.
After college I got married and my wife was less excited than I was about pinching pennies in order to buy more tackle. We had some very spirited discussions about this topic early on. Luckily after around year 10 or so we reached an understanding of sorts and I no longer get any looks when I bring home yet another rod or reel. This is probably because I bring them home when she is not around and I now have so many that she is unable to tell when I add another one.
Ever since college I have gone on a couple trips a year to the most exotic places I could afford in addition to fishing locally in California. If I can talk a friend or one of my brothers into coming along I do that; otherwise I go myself. Over the years I have had the good fortune to fish a number of great spots in California, Washington, Oregon, Montana, Illinois, Wisconsin, Florida, Arizona, Michigan, Alaska, Hawaii, Canada, Mexico, Belize, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama, Venezuela, Ecuador, Brazil, Puerto Rico, Bonaire, Aruba, New Caledonia, and the Republic of the Marshall Islands. As I get the chance to fish more spots I will keep expanding this website. If you have a tip or photo to share please shoot me an e-mail.
Tight Lines,
Dan Smith
In college I got a car and using my newfound mobility and independence I was able to fish about three to four times a week. Many times I would get up at 5am, fish at a local lake until 8am, and then go back for a 9am class. If fishing was good and I didn't have too much school work I would sometimes go back in the afternoon. Money was tight back then and I would sometimes park up to a mile from the lake and walk in to save the $1 parking fee. I figured if I saved that dollar on parking I could buy one more lure or some more line or whatever. Since I didn't know anyone who fished, I pretty much had to teach myself both by going a lot and also by looking up advice on the newly-created Internet. I found a lot of that advice very helpful and that was what eventually inspired me to create this website. I pretty much fished every body of water within a couple hours drive of my college. In most of these places fishing was allowed, but in some of them it wasn't so I launched a few "ninja" missions and got chased out a couple of times.
After college I got married and my wife was less excited than I was about pinching pennies in order to buy more tackle. We had some very spirited discussions about this topic early on. Luckily after around year 10 or so we reached an understanding of sorts and I no longer get any looks when I bring home yet another rod or reel. This is probably because I bring them home when she is not around and I now have so many that she is unable to tell when I add another one.
Ever since college I have gone on a couple trips a year to the most exotic places I could afford in addition to fishing locally in California. If I can talk a friend or one of my brothers into coming along I do that; otherwise I go myself. Over the years I have had the good fortune to fish a number of great spots in California, Washington, Oregon, Montana, Illinois, Wisconsin, Florida, Arizona, Michigan, Alaska, Hawaii, Canada, Mexico, Belize, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama, Venezuela, Ecuador, Brazil, Puerto Rico, Bonaire, Aruba, New Caledonia, and the Republic of the Marshall Islands. As I get the chance to fish more spots I will keep expanding this website. If you have a tip or photo to share please shoot me an e-mail.
Tight Lines,
Dan Smith
