GONE FISHING

Life is full of new experiences and just recently, we embarked on a new adventure to try something (most of us) had never done before: FISHING! Yes, fishing. That outdoor sport that so many love, in order to connect with nature and, at the same time, get a moment of peace and quiet. Coming from NY (particularly the last few years when we lived in the lower Hudson Valley), I was used to us being surrounded by nature in terms of hiking trails, mountains, lakes to kayak in, etc. So now that we’re in South Florida, you definitely have to rethink your way of “connecting with nature”. 

After all, you’re pressed to even find a HILL here, never mind a mountain.

In any case, we decided to try fishing, in order to expose the kids (and myself) to something they had never done before and to relish in the peace and quiet that is the the sport of fishing. Now, I’m not sure how much peace and quiet you can attain while fishing with a crew of kids, but that’s neither here nor there. The important thing was that it was a family outing.

So we decided one Sunday morning to pack up the Highlander and head over to Dania Beach, apparently highly recommended for fishing and just all around walking on the boardwalk and taking it all in. We woke up bright and early since the early bird catches the worm (or fish) and packed up coolers full of fruit, snacks, mesh chairs and the like. On my husband's part, he packed up his fishing poles that he already had, along with his old school bait box, minus the live bait (we would end up purchasing shrimp at a little mom & pop operation at Dania Beach proper). Once we arrived, we definitely weren’t disappointed: After an hour of driving, we were immediately greeted by beautiful blue-green, aqua colored waters, as far as the eye could see and as CLEAR as the eye could see. From our view on the boardwalk, we could look down and see fish UNDERWATER, eagerly nipping at the surface where food was waiting for them. There was even a JELLYFISH that lazily oscillated by, slowly but beautifully moving within the waters. For a small fee (fisherman pay a higher fee than those who plan to just hang out on the boardwalk), we were officially allowed entry to the boardwalk. We proceeded to lug all of our stuff onto the boardwalk until we finally settled on an agreeable spot we were content with. Then it was time to start setting up camp and for my husband to start getting his fishing gear ready.

Once all the fishing poles were properly set and ready, each child was allowed to hold a pole (after it had been launched) and wait for a tug that would be the sign that a fish was on the hook and it was time to "reel her in". Unfortunately, after a full morning of various attempts of setting up bait, launching on different sides of the boardwalk and waiting patiently, we sadly didn't come away with any prized fish to show off. It was fascinating to see how smart these fish are (or how not savvy we are), since we had many an instance of hooking on the bait, casting the pole into the water and then reeling it in to realize that the fish had picked the shrimp cleanly out of its shell and that's all we had to show for our efforts. Slick little things huh?

But we definitely didn't arrive that morning with aspirations of catching the next swordfish or the next JAWS. More than anything, we wanted to expose the kids to something that they had NOT done before and enrich their life with some experiences that they would remember. Plus, there's always something to having that father-child bonding time, doing something as classic as fishing. It was so fulfilling and comforting to see my husband (who’s been fishing before), get the fishing rods ready, get the bait on and instruct the kids on how to launch the fishing pole and the waiting that follows after. My daughter Natalie especially was so incredibly excited and fixated on every action that my husband did, in an attempt to mimic his ways. That experience is priceless and it’s a moment in their lives I know that they still remember and talk about (and for a kid, that’s impressive). And when they weren't patiently waiting for a nibble, they were have a blast chasing birds on the boardwalk and sitting around in the chairs we brought, eating snacks and just enjoying being out with family and friends.

Even better than that, it an opportunity for the ADULTS to get exposed to something new. My old school Dominican mother who has lived longer in NYC than the Dominican Republic at this point in her life got a chance to try her hand at fishing herself! Sometimes it's not just children that relish a fun, new experience, after all.

So would we do it all over again? Definitely. It's important to note though that since it's technically winter (yes, even here in Florida), the weather particularly by the water was quite brisk in the morning when we arrived, to the point that we arrived prepared, wearing layers including hoodies, vests, caps, etc. By midday however, the temperature warmed up and we were able to shed the layers and enjoy the rest of the day in our t-shirts and jeans. And even though we didn't necessary CATCH anything, the kids were able to see what other (likely more seasoned) fisherman caught, since these individuals were so gracious enough to let them see the fish up close and slightly personal (according to my son Lucas, the fish felt "slimy").

And after a few hours in the sun, trying (to no avail) to hook a fish, we ended the day by closing up shop and hightailing it to the nearby CheeseCake Factory for lunch. Not too shabby of a way to close out the day, don't you think?

OVERALL ASSESSMENT: Highly Recommend