It’s that time of year again, when fishing calls us to the great outdoors! Fighting a lunker bass or a mean ol’ catfish on your line just seems to somehow go perfectly with all the sights, smells, and sounds of Spring and Summer. There are so many great aspects to fishing that it’s often easy to overlook them. Catching bass or catfish is great fun, of course, but there’s so much more going on around us. Don’t forget to take it all in!

Use all of your senses when fishing and you’ll enjoy the day more while catching bass, catfish, perch, or nothing at all!

Sights

Use your eyes while you’re fishing to soak up the scenery. It’s too easy to get so focused on that trophy bass or monster catfish that you miss out on everything else going on around you. Turtles sunning themselves on the shore; ducks swimming along in a row; kids out enjoying a day on the lake.

Smells

So many fishing memories we all carry in our heads are tied to the smells of nature. The water, the flowers and weeds, and even the dirt your worms were packed in – all of these add to the experience every bit as much as landing that bass or catfish.

Sounds

Who can forget the sounds of their first fishing trip with the old man? The boat motor; the ‘bzzzz’ of your reel as you cast out your line; the ‘kerplunk’ of the bait or lure hitting the surface; and of course the frenetic splashing as you set the hook and reel in the first bass or catfish of the day! Not to mention all the birds and the quiet chatter with your fellow anglers.

So as another fishing season takes off, cherish the time you spend at this wonderful pursuit. Enjoy more than just the thrill of landing a big bass, catfish, or whatever else you’re lucky enough to haul in. Stash away the memories of the great outdoors too!

John Schwartz owns and plays webmaster for http://www.fishing-tackle-4u.com. An avid angler and dog lover (18 dogs as of today!), John lives in East Texas on one of the premier fishing lakes in the Lone Star state.