So yeah after last go round fishing apparently he's badgered the inlaws so much and had so much fun they basically said next time I wanted to kidnap him their more then happy to let me lol ! So today I had to go watch him and his brother for a hour while their grandma ( my mother in law) had to go run some errands. Welp she's gone for 5min before I tell them to put their clothes on we're going outside to play. His bother is autistic but so is my olde brother so it's bout second nature dealing with him . Gave him some side walk chalk showed him how to use it and he was in heaven. Just sat there drawing all sorts of stuff.making his little happy nosies. Told nephew to go get the bow his mom and dad got him for Christmas and we'd so some archery to which he was beyond happy ! Gotta say though I need to get this boy into working out so somthing because he's on the weaker side lol . Had trouble drawing back this little deal but he was happy regardless. Even if all he was doing was hitting a 2'x2" pice of styrofoam @ 7' Shoo I was the same way when I was his age though, got a lil black no name compound that was probably like 10lb draw and could barely pull it back but I was ticked pink to hit anything really gotta work on his stance though.


Proceeded to let him ride around on his bike and DEFINITELY did not go into very detailed stories of how we'd ride past each other trying to shove sticks in each other's spokes ......I'd never , but yeah grandma cam back and I said im kidnapping nephew,told him to grab his gear let's go ! Theres a state park with a lake not 15min from there house so I said why not ? Been there once when I was a kid but never fishing so thought it would be a fun little adventure for the both of us ! He never been to a bait shop and it was on the way so decided to take him instead of Walmart to pick up some stuff . Walked around for probably 30min with him asking about what this is what that is why these reels look like this what's this hook for why these weights are round why these are fat, and boy he loved all the minnows and gold fish ! Ended duo getting him a little black widow extendable can pole because they where $13 and though he'd enjoy it like I did.....aaannnd possibly not break 30 something of them the owner loved him too


Then took him to the fish and game office down the road to buy my licence . Kid about wizzed himself looking at all the taxidermied snakes , turkeys, bobcats , deer ect, at the same time he was all wide eyed asking about the gator skins and the posters then off to the park. Where I proceeded to ask a dozen questions at the ranger station because I really had no clue what I was doing in a state park. They where super nice though and even found a map for nephews to look at . Welp found the peir and long story short got one fish and the bottom fell out the sky and we got soaked ! Deal is he wanted to stay and keep fishing till I drug him off due to lightning lol, all smiles though


So told him we'll run 20 miles over to the next town and check out the gun store because I lost my bow release and need a new one and he might like seeing a gun store. So cranked on some divorced dad rock ( kids nine so I can't play 70% of what I listen to so Creed Metallica Nirvana black Sabbath ect it was ) was kind awkward trying to explain the song iron man to him without saying " these guys where probably high as heck and just made something up " I think I'm helping him learn to calm down and relax instead of being such a drama queen too. It pouring down cats and dogs and lightning with wind and he'd mention it id just say " yeeeep sure is nephew" after about the third time he had went from "O MY GOD LOOK AT THAT LIGHTING! " to "wow that one was really cool looking ". Was also telling him how I used to have to do ruck marches in that kind of crap to which it was all oos and awes definitely don't inflate any story's with add-ons dealing with fighting off starving bears or something
Well get to the shop and find out pretty quick this kid just plain gravitates to anything with a sting. He had mild interest in the guns but any cross bow or bow he saw he was all over it. There was a bow fishing bow he was asking about and when I explained you use it to shoot fish ....Lord have mercy he wanted it lol !
Funny enough actually found just the nicest lil shot gun, for me pretty decent and just felt nice, well the guy at the register seem a little confused when I told him I'd be buying it for me instead of him if I did....till he saw me shoulder it then yeah

Got my release and he mentioned how he'd really like to start goin hunting and wanted some camo so yeah ended up with a camo face paint compact because I think hes gonna need it lol. He really enjoyed looking at and learning about the ammo too. Was showing home a .22 hornet vs a .17 hornet and he was all I to it . Got that and the kid actually said he was hungry for once so I caved and got him some McDonald's, whatever it was right there and he actually wanted to eat. Well we'd been out for 4hours at this point and I asked him " hay you wanna go home or try and go back out and see if we can catch something? There's a good chance we'll get rained out again"
Proceeded to start jumping in his car seat like I gave him a red bull saying "FISHING FISHING FISHING !!" so back we went and


See usually I have problems keeping kids still in once place for a little bit.. problem is with nephew if I let him that kid will stay in one place locked in like a statue for an hour. Me personally I hate sitting in one place for more then say 15min. I'm constantly bumping around cast re casting and trying new stuff depending on when I'm fishing for. And when it's new water ? Yeah a spot has 5min tops before I'm moving my line. So I start moving up and down the pier casting around and I'm explaining to nephew how bream are , why fish like structure, how they feed , ect . Well the kid can definitely think for himself because I see him put up his can pole and say " I don't think with will be super effective, it like using a sword to chop trees in Minecraft instead of an axe !" Puts down the cane pole picks up his spinning reel and starts tying to cast , which he was having trouble with . Well I bait his hook , show him how it cast again and told him he's smart her can figure it out. " it more technique then just pure power" well I go down the dock and donk her any casting he's just watching me . Then I here a bobber "kerplunk" in the water and him go " WOW I GOT A GOOD CAST ! " Kid cast from the pier about 20yd out ! An dhe was grinning ear to ear and he proceeded to do it again and again and again! Check out that form !


Well after another 10min I say I think we sound move and asked him where where sould go. He looks sound and points tk the lil boat dock/ marina about 75yd up the bank. I say ok , but why ? Proceeds to tell me " well you said the little fish like structure because that where all the little things they eat be and it gives them a place this front he big fish that eat them ! And the big fish will hang out around those areas waiting for the little fish to go too far so they can catch them , well that boat dock thingy had all those things ( pilings)in the water and those branches and there's shade too !" Hot DANG I was proud of nephew so we packed duo and walked over and sure enough his first cast


We after a bit of nothing he said we should move again and I told him I think we should check out the spill way I saw in the map. Explained it was kinda like a main made waterfall and at the bottom of them a there usually deep pools where the bigger fish can just sit and wait for the food to come to them ! Well he's all for it so did the ole Mississippi fisherman's classic of shoving all your rods out your and took off window it funny, though , this brought back a lot of memories because this is exactly what my grandma would do when we went fishing. Id annoy the dog crap out of her till she finally just old me to go get my stuff and wed load up the rods in her car just like this , drive though the same cow pasture to the pond behind my house and fish, half the time i wouldn't even get a bite ,but that want even the point I guess.



Well we get to the bridge pull over and walk down with another set of guys and he was acting like this was the biggest adventure ever. Had to go though the woods on a lil foot path a bit to get to the bottom pool


Got down there and was one other guy and the other guy and his son we walked down with.got to talking and tied seeing what was biting what and all that goodness. Was explaining to nephew about how you would be polite as and outdoorman. Ask the guy when was there before you if he's ok with you setting up next to him, don't cast over his lines ask where he's fishing ect. Well we tried a few things and no luck so I started messing with stuff , worms bobbers big hook small hook till I started getting hits on the bottom. He asked be why I was switching all this stuff four and I explained that different places require different things. Just because the float rig we where cathing fish worked on the main lake didn't mean it would work here in the pool with all this current. Told him to always analyze the situation and try to come up with more effective way , just like in Minecraft ( little world building video game her loves)
Told him I think we should try fishing the bottom here and see what would happen so rigged up some Carolina rigs and red worms and he was super confused about how he'd know if he was getting a bite without a bobber. Told him he'd " feel " as see it , and jut watch his rod tip. Let him use one of the extendable rod holders I had on my back pack ( really just a telescoping rod with a Y at the top) that he'd been eyeing and asking about all day. Set mine up and had him watch and showed him what his rod tip would look like when he's getting a bit. Well he set sup and not 2min later !


Caught the biggest dang brin out of anyone of use in that hole the whole time ! And after that he was just a break catching fool ! Think he got about 12 till he asked about how the the fish probably where in there with the current. To which I explained how more predatory fish with kinda hair wait around the current seams in the slack areas for food to come in and just rush in and get it and swim back to rest . Said that's what catfish do a lot he said ok stared a the water for a bit and made a difference cast then what he had been doing. Asked why and he said he though it seemed like it made sense after what I said .. few minutes later this boy got his very first catfish


And he's just having a ball at this point ! Like he's just plain addicted to seeing that rod tip bounce and jerk there was the other guy and his kid and they just kept throwing the same thing in the same spot not catching anything, got to the point we invited them over to fish with us a few times ,had plenty of extra bait hooks etc to share because we kept seeing them looking over at use reeling fish in .Finally got the kid over ( looked be about 13-14) and man he just don't seem to idk . He'd just sit there and wait for you to tell him exactly what to do , seemed really confused with me and nephew's rigs and constantly reelin in and casting back out as our right bounced down to a certain point with no hits . Rigged him up what we had and got him a fish but idk seem like he thought it was wrong not to use a bobber or something .

But yeah we ended up out fishing everyone there and he had a blast finding. Hooks and lures in the bank. His prized find was a large snagging type treble hook ( like the size you use for a paddle fish ) said it's his harpoon and wants to harpoon something with it he also got to see a gar go nuts on the surface which he was just in awe of. Might has wizzed on of the guys off when it happened and they said " YEAH THATS WHY THE FISH ANNT BITING DANG GAR SCARING THEM !" To which he said a lil to loud " but we been catching fish the whole time "
So yeah end up getting late he was finally getting wore out so we packed up but before we left he hard to get some pictures and I think he's got some good taste in photography



Was spamming the inlaws and gf with pieces and video all day of our lil adventure all day got home and got to show him what a decent compound bow can do at 50yd to wish he though was awesome and his mom was terrified but after seeing how happy he was I basically got the green light for teaching him guns ,hunting and other stuff though she asking I start off with a "BB gun " first. Told her to let me use a air rifle at least to wish she agreed as long as it says at my house.....that being said I don't think she has any clue what she just green lighted .
First my gf
Now nephew
Just gotta wait for my new niece to start walking and talking and she's next well the gf already has bought her some camo baby cloths so we're already kinda starting.
O the joys of being and uncle can creating lil monsters

100% good stuff.

Go for it !!!!!

That is awesome

Good stuff, Wolfie.

That's absolutely awesome.

Moments that neither of you will ever forget.

Can't beat getting a young'un hooked on the outdoors.

Good on ya

I really enjoyed this post. Good job Wolfie.

WTG WOLFIE!!!!! Proud to know ya'

I have been involved with a local Pheasants Forever chapter for about 25 years Once we got established we would sponsor a Youth Pheasant hunt in Nov And learning from my experiences from that I started to mentor other young hunters in deer hunting Often times a young would be hunter did not know where to start And many times due to single parent homes or finanical reasons many kids any first time hunters where not able to get any help Through local sportsmans clubs friends and other I would try to get a non hunter set up to hunt It was sometimes very frustrating because you where dealing with people that did not know what was needed to make it possible But when it worked out they way you planned it it was a good day And I will tell you it was some of the best days I ever spent hunting Even though it was legal hunting season for m e also I often did not carry a gun or if I did it was only for back up for things like retrieving a wound deer I one situation a young by was talking to his Mom concerning taking off of school to hunt I was helping the boys grand father who had arranged all the details of the hunt Any way At some point his Mom ask if it could be done I repledhat if she wanted me to I would speak to his teacher myself I said after all me and his grand father would be teaching him more in one day than he could ever hope t learn in a lifetime of going to school So to Wolfdog you are opening a door for the young man to take a different path through life I grew up on a farm with many relatives that where hunters It was easy to become a hunter Now the laws are different and social issues also But for anyone considering getting into a mentoring programI say do your home work But help to pass on what some one else passed on to us

Great story Wolfdog. Good on ya'!

So just found out sis and law took more pics

Yeah this is honestly one of my favorite things now, bringing others into it. I honestly don't mind not killing or catching anything myself as long as there enjoying it.

Those most recent pics say a lot! That kid is focussed on everything which you are saying or doing by the looks of it.

He LOVES YOU! It’s evident! Great job with that lil boy!!!

Yeah it's crazy how differently he acts when I got him away from all the women folk, kids super attentive and asked a tien of questions,gotta feeling if I teach him how to weld he'd be making copies of everything I make

Good on ya, That's the difference with growing up with men instead of just women, no offense to women, but they ain't men....

Yeah that's something Ive been have a bit of a problem getting though my GF's in laws skulls. I tell em masculine energy is a thing and boys need to be around that. Usually just ends up with me telling them they don't understand and won't understand

My advise is don't worry about explaining things to the women. You are lucky that they are open to him experiencing things with you. They will see the deference in him and things will click. I have 7 sisters and all but one are show me don't tell me kind of girls. Sounds like you guys are lucky to have each other to hang out with. Have fun!

Well I didn't read the book you posted , but the pics look like you are a great uncle!!