One More Cast….Just One More Cast, Saying Goodbye To The 2022 Fishing Season

The cooler weather of fall coupled with the coming of Thanksgiving is a sure sign that fishing is seeing its last days for many of us. This is only confirmed with the arrival of Christmas decorations and with the heavy coats coming out of the closet. While we’re all glad to see the hot days of summer fade away and the holidays arrive, as angler, many of us have a feeling of sadness. It’s a feeling that will likely stay until the middle of April when the Bonito will arrive and we again, as we have for most of our lives, rekindle our fishing passion.

Today, we’re left with depending on the warmer days to allow us to enjoy our passion, and with those becoming more and more scarce we’re forced to admit that the last day of fishing for the year is upon us. As we begin that last day, it comes with few expectations. The fishing has slowed to a crawl and the water has become a somewhat lonely place. With a few bites, we’re left to think back about the many fishing days we’ve enjoyed over the past months. This includes the memories of the fish we caught and the pain of the ones that got away. We also reflect on the special times fishing with friends, family, or both. These days remind us not of the fish in the cooler, but those on the boat or bank and the special times we had together. Often on that last day of fishing we think back to those days years ago, fishing with a Zebco rod and reel with our fathers or grandfathers nearby. Catching Pinfish and Croakers. Times we wish we could repeat. We can only play it forward by taking our sons and grandchildren fishing and hope they have the same passion we did at that young age.

Many thoughts come to mind on that last day of fishing. The great times as well as the not-so-great times, but together they are all about fishing and the role it played in our lives. As a result, we want this day to never end, although we’ve had little or no bites. We keep telling ourselves….”one more cast, just one more cast”. As long as we stay, those special memories will continue to ease through our minds. It’s a place we come to every year about this time. It comes without warning or invitation, it just comes. As the sun begins to lower and the air becomes even cooler, you continue to tell yourself, “one more cast, just one more cast”. You then realize that it’s time to head home. There’s a turkey to smoke and family coming tomorrow and a lot to do to prepare for. Maybe just one more cast, just one more cast. Then it’s time to go home. The last cast has been made and the season as you know it is over. You’ll spend the next few months thinking about the coming season. The return of the Bonito marks the start of the fishing season and at that time, the calendar will start counting off the days until the last day of fishing and more importantly, the last cast. It’s how the life of a fisherman revolves.