I am probably giving away my age and economic status growing up, but I had to be in my teens before I ever got a rod and reel for fishing. Prior to that, my mom gave my brother and me a leftover thread spool from her sewing and we wrapped the fishing line around it. We would have maybe 4 or 5 hooks between us and a few split shots to spend the day in the woods and by the water. We caught tons of sunfish and bullheads and an occasional small northern or bass. I still remember the pull of a big carp or bass and running down the shore trying to keep it from breaking off. I don't think we ever landed anything big, but we sure spent many days trying
When my dad took us, we could share his rod and reel and later we got our own. We were plenty happy to catch a big bag of sunfish and a 2lb bass was a trophy.
Now even though I have 8 to 12 rods in the boat just for me, fishing was just as much fun back then as it is now. Times and money levels change, but fishing is fishing and it sure beats sitting at home doing nothing.
Jim
