Thought I would share this since this discussion turned to in-laws. My first in-laws hated the fact I fished...pure and simple. I married again. My new father in-law at the time did not fish and had not fished since he was a little boy. I had to retire early in 2001. I lived in west TN and bought my first boat. In April of that year my then father in-law told me he wanted to fish with me. I blew him off. I was fishing 5 days a week below Pickwick. He kept at me and I finally agreed thinking he would go maybe once or twice and quit. I mean he didn't even know how to cast. I told him to be at my house at 5:00 a.m. At 4:45 a.m. he was outside blowing his horn. For the next 3 years he never missed a day of fishing with me. We went 5 days a week no matter the weather except for lightning. We fished days as cold as 7 degrees...and on days when the temps were hovering around 100 degrees. I have never seen anyone take to it like him. He had a heart condition but he lived for that next day. Then...as now....I was into mostly catch and release. Not him....most everyday we came back with a limit of crappie...Gills......or white bass....not getting home until well after dark...yet he stayed up and cleaned every fish and was always ready to go the next morning. There were some days I just did not want to go...yet he pestered me until I gave in and went. I went through 4 boats in those 3 years...the last one being a deep V so he did not have to fish on a deck. It seemed both of us were always somewhere on weekends buying fishing gear.....his wife was happy he had something to keep him busy. That marriage did not last yet after moving back to mid TN I would visit him on occasion until he passed away in 2007. He quit fishing when I left...but on my visits that is all he talked about. Too bad his son did not fish.
Regards
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