Living in a global pandemic isn’t easy. Looming life-threatening disease aside, the “new normal” has put a clamp on many of life’s pleasures. With all the restrictions in place, having fun with loved ones, socializing, and staying active almost feels like a guilty indulgence these days. Add in all the daily grind stuff – and no wonder you’re feeling stressed out!
If only there was a way to get out and decompress without having to feel guilty… Well, if you love the open air, and don’t mind getting a little wet, there just might be.
With the potential to keep you healthy, well-fed, and in touch with the people you love the most, fishing can turn your pandemic life into something rich and enjoyable.
To prove this, we’ll show you 5 examples of how casting a line can do you good. We won’t just throw endless scholarly theories at you, by the way. Instead, we’ll show you real-life experiences of people who used fishing to turn the tables. Read on!
It Helps with Stress
Dealing with stress during Covid-19 is something we can all relate to. Whether it’s your job, not being able to travel, or something else entirely, the pandemic seems to have jammed all of life’s “usual problems” into a pressure cooker.
To make things worse, most of the things you used to do to “vent” are either banned, or seriously frowned upon these days. So, how do you get your stress relief without feeling the guilt?
Well, as it happens – being out in the open is one of the safest things you can do. More importantly, life’s troubles seem to disappear when you’re being swayed on shimmering blue waters. But don’t take it from us because that’s exactly what happened to Cindy and her family on their Destin fishing trip.
That’s what you get when you go on a boat named Stress Relief!
The funny thing is that sometimes, you only see what’s keeping you down when you actually go out and remove yourself from all the noise. For Lisa and her friends, all it took was a full day trip with Captain Brad. The 30 fish they caught helped, too.
💡 Did you know: A big part of stress relief has to do with a neurotransmitter called dopamine. Dopamine, also known as the “feel-good” chemical, gets released whenever we get something we want. It also works whenever we accomplish a goal, especially if it’s something we haven’t tried before. Maybe that’s why fishing is so addictive!
Reconnecting with Family
The restrictions and health concerns that have plagued the past year prevented countless people from seeing their loved ones. In some cases, families couldn’t see each other for months on end. But, as moving around became easier, we got to see some truly heartening reunions.
You could say that angling families got particularly lucky. Why? Well, some of the most memorable reunions happened precisely on the water. For Bobby and his daughter, a birthday get-together in Annapolis, MD was also the perfect opportunity to catch some keeper Stripers.
This year, we also had to reinvent the way we spend our holidays. For Shauna, a fishing charter in Rockport, TX was an opportunity to gather the family for a final getaway before her oldest son went back to college.
Eating Healthy
At a time when eating out in a restaurant feels like an afterthought, we can’t blame you if you indulged in a few microwave dinners too many. But what if we told you that there was a guilt-free way you could enjoy the freshest, healthiest restaurant-grade seafood during this pandemic?
It takes one look at the prize David and his son got to bring home to see what we mean. Their 8-hour outing out of Homer, Alaska finished with a cooler full of Salmon and Halibut, with 7 other species in the box. Incredible!
💡 Did you know: Eating fatty fish like Salmon can help lower inflammation, which may reduce risk factors for several diseases. Fish are also a great source of quality protein, making them an ideal food choice in times when keeping yourself healthy and strong is more important than ever.
Having a Celebration
When’s the last time you went to a birthday party? How about a wedding? We’re going to go out on a limb and say that it’s been a while. Well, unless you went on a fishing trip, that is. If you missed out on a celebration or two this year, then take a page from Jen’s book.
Together with her husband and friend, Jen took to the waters of Williamsburg, MI to organize what her 7-year-old son would describe as “the best day of his life.” The birthday boy caught himself a 16 lb Lake Trout – if only we could all get a present like that!
Making the Most of It
Let’s face it – the Covid era has made turning into a couch potato a pretty realistic scenario. But we’re guessing that sitting on a sofa isn’t cutting it for you either. If you’re struggling to come up with an idea on how to have fun without feeling bad, we get it.
That’s why, to finish things off, we’re going to try to inspire you with a few of our favorite fishing stories to cement our case for angling as the ideal guilt-free activity for this pandemic.
The All-Rounder
If you’ve ever been on a fishing charter, you know that the experience is about a lot more than just catching fish. Every so often, you’ll come across a captain who’ll turn a simple day on the water into an experience of a lifetime. What else would you call a half day fishing trip morphing into a full day of fishing, snorkelling, beachside dining and ancient-ruin-exploring?
A Special Thanksgiving
If you know a better way to make the most out of Thanksgiving during a pandemic than to drive down to Mexico for a fishing charter, we’re all ears. If not, we suggest you take notes from Jennifer and her Ensenada fishing trip.
A Win-Win Situation
We’ve all been through a lot over the past year, so you could say that we deserved to give ourselves a treat. And when we can come up with a guilt-free activity and treat others in the process, then you get something along the lines of Matt’s Ten Thousand Islands fishing excursion.
Redfish, Snapper, Snook, and Seatrout for Matt, and sea turtles, dolphins, and stingrays for his daughters. All that in a picture-perfect setting in the Everglades, aboard an expert captain’s boat. Win-win.
The Ideal Escape
The Covid pandemic has left its mark on pretty much every facet of our lives. In situations where we’re scrambling to keep all the wheels turning, finding something to do to take the edge off is really important.
So, if you happen to find something that’s as fun, healthy, and safe as fishing, know that you didn’t just stumble upon a guilt-free activity to enjoy. Instead, you’ve arguably found yourself a hobby for a lifetime. And if that happens to involve a few fish fillets, all the better.
So, there you have it. Fishing is our favorite guilt-free activity, but what’s yours? Do you have an angling memory you’d like to share? Let us know in the comments below!