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Top Tips To Plan A Fishing Trip With Your Family

If you’re planning a fishing trip with your family, the details may feel somewhat overwhelming, especially if your children are still relatively young. There’s no doubt you want your kids’ first fishing experience to be a memorable time, so we have listed some top tips to help you plan a successful outdoor getaway. These tips will also help your youngsters fall in love with nature and all the wonders it offers. 

Pack The Right Gear For Little Hands

There is a significant difference between junior fishing gear and adult fishing gear, so you will want to kit your kids out with the right stuff. While you should also determine the right equipment for yourself based on the type of fish you will be hoping to catch, the time of year is also an essential factor to consider. If you are a seasoned angler, you probably already know all the specifics of fishing with the right saltwater spinning reels and picking the best bait. However, if you aren’t yet an expert, delving into some research is the best way to find out which gear is best for everyone as there are many variables to consider.

Camping, Glamping, Or Staying For The Day

Fishing requires ample patience, which is why most expert anglers plan a weekend getaway to indulge in the activity. However, planning a day fishing trip is also an option. On the other hand, parents with older children might decide that roughing it in the wild with a camping experience is a great decision. If your kids are still tots, glamping or RV camping might be the better solution as your little ones will have significantly more comforts to enjoy and will be less likely to long for their home during the trip. 

Bring Entertainment

Instead of assuming that a fishing experience is enough to hold your kids' attention, it is best to bring along some other forms of entertainment. As mentioned, fishing does require patience, and it is not realistic to expect the experience to be constantly thrilling. While waiting for fish to bite, your kids may become somewhat bored and disinterested. To help your little ones stay entertained, bringing along some outdoor games and even ordinary toys can make a massive difference. 

Let Your Little Ones Enjoy Nature

Even though your trip is based on a fishing experience, you should allow your little ones to explore the great outdoors. Depending on where you will be going, you may find that certain spots include hiking trails suitable for youngsters. Including nature exploration into your fishing trip will encourage your kids to fall in love with nature as they discover how freeing it is to explore the outdoors. A relaxing walk on a nature trail can be a stimulating experience for a young mind that will be experiencing the depths of nature for the first time. Encouraging a love for nature is beneficial for countless reasons, which is why parents around the world consider outdoor activities before others.
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Top 5 Fishing Piers of the Carolinas

Here are five of the best in the region:

North Myrtle Beach, S.C. – Cherry Grove Fishing Pier
The 985-foot Cherry Grove Fishing is one of the most popular family fishing and sightseeing destinations on the South Carolina coast. The pier is adjacent to the beautiful art-deco Prince Resort and has a fully equipped bait and tackle shop.

Nags Head, N.C. – Jennette’s Pier
The oldest on the Outer Banks, Jennette's Pier was destroyed by Hurricane Isabel in 2003 but was rebuilt by the NC Aquariums as an all-concrete, 1,000-foot-long educational ocean pier offering educational programs and even fishing classes.

Beaufort, S.C. – Paradise Fishing Pier on Hunting Island
Located on Hunting Island in South Carolina’s most popular state park, the pier extends 1,120 feet into the Fripp Inlet. With five miles of pristine South Carolina beaches, a publicly accessible historic lighthouse and over 200 campsites the island is the premier Palmetto destination.

Hatteras Island, N.C. – Avon Fishing Pier
The 600 foot long Avon Pier offers some of the best redfish fishing in the world. Golfers will love the pier's golf center with an 18-hole par-3 course on the premises!

Folly Beach, S.C. – Edwin S. Taylor Folly Beach Fishing Pier
Stretching 1,045 feet off the coast, the Edwin S. Taylor Folly Beach Fishing Pier is the second-longest East Coast pier extending directly into the Atlantic Ocean. The 23-foot high pier, offers amazing fishing in the Folly Beach surf, spectacular views and a variety of fishing tournaments, special events and dining.

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Most husbands have a beer fridge. Look what mine has...

Our family took a trip to Charlotte a couple weekends ago to celebrate William's 5th birthday. Our first stop was the Bass Pro Shop. Actually, we went there 3 times that day! It is Dwayne and William's favorite store. I think they could spend hours in there if you let them. They both enjoy father and son fishing time so me and the girls went our way and the boys stayed at Bass Pro Shop.
When we met back up, I see a styrofoam cooler in Dwayne's arms. I just gave him "the look" and he goes straight into "the pitch". He tells me that the fishing season was getting ready to start and how it would be a good idea to grow his own worms. **Insert stinky face here** Well what is a wife to do... you have to let men do man things from time to time. I listened to his very convincing pitch along with dozens of reasons why his idea was so brilliant. I let him purchase his funky little worm growing foolishness. I won't say that there wasn't any eye rolling involved. 

He ended up not being able to use the styrofoam cooler kit because it was too big for our mini-fridge so he use some of my old food storage containers instead. He poked tiny holes in the tops of the containers.  He purchased some sort of packing material that you add distilled water to that has the food the worms need inside the mix. All that was left was to add your own worms.  
It is all very disgusting to me but I am still amazed at how quickly they have multiplied! I won't talk about Dwayne's debacles with some escapees.
I have told him that as long as I don't have to do anything with his worm growing experiment, he can have at it. Of course the business man in him wants to start selling them. I can't deal with this dude sometimes! I suppose there are worse hobbies he could be into.
And yeah, he is that serious that he has dedicated "worm water". I just can't....

SO, what crazy little hobby does your spouse have?
Shelly, Mom Files
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Happiness


Isn't William the cutest fisherman? He is so content when he is out back with his daddy fishing. Look at the concentration face! They did catch some small fish. Of course I make them throw them back in the water. Mean momma! :)



Shelly, Mom Files
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Sometimes I just want to say....


I am sure some of you will not be surprised to know that this post is about my dear husband Dwayne. He gets these ideas in his head sometimes and because I am a great wife, I humor him. We live on a pond and he LOVES to go fishing as often as he can. Our pond has all kinds of fish in it although we have never eaten any out of there before. I took him to the store so he could buy some new fishing supplies. He was going to wait until it cooled down a bit this evening to see if he could catch anything. That was all he was supposed to do.

How about an hour before he went out there he starts rummaging through MY kitchen looking for items to cook fish with. He went on and on about how he was going to catch the fish and get it straight into some hot "grease" as he calls it (country ain't it?). I'm sorry, when we lived in Miami we used to catch fish and eat it all the time. Here in South Carolina, we just go up to Publix or Kroger and buy it ready to cook. I will spare you all the gross details of his stanky fishes he caught. I cleaned the 3 fish he brought in and cooked them. He sat at the table feeling like a King, bragging about his catch. Then all of a sudden things got quiet. Very quiet. I asked him if everything was okay. He looked at me out the corner of his eye and said next time he wants fish he will just send me to the store to buy it. I just giggled a bit and almost said "I told you so". He knew he lost this one. I am going to talk about him for a very long time. Sometimes men get into this "manly-man, I want to conquer the world" state of mind and as a good wife you just have to let them have their fun. I am quite certain Dwayne learned his lesson! Now I am off to go get the fish funk out of the air :)

Shelly, Mom Files
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What William loves

Every single morning when William wakes up he goes into my bedroom and looks through my window. He tells his daddy that he loves to throw rocks in the water and catch a fish. He repeats this at least 6 times.
Since the weather has warmed up, Dwayne takes him out in the backyard to the water to throw a few rocks and to toss the line in (with a live worm). William will swear that he caught a fish. Poor guy, the fish are not biting quite yet. Dwayne can't wait for the day William pulls up his first real fish. I can hear William now saying "FISH ON!" Hopefully we will be able to get a photo or video when that day comes. I have a feeling it will be soon.
Shelly, Mom Files
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Outrageous Food

I consider myself to be very adventurous with food, a foodie as some call it. I am willing to try just about anything once (with the exception of rattlesnake or bugs). My food adventure list is extensive especially growing up in a Guyanese home. We ate things that were not considered the norm to our everyday American friends. Quite frankly if people knew the things I have eaten they would have thought twice about our friendship. I was watching a fishing show with Dwayne last night and these crews were fishing in Alaskan waters for herring. The herring were being fished not for the actual fish itself but for what was inside of them~ the roe (egg sacs). They were fishing for export to Japan. The Japanese eat the herring roe in the new year to promote fertility. I got all excited because I remember being a kid and having freshly caught fish that you had to clean yourself and finding those big egg sacs. I used to have to fight my mom over who was going to get to eat it. We generally had it curried or stewed. I have has everything from cow's feet, tail, brain, testicles and more. Are you freaking out right now? hehehe! Like I said, I am very adventurous with food~ I hope we're still friends :D

What about you? What are the most outrageous things you have ever eaten?

Shelly, Mom Files
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Family trip to Bass Pro Shops in Concord, NC

10 years ago, our family visited the Bass Pro Shops store in Concord, NC. I took this photo of Dwayne and the girls. We all had such a wonderful time. Some great memories were made.

Now 10 years later, we have revisited the same place (this time with an additional family member). It seemed even bigger and better than we remembered! Our main purpose for going was for Dwayne to purchase Briahnna her very first fishing pole since she has shown interest in her dad's favorite sport.
Dwayne was really enjoying showing the kids the fish in the HUGE tank as well as all the cool gadgets that were on the showroom floor. Do you notice what is in William's hand? He never leaves home without it!

Look at this enormous catfish! I overheard a gentleman saying that it was likely a 130 pounder. You should have seen how many people were crowding around this area.

William really enjoyed seeing all the fishies. He was smiling from ear to ear :)

At one point I could not find Dwayne. He was tucked away in the fishing rods section. He was truly in his playground. He said that growing up, fishing kept him out of trouble. He wants to pass on his love for fishing to the kids. Chardie is more of a girlie girl like her momma so she said she would just watch.
We live on a big pond and Dwayne sometimes sneaks William out there (thinking I would not know) so that they could cast out a few lines. William loves it. When the weather warms up we plan to go check out some fishing spots in some of the state parks. Of course there better be a nice cabin with electricity if this girl is going to be convinced to partake!

Have you ever been to a Bass Pro Shops store before?

Shelly, Mom Files
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