I almost didn’t make this video because… well… LOOK AT ME. I’m a grotesque mess, and this infection (or whatever it is) came as a direct result of not being careful while fishing shallow, WARM, bacteria-loaded mucky ponds.
But I mean… how can you say no when the bass are there, and willing to bite?
You can’t.
And the good news is that you don’t have to – but you better take these precautions RIGHT NOW, to protect yourself and your family.
This Happened While FISHING!?
If you enjoy any outdoor activity, there are things that we need to watch out for.
Ticks. Bites. Big bloody wounds. Twisted ankles and busted knuckles.
These are all things that we notice pretty quickly.
But bacteria… stuff that can get into your system without you even noticing until it’s too late… that stuff is no joke.
Is the answer to hide indoors?
NO!
The answer is to be mindful of what you need to watch out for – and that is why I took a video of this instead of keeping it to myself. If I can prevent just one person from going through this pain, it’s worth it. Might want to share this with a friend or two…
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Tight Lines & Godspeed, Patriots.
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Fishing injuries are a real thing. You know this, but guys that don’t fish aggressively would hear that and think:
“Dude how in the world do you injure yourself when you’re fishing?!”
Well… it’s really not that hard…
“DAD GUMMIT!”
One misstep and KABOOM! You’re in the drink…
So this one time I leaned over a bit too far…
But these injuries are easy to recognize, because they are external. What about our internal injuries? Injuries like being misgendered, for example?!? Where does a misgendered fisherman go when he needs a safe space?!
Maybe take a long walk off a short pier.
… I’m kidding…
“Stop acting like a fruitcake.”
That’s what I tell my boys when they say something… fruity… anyway… internal injuries bro! Tendons and ligaments! That crap hurts. It can ruin the day, the trip, the fishing – all of it. Here are three simple steps that I would strongly suggest you take to heart if you want to avoid fishing injuries.
1. Eat Right & Heal Your Guts
Our outward appearance is a good indicator of our internal health.
Proper nutrition can help your body heal, and even more importantly, help you avoid injury. Prevention is better than recovery. Read that again. A multi-vitamin is a good start… but it’s important to give your body what it needs to stay healthy. A few years ago I started supplementing my multi with additional protein (to help with muscle support) and collagen (tissue strength, ligaments, skin & nails), then added them to a smoothie loaded with spinach and fruit to start my day.
Yes, it is delicious.
By lunch time, I’ve consumed 75 grams of protein and more healthy crap than I used to eat in a week!
We’ll discuss that smoothie recipe later, but just for starters, throw a scoop of each of these in a glass with water in the morning and follow it up with a cup of milk. BOOM. Over 40 grams of protein, calcium and collagen to boot. This is a great way to start your day.
These brands are very “clean” (which is why I personally use both) and don’t contain a lot of extra junk like artificial sweeteners (Walmart and other budget brands are famous for this – it’s not worth saving $3 man). We went even further into supplementation in the Elbow Repair article, but if you’re just getting started, adding protein and collagen to your daily routine is a great first step.
Do I expect you to pull a Richard Simmons at the boat ramp?
Well no… unless you want to… ya fruitcake…
NOW we’re ready to fish…
But when you head out to the garage in the morning, take 3 minutes to stretch everything out. Simple stretches. No need to overcomplicate this. Start with the forearm routine listed in the elbow repair plan above, and add in a few stretches for your back and legs.
Just loosen up, get the juices flowin’. You’ll feel better, and you’ll reduce the likelihood of injury.
3. Listen To Your Body
I know that sounds like some hippy-dippy mumbo-jumbo, but if you lift, you know what I mean. Your body will tell you when to stop doing something.
“Fish are like… creatures of the Universe too MAAAAAAAN.”
One of the skills that we need to learn is differentiating between being sore, and being injured.
Carrying a kayak up and down a small creek for example – that’ll make you sore. Dunking & trailering your boat by yourself? Sore. Hammering monster bass? Yup. Sore.
Jacking your ankle on some rocks in the creek bed? That’s an injury.
I love carrying my kayak into hard-to-fish areas… but I’ve injured my ankles & knees on more than one occasion…
This is another rule I have taught to my boys: it’s ok to play sore, to be a man and work through the pain, but it’s NOT ok to play injured.
Playing injured is how you mess yourself up permanently.
Not worth it.
If your body tells you to stop… stop.
If you stop temporarily, your body will heal up faster. Take care of yourself, stay healthy and engage in preventative maintenance. You’ll be able to go on more fishing trips like this banger…
A Final Word on Hooks
Now, you’re saying to yourself:
“But what about hooks? You missed hooks! Can’t I get injured on HOOKS?!”
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It’s discouraging. It’s frustrating. It deflates egos. It reminds us of our mortality. It ruins plans.
It sucks.
Fisherman’s Elbow is actually very similar to “shin splints”, but it affects our arms. It’s considered a common form of tendonitis, typically signifying aggravation & inflammation of the extensor tendon at the point of origin off the bone.
When I developed it, the pain was focused on the outer side of my arm between the elbow and wrist. Simple tasks like lifting a coffee cup became excruciatingly painful. Weight lifting was near impossible (I could tell something was really wrong, even though once I was adequately warmed up the pain seemed to go away… until the adrenaline wore off…) and outdoor activities like setting a hook while fishing?
Ouch.
When you’re “dad”… you just gotta deal with it… right?
If you are experiencing symptoms like this, you might have Fisherman’s Elbow. If you’re not sure what you have going on, consult with your doctor.
(Go ahead and read that last sentence one more time for me, dumplin’…)
Note that while these names are often used haphazardly to describe ALL elbow injuries, Fisherman’s Elbow is an exterior elbow injury. The interior elbow injuries can be treated the same way, but they are considered medial epicondylitis. It is not uncommon to see the name Golfer’s Elbow applied to interior elbow injuries, for example.
No, it doesn’t have to be. Think of it more as an aggravation. That said, be careful. If your body is telling you it’s hurt, then you need to listen before causing permanent damage.
If you’re gonna be dumb, you gotta be tough…
The first thing to do is accurately diagnose your issue. You also want to rest if possible; stop whatever you have been doing that has aggravated your arm.
You will notice that the plan I developed for my own recovery includes rest, ice and compression – but there are other steps I added in as well to expedite the healing process, and ultimately regain 100% functionality in my arm.
To this day, I am pain free.
All healed up! Still dumb, though…
Not too shabby when you consider the fact that I was worried I had a permanent injury… or arthritis…
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That’s a sound we all know and love… if we’re talking about cereal.
If we’re talking about elbows… ugh.
“Don’t put me in, coach!”
If you’ve fished for long hours over days, months, years or decades, there’s a good chance you’ve experienced some pain or nagging discomfort in your joints, muscles and ligaments.
In this article I’ll tell you how I developed Fisherman’s Elbow, how I was able to relieve the pain, and ultimately develop and implement a non-surgical recovery plan to eliminate my pain 100%.
The goal is to give you a complete plan of action. Something that you can easily follow, that will be beneficial in many ways, and put you on the path to recovery and better health overall. If you’re confused, that’s ok – but you’re here because you’re in pain. Make the decision: today is the day you’ll start taking steps to fix your problem, even if you’re not sure how it will all play out.
WARNING: I am not a doctor, and this should not be viewed as medical advice. This is an account of my personal experience. It’s what worked for me to get back to enjoying 100% functionality in my elbow, pain free. The pain we describe here could be arthritis, muscle or ligament tears, degeneration or nerve issues like radial tunnel syndrome.
Be smart. If you are not sure what you are dealing with, seek professional consult!
Fisherman’s Elbow is a painful condition that stems from aggravating tendons running through the forearm, resulting in pain felt on the outside of the elbow. This pain becomes very apparent when performing tasks like lifting objects with your palm facing down, setting a hook, casting, squeezing and twisting – even simple tasks like putting on clothing. It may also be called Fisher’s Elbow, Tennis Elbow or Golfer’s Elbow.
The fear we all have is that the pain could be coming from degeneration of the tendons and their connections, meaning it’s permanent. The hope we share is that the pain stems from aggravation or overuse, meaning it can be reversed.
“Is this gonna be forever??”
How I Developed Fisherman’s Elbow
Personally… I was in in severe pain when I began writing this article and feverishly praying it was not permanent… because NOT fishing was NOT an option! The tendons in my elbow became inflamed shortly after I started weight training (after an extended hiatus) while also fishing 3 or 4 times per week primarily using spinning rod & reel combos. This meant casting, working baits, hooksets and fighting fish all put stress on my right elbow exclusively – and the combination led to overuse and pain. Quickly.
One of the reasons my elbow hurts…
I assumed it was arthritis.
Pain or no pain, not fishing was not an option… so I kept doing the things that were actually hurting me, even though my body was screaming at me to stop.
This stubbornness caused me to aggravate my elbow again… and again… and again… and it got worse… and worse… and worse… at one point I just gave up: “this is my life now, it’s arthritis and I just have to learn to work through the pain in order to do the things I love.“
Grin & bear it.
Be a man.
There is a time and a place to “be a man” and simply work through the pain, and there is a time and place to be smart.
Stonks.
It was time to try something different.
Fisherman’s Elbow Symptoms & Diagnosis
Let’s compare your symptoms to mine:
At the time of writing, I was in severe pain.
The pain could be felt throughout my right wrist and forearm, and especially on the outside of my right elbow.
The pain was constant and dull, but simple tasks like getting dressed led to that pain sharpening dramatically if I moved the wrong way.
I had lost over 50% of my “grip strength”, and I couldn’t lift desktop items the size of a coffee mug with my palm down and arm extended.
Fishing motions – especially setting the hook while using a spinning rod, or repetitive casting with larger baits – caused sensitivity and an increase in pain, especially upon waking the next day.
Strength training had come to a complete halt since the act of curling a dumbbell caused pain immediately and again on waking the following day.
Symptoms worsened over time. My elbow had become noticeably more irritated after returning home from a 2-week fishing trip to Wisconsin. Fishing two, four, even six hours a day – every day – was common.
The bottom line is that this situation was extremely aggravating and painful, and I would rate the sharp pains at about an 8 out of 10. Something had to be done before I created scar tissue or permanent damage.
Relief & Recovery Step 1: Figure Out What is Causing Your Fisherman’s Elbow
Like I said, my fisherman’s elbow was caused by overuse. Lifting weights (and kids), casting, working baits, hooksets and fighting fish all put stress on my right elbow – which caused my pain.
Look at your situation – fishing might be causing tendons in your arm to flare up, but what else in your day-to-day routine is adding additional stress on your arm(s)?
The repetitive motion of fishing might just be bringing the damage you are doing, with those other activities, to the forefront.
Identify these activities.
You’ll need to know what caused the injury, if you want to make sure this never happens again. Like I mentioned, my injury was caused by weight training, lifting children, and fishing – all things that I am not willing to give up.
Instead of fixing the problem, I masked my symptoms with an over-the-counter “forearm brace“. This stayed on at all times, and provided nothing but temporary relief.
Vacation pics show the arm band in every photo…… it never came off…
So, an item like this can be useful for pain relief – but it does not aid in actual recovery.
Relief & Recovery Step 2: Start This Free Program to Reduce Your Pain & Promote Real Repair
Now that we know what has led to your injury, we can go about developing the behaviors to relieve elbow pain, and yes, promote real recovery. Developing quality behaviors is one of the things I harp on a lot. I fail, like everyone else, but if you take nothing else from this website, make sure to remember this: mindfully implementing behaviors that will take you from where you are to where you want to go is a life-skill that transcends fishing. It will help you become better, in all things, if you choose wisely.
Remember:
Minimalist Fishing is the careful accumulation of quality fishing behaviors, knowledge, skill, technique and gear.
This is a tool for tracking, which will allow you to see what you are doing to both help and aggravate your injury, and how often. It is a minimalist plan for recovery – which means it is intentionally simple.
If something is easy to follow, we’re more likely to do it.
Implementing a simple plan in any situation is far better than creating a complex, technical plan that gets set aside. Anyone can understand this process. Check it out, and put it to use.
The following is a brief summary of the 2-Week Fisherman’s Elbow Relief & Recovery Plan. For day-by-day instructions, download the PDF for free.
Week 1:
Rest & Reduce Inflammation for 7 Days Take it easy, boss. Don’t go completely sedentary (some movement is required for a full recovery) but lay off the motions and activities that aggravate the tendons in your arm for at least 1 week. No fishing. No weight lifting. 1 week. Difficult… but necessary.
Apply Ice Ice numbs pain, causes blood vessels to constrict & reduces swelling. Grab some simple rice packs, keep them in the freezer and apply for 15-20 minutes at a time. These sessions should be at least 1 hour apart. Complete them the number of times listed in the recovery plan each day.
Apply Heat Heat promotes healing, relaxes muscles and increases blood flow to an area. Heat your rice packs in the microwave (don’t burn yourself…) and apply for 15-20 minutes at a time. These sessions should be at least 1 hour apart. Complete them the number of times listed in the recovery plan each day.
Stabilize the Area Grab yourself an ACE Custom Dial Elbow Strap. This brace is useful, because it allows you to increase or decrease pressure quickly. Use it to stabilize your elbow tendon in between the ice, heat and stretching sessions as listed in the recovery plan. It will help “hold things in place” without completely restricting your movement. Just be careful you don’t mask your symptoms and overuse your arm, which will lead to additional injury.
Stretch Daily The following stretches will help improve the flexibility of your tendons. Add these in daily, as noted in the recovery plan, but if you feel any pain: STOP. Keep it simple. Create a daily behavior and keep it going beyond just this process to further improve mobility. (Technical terms: Wrist Flexor Stretch, Wrist Extensor Stretch, Pronation & Supination of the Forearm) – Stretch #1: Hand flat, palm up, arm extended. Pull fingers down, towards floor (15 seconds x 3) – Stretch #2: Hand flat, palm up, arm extended. Pull fingers up, towards ceiling (15 seconds x 3) – Stretch #3: Arms straight out. Hands flat, palms up. Slowly rotate palms inward until they face the floor (your shoulder, elbow and wrist will all move). Hold 5 seconds. Then slowly rotate back to palms facing up. Every time you repeat the back-and-forth motion count it as 1 rep. (10 reps x 3 sets)
Supplementation What we put into our body has a direct impact on our overall health. If we eat crap, we’ll feel like crap. So the first thing we need to do is make sure we’re eating healthy foods. Then, we need to supplement our food with the following. Notice that I said supplement, not replace. Supplements can’t replace a healthy diet – however, they can fill in the gaps. Here’s what I take: – Krill Oil: Omega-3 fatty acids that + fights inflammation & arthritis pain. – Algae Oil: Alternate option to Krill Oil. – Glucosamine Chondroitin: Joint support, flexibility & health. – Collagen Peptides: Additional joint support + hair, skin & nails. – Protein: Most of us don’t get enough protein to support muscle growth or retention. Fix that.
Week 2:
Continue to Apply Heat Heat promotes healing, relaxes muscles and increases blood flow to an area. Heat your rice packs in the microwave (don’t burn yourself…) and apply for 15-20 minutes at a time. These sessions should be at least 1 hour apart. Complete them the number of times listed in the recovery plan each day.
Continue to Stabilize the Area Grab yourself an ACE Custom Dial Elbow Strap. This brace is useful, because it allows you to increase or decrease pressure quickly. Use it to stabilize your elbow tendon in between the ice, heat and stretching sessions as listed in the recovery plan. It will help “hold things in place” without completely restricting your movement. Just be careful you don’t mask your symptoms and overuse your arm, which will lead to additional injury.
Continue to Stretch Daily The following stretches will help improve the flexibility of your tendons. Perform daily, as noted in the recovery plan, but if you feel any pain: STOP. Keep it simple. Create a daily behavior and keep it going beyond just this process to further improve mobility. (Technical terms: Wrist Flexor Stretch, Wrist Extensor Stretch, Pronation & Supination of the Forearm) – Stretch #1: Hand flat, palm up, arm extended. Pull fingers down, towards floor (15 seconds x 3) – Stretch #2: Hand flat, palm up, arm extended. Pull fingers up, towards ceiling (15 seconds x 3) – Stretch #3: Arms straight out. Hands flat, palms up. Slowly rotate palms inward until they face the floor (your shoulder, elbow and wrist will all move). Hold 5 seconds. Then slowly rotate back to palms facing up. Every time you repeat the back-and-forth motion count it as 1 rep. (10 reps x 3 sets)
Continue Supplementation What we put into our body has a direct impact on our overall health. If we eat crap, we’ll feel like crap. So the first thing we need to do is make sure we’re eating healthy foods. Then, we need to supplement our food with the following. Notice that I said supplement, not replace. Supplements can’t replace a healthy diet – however, they can fill in the gaps. Here’s what I take: – Krill Oil: Omega-3 fatty acids that + fights inflammation & arthritis pain. – Algae Oil: Alternate option to Krill Oil. – Glucosamine Chondroitin: Joint support, flexibility & health. – Collagen Peptides: Additional joint support + hair, skin & nails. – Protein: Most of us don’t get enough protein to support muscle growth or retention. Fix that.
Introduce Daily Strength Training Simple strength training can further aid in recovery and help train muscles that you have inadvertently been neglecting. In time, this will help prevent future injuries. Stay away from heavy lifting until you have fully recovered. (Technical Terms: Wrist Extensions, Strengthening Forearm Pronation & Supination) – Exercise #1: Sit. Place right elbow on right knee. Hold a 2 to 5lb dumbbell with your palm facing up. Grip the weight, and pull it up, tightening your forearm. Hold 5 seconds. Release, then repeat. (10 reps x 3 sets for each arm) – Exercise #2: Same as before, but face your palm towards the floor and allow it to hang with the weight, bending down at the wrist. Pull the weight up, tightening your forearm. Hold 5 seconds. Release, then repeat. (10 reps x 3 sets for each arm) – Exercise #3: Take the weight in one hand and hold it straight out in front of your body. Twist your arm to the right (your shoulder, elbow and wrist will all move). Hold for 5 seconds. Twist your arm back to the left, and hold for 5 seconds. Every time you repeat the back-and-forth motion count it as 1 rep. (10 reps x 3 sets for each arm)
Reintroduce Fishing! This week – go back to the lake. Start by fishing a slow presentation that does not require a lot of action. Stickbait. Bobber with something underneath. Jigworm. Stretch beforehand. Catch a few fish but if you set the hook or make a cast and it hurts – stop. Take a bit more time off, then try again.
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My Results After Using The Fisherman’s Elbow Relief & Recovery Plan
Week 1 Results: there were a few things that I noticed after the first week. One was that I started to feel like absolute CRAP because I was inactive, avoiding exercise and not really getting my blood pumping. This could be offset a bit by simple cardio, and if I had this to do all over again brisk walking for 20-30 minutes a day would be a part of my routine.
In terms of pain… I felt about the same. I started to notice that the day-to-day dull nagging pain started to improve, but trying to pick up a cup of coffee or perform any simple action that had aggravated my elbow in the past, still hurt.
Really. Freaking. Bad.
The heat was also much more soothing than the ice, and light stretching was very helpful for providing a bit of relief. The arm brace helped to stabilize things, but I had to keep reminding myself that I was hurt – and make sure that I didn’t overuse my elbow due to the brace masking my pain.
Week 2 Results: after a full week of supplementation & ice to reduce inflammation, heat to promote blood flow, and simple stretches to improve mobility, I was ready to re-introduce certain activities like fishing and light strength training.
If I was fishing and I felt pain, I stopped.
If I was exercising and I felt pain, I stopped.
Just listen to your body no matter what step you are on.
If you feel unbearable pain, stop everything and go back to the week 1 process – and repeat.
The most important thing here, is that you become aware of these different concepts and begin to apply them, because combined, they will help you move towards a full recovery. If at any time you feel extreme pain or you feel like you are doing something that is making your symptoms worse – seek help from a medical professional.
I ended up bouncing back and forth between the week 1 and week 2 processes many times over.
My Current Status – 100% Recovered – Pain Free: It’s been well over a year since I started to use this process, and I’ll be honest – it has been repeated many, many times. After I reintroduced fishing, if I felt pain I would stop and take a few days off, reintroducing ice and rest. This is hard, but necessary.
It took many cycles before I started to get real results.
After several months, I was able to begin lifting weights again, and have continued to this day. I am much more mindful of my movements, and if my body tells me something – I listen. This has helped me minimize – and in many cases, completely avoid – additional injury.
This process helped me to get healthy and stay healthy. I developed some good new behaviors, and learned a lot about how my body operates – and how I injured myself.
Here’s a bit more info on the things that led to my injury – and some important facts I learned while researching & planning my own recovery. If you’ve read this far it’s going to be very useful for you.
Planks were part of my daily routine. I’d perform them on my elbows (5 minutes) while scrolling through memes on my phone using my right hand. I have stopped doing this and replaced planks on my elbows with straight-arm planks for the time being.
Muscle develops faster than connective tissue. “Tendons, ligaments & cartilage are much slower to develop than muscle, so muscles often outgrow the strength of the tissues supporting them, leading to strain and injury.” I was lifting too heavy and have reduced the weight I’m using, while focusing on technique and TUT (Time Under Tension).
Denying I was injured made things worse. I should have slowed down as soon as I noticed there was an issue.
Movement is required for ligament repair. Regulated inflammation can be beneficial, constant inflammation can be damaging. Do not completely immobilize the tendons in your arm.
Massaging or “unsticking” tendons can be beneficial for this same reason.
The ACE Elbow Brace I was using initially gave me some relief, but it also gave me false confidence by reducing the pain. As a result I overused my arm while wearing it and caused additional damage. Be careful.
Where do we go from here?
When I first injured my elbow – I felt an overwhelming sense of despair. I thought I was injured for life. I thought I wouldn’t be able to pick up my kids. I felt like damaged goods.
Progress leads to happiness. Injuries prevent progress, and cause us to slip back into mediocrity… or worse… to lose ground…
I was depressed. Felt inadequate. In a dark place.
If you are there right now, this information should bring you hope.
I stand before you (hypothetically) today to tell you that this kind of injury can be relieved, repaired & reversed. After I developed this process, I followed it – developed new behaviors – and came out the other side happier and healthier than before the injury.
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That might seem like an odd way to start an article about my recent Political Detox, but it’s not.
Fishing was the activity that acted as the catalyst for this process.
Waking up super early to go fish with my Dad, then get the kids ready and fish during the day… followed by prepping gear with my wife for our evening escapades. Loads of smallmouth bass, a couple pike, and a few fat panfish as the sun was coming up, sitting high in the sky. A few more as she left us, dipping low behind the Wisconsin tree line, coloring the clouds a magnificent red-orange for just a moment as the waves from the day calmed on the mighty lakes near Manitowish.
Sing me a song, old friend.
The wavering calls of the loons lingering just a bit longer. Their tremolo echoing from one side of the lake to the other as those vibrant colors would fade into darkness. Boat lights ignited, their green and red glow barely illuminating the left and right of each bow, as fishermen and pleasure boaters carefully made their way back home.
Reluctantly.
Quite the painter, He is.
Incredible.
In an environment like this, it is so easy to separate all of the trappings of modern life. The “convenience” we enjoy, having all of the knowledge of the world, news, events and catastrophes right there in the palm of our hand.
No wonder we’re stressed. Human beings were not built for this amount of information.
Add on a heavy helping of clickbait, Twitter ramblings and political pontificators, and you’ve got a recipe for disaster.
I was addicted to all of it.
Miserable all the time. A bad husband, a bad father – with a hair-trigger temper. Thankfully, our vacation took me far enough out of my comfort zone so I could realize what was happening, and why.
For the sake of my family, my business, and my sanity… it had to go.
What Did That Addiction Look Like?
It was subtle. Bubbling under the surface, always in the back of my mind, ruining everything.
I start every morning by reading “the news”. After checking a few sites, I hop over to read 8 to 10 Twitter feeds, to get a feel for the reaction(s) to said news. This can take about 2-3 hours as I drink coffee and “wake up” with the rage machine. At the end of the day, I catch up on daily events by watching YouTube commentary for 60 to 90 minutes.
This “summary” was a bit of an understatement, due to my embarrassment. If I’m being completely honest, we’re looking at over 4.5 hours each day spent as listed above – but add in another hour at lunch for political YouTube videos, and frequent social media pick-me-ups, usually upon the completion of even the smallest task.
Just gimme that little bump…
All told, we’re easily looking at over 6 hours.
Wasted.
Daily.
Gone forever.
Yikes.
I Quit ALL OF IT, Cold Turkey
By accident, at first. About midway through the first week of vacation it was replaced with other, more important things. When I realized it was gone, I just decided to not allow it back for a complete month.
What I Learned:
Each week, I learned something new, and wrote it all down. Here are just a few examples, with links to the complete articles.
WEEK 1 –
Two days ago, I realized how much I was not listening to my wife… jokes aside, I’m not talking about obeying, I’m talking about listening… it hit me like a ton of bricks… [she’s been forced to] carry the weight of her job by herself.
I was also able to get out to the local honey hole and do some fishing. It’s a far cry from the deep, clear lakes near Minocqua, but still fun.
A marriage is a partnership, and I was being a bad partner. [My wife] was carrying the events of her day at the hospital alone. [Now I listen, and you can tell ] she wants to be around me more. We’ve always loved each other, but there is a playful banter that has resurfaced in our relationship. It’s flirting… I started this Political Detox hoping to do more fishing, and instead I’m doing more flirting.
I was so tired of being angry all the time. I didn’t feel right. My family was getting a mediocre version of me. My work was dull. Lackluster… [The more I stayed away from the “news”, the more I realized it] was all the same hosts saying all the same things telling me everything I should to be mad about with NONE OF THE SOLUTIONS! Anger without action is worthless.
… but there was something else… my overall attitude was lighter, and just as there had been a bit more flirting, there were many more jokes… like, a lot of jokes… it does my heart good.
How can we set a proper example of what it means to be a man for our children and grandchildren with so much hate in our hearts?
We can’t. I can’t. Not with that millstone weighing me down. So set it aside. Not forever, but for now.
This afternoon I’ll cut out early and go fish a Pop ‘n Drop. Time on the lake is good time, even without fish…
I [have] grown as an angler [and developed into] a better version of myself… fishing has helped me evolve as a father, as a husband and brother – as a man. It has taught me that failure is not uncommon, but it is also not the end – just an obstacle.
I’ve noticed exactly how hard it is to avoid both news sites and social media even throughout the day… I am [constantly] tempted to pick up the phone and check any – or all – of the sites & apps. “Just to kill time“, or “just to take a quick break“.
A quick peek won’t hurt… right? Wrong.
Not only was I losing massive amounts of time in the morning and evenings in giant chunks, but intermittently throughout the day – and it is frickin’ HARD to not give in to the urge to check these things man! SERIOUSLY HARD. But by forcing myself to become aware of them through this detox process, I can really SEE them. I’ve been able to count just how many times throughout the day I am tempted to indulge… and it’s a LOT.
I miss keeping up with certain people on social media.
The truth is... there were also some hosts that I genuinely enjoyed... and I miss hearing their shows. There are times throughout the week that I could listen, without obsessing.
So the door that was closed has been cracked back open ever so slightly...
What I've Allowed Back In...
Eventually, I'll have a fully developed Plan for Frustrated Conservatives, but these are the initial changes to combat the problems above:
The Morning Wire Podcast Produced by The Daily Wire (Ben Shapiro, Jeremy Boreing, Matt Walsh etc.), this 15-minute daily podcast selects a few important stories to hit, without injecting opinion commentary. It is dry, but so far, it is a great way to filter the noise and get a brief summary of current events. I can listen to it without the joys of extremely elevated blood pressure.
Political YouTube Clips During lunch, I watch 1 of 4 things: fishing videos, Jordan Peterson, videos on Stoicism, or political commentators discussing pop culture - and ONLY pop culture. If Shapiro, or Knowles, or Walsh, or Tucker Carlson want to discuss something that is culture-specific, I'll allow it at lunch time... once in a while. I'll also let myself watch JP Sears, who is freaking hilarious.
The Steve Deace Show Carried by Blaze Media, Steve Deace, Aaron McIntire and Todd Erzen discuss politics and current events with a Christian worldview. During the initial stages of Covid, they were way ahead of the curve and predicted countless events that would come to pass. Once a week I have a 3+ hour drive , and I allow myself to listen to one commentator. Steve beats out all of the others that I used to listen to - he is excellent.
Warrior Poet Society Network If the misses wants to do a little hanging out in the evenings after the kids go to bed - I'll pull up John Lovell & co. I feel good about giving money to support these guys every month, just like I feel good about giving money to The Daily Wire. These groups are producing content that isn't woke - it's anti-woke in fact, and we need to support their efforts financially. Stop wasting time and money on Hollywood productions - they hate you and want you dead. That's not hyperbole. Look around - you can see what time it is...
Measured Social Media Each morning, I have a series of Core Requirements that I work through, These serve as my daily foundation. Things like email, sales calls, work tasks; general upkeep and communication that must be done. Facebook is like the kitchen fridge of communication. Everyone I went to high school with "sticks news and events" on that fridge. Unfortunately, several people also use it as their soapbox. I do check Facebook - one time, with a 15 minute timer - each day to answer messages and see what's happening. I run ads for clients on Facebook as well, but will NOT install the Facebook app on my phone. This would make wasting time too easy. Instagram is a part of what I do, so that is checked once a day as well, and I'm playing with Rumble a bit more. Twitter and TikTok are cesspools of death and decay, I have not allowed either back into my life. At all.
With these small additions to my schedule, I now have a measured, regulated approach to both news & events, opinions and pop culture commentary.
I don't feel like I'm MISSING anything, or LACKING... and I know that most importantly, it is not having a negative impact on me as a person, as a father, as a husband - and as a man.
It's not perfect, but it's a vast improvement over where I was, and I believe a successful conclusion to this Political Detox process. (More updates will be posted in the coming months.)
If you're on the fence, let me give you the nudge: try it, see what you learn about yourself. You'll be glad you did.
I'll see you on the other side.
For the full explanation of what this Political Detox is, and the habits it’s addressing, please see: Fish for Bad Habits…
Tight Lines & Godspeed, Patriots.
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Today is August 24th – exactly 30 days have passed since the start of my rudimentary Political Detox, on July 25th.
Tomorrow… I’ll be done…
Done?
Yeah… done. Although I’m not sure what that means yet.
This experiment kicked off shortly after returning from Minocqua, Wisconsin. The annual family vacation. Being isolated up North makes it easy to stay away from the little rectangular rage machine we keep in our grubby hands – or at the very least, on our person – most of the day.
Great bassin’ this year made it easy to stay occupied.
This same phenomenon repeated itself over the weekend during our annual BroTrip to Iron River. It was easy to leave the phone back at the cabin and go do stuff.
But before I left the state… before I went on these trips… it was not so easy…
I Was Addicted.
In a very literal sense. A rage addict. This recent time away from “the daily grind” allowed me to see that clearly for the first time in… well… in a long, long time.
It crystalized upon returning home.
As I was writing and thinking about how I had grown as an angler, I started to think more about the behaviors that had really helped me develop into a better version of myself. The sport of fishing (which as we know, is second to none) has helped me evolve as a father, as a husband and brother – as a man. It has taught me that failure is not uncommon, but it is also not the end – just an obstacle.
These days a very large group of people believe that failure is simply not possible.
They are told they can do no wrong, they are always right, and that society (and the entire world) needs to conform to them – not the other way around.
Therefore, when these individuals have an idea challenged, or when they are presented with facts that go against what they choose to believe, or what they “feel“, they shut down. They cancel. They cry. They safe-space. They have temper tantrums and try to block the offending ideas, instead of defending their own.
See, the lessons we learn from fishing are the polar opposite of the lessons we are being taught by social media, and even “the news”. It’s really something if you stop and think about it. The fish don’t give a rip about how you “feel”. You’re either in the right spot using the right bait at the right time, or you ain’t.
Period.
We all understand that being wrong is painful… it is hard to admit we’ve made a mistake. But being wrong AND stubborn AND belligerent will hurt you so much more in the long run.
This idea has been refined as it’s swirled around with so many others that have come to light throughout this 4 week process.
I’ve learned much more than I expected:
After week 1, I realized that I had been doing a very poor job of listening to my wife and kids. I needed to improve, and on top of that the amount of time I was wasting reading things that I had no control over in the mornings and evenings drastically reduced the time I could invest in fishing.
During week 2, my wife started to want to be around me more, and a playful banter that had gone missing in our home returned – with the kids as well. More laughter. More jokes. I could see the change as they were given the attention that I would have placed solely on my little glowing rage rectangle… and the sad thing is that I didn’t even realize it had gone missing. There was also a bit more flirting (*wink wink*) with the misses, and extra fishing to boot.
Giggity.
By week 3, I realized that the weight of information overload was negatively impacting every single aspect of my life. It was far more serious that I originally thought, and it was not just “the news” – it was also social media. How can you do your best in faith, family, work, hobbies – in life – with a millstone hanging around your neck? You can’t.
So now it’s week 4… and I’ve noticed exactly how hard it is to avoid both news sites and social media even throughout the day! There are so many little breaks and “in-betweens” as individual tasks are completed where I am tempted to pick up the phone and check any – or all – of the sites & apps. “Just to kill time“, or “just to take a quick break“.
A quick peek won’t hurt… right?
Wrong.
Not only was I losing massive amounts of time in the morning and evenings in giant chunks, but intermittently throughout the day – and it is frickin’ HARD to not give in to the urge to check these things man! SERIOUSLY HARD. But by forcing myself to become aware of them through this detox process, I can really SEE them. I’ve been able to count just how many times throughout the day I am tempted to indulge… and it’s a LOT.
These little interruptions snatch away at our time, bit by tiny bit, like the drip-drip-drip of a miniature waterfall that slowly, continuously, meticulously, erodes the stones below over millennia.
Droplet after droplet, it all adds up… and it’s robbing us blind.
The End is Here.
But what does that mean?
I don’t want to go back to the way it was.
Ever.
Yet avoiding the news and online interactions forever is not feasible. I don’t like the fact that I know less about world events, I don’t like feeling uninformed, I don’t like missing out on the lives of friends & family that live all across the country… but…how can I regain some of that information without letting the anger eat me alive?
Without hurting the relationships I have rebuilt with my wife & kids?
Without losing the extra fishing time?
Without destroying my improved perspective of the world around me?
How do we take what we have learned, and re-enter these realms while keeping the evil at bay?
I don’t use the term “evil” lightly – I mean that with every fiber of my being.
EVIL.
There must be a way to do it. To navigate these waters.
So tomorrow, as I complete this initial phase of my Political Detox… that search will begin.
I’ll let you know what I find…
For the full explanation of what this Political Detox is, and the habits it’s addressing, please see: Fish for Bad Habits…
Your support directly funds the creation of weekly articles and videos that promote the development of better anglers and better men. Our country (and our kids) need both. Please share this site, and consider a monthly, weekly, or one-time donation. You are helping us make a difference!
Lately, I’ve been trying to approach these articles with an empty notebook, and an empty mind.
Not surprisingly… the latter comes easy.
Occasionally I can do the smart, but most of the time I make my way through life with two left feet.
That said, the decision to go through with a rudimentary Political Detox has been one of my better “smarts”.
When I started this process, I didn’t expect anything magical to happen, I just knew that I was so tired of being angry all the time. I didn’t feel right. My family was getting a mediocre version of me. My work was dull. Lackluster. There was a desire to create more space for fishing as well. I knew something must be cut to make that space – so why not detox from the news a bit? The more I chewed on this, the more it made sense. Vacation made it easy to start, and it seemed logical. After all, nothing I was considering was earth-shattering. Countless “detox” articles exist all across the internet, for every imaginable vice.
Detox your guts. Detox your relationship. Detox your mind. Detox your body. Detox your soul.
CLEANSE THYSELF!
Cleanse: a process or period of time during which a person attempts to rid the body of substances regarded as toxic or unhealthy.
Certainly “the news” falls under this definition. So does social media. It’s a happy accident that my Political Detox has spilled over, prompting a massive reduction of the ‘ol Facebook / Twitter / Instagram habit.
Many things seem to be getting better the further down this rabbit hole I go. Here are a few more examples…
A week ago I was in a hotel lobby.
The band I play with was doing prison ministry near Dyersburg, Tennessee. Nice area. Hot. Fishing was on my mind but alas, this was not a leisurely trip – we were working. Scattering seed.
I was working on my business as well.
Being self-employed has it’s perks, but work never stops. I remember sitting in the lobby, sipping Holiday Inn coffee – which is surprisingly better than gas station coffee – taking care of email.
I stopped. Eyes looked up without raising my chin.
Crap.
They got me.
I couldn’t help but watch. After all, one of my issues with this process is that I feel uninformed, and I hate that.
I am committed to a month-long detox… but… I didn’t turn the news on, it was just… there. So… I took a peek.
Then a weird thing happened.
I started to laugh out loud.
Laugh?
Laugh.
It was all the same hosts saying all the same things telling me everything I should to be mad about with NONE OF THE SOLUTIONS!
No action items. No “here’s our plan, boys & girls!” Just vapid rhetoric and a marketing push.
“Buy this new book from this guest. He’s PISSED! Wait until you read how angry he is!”
It wasn’t that these guys were wrong (there are certainly plenty of things to be upset about these days), but it was just… worthless.
I remember sitting back and taking a deep swig of my piping-hot lobby-java, and smirking. After just a few minutes, it was surprisingly easy to turn away.
Anger without action is worthless.
There must be a better way.
After the shows at the prison were completed, we drove back to Illinois. The long, narrow country roads of Tennessee and Missouri gave me plenty of time to mull over what had happened in the hotel lobby.
It stuck with me.
Give me sticks over streetlights any day.
When I made it back, there were hugs all around between the wife, the boys, and life returned to “normal”. Playing outside, reading together at night, making dinner with the misses, the mad dash before church, daily chores – the list goes on… but there was something else…
My overall attitude was lighter, and just as there had been a bit more flirting, there were many more jokes.
Like, a lot of jokes.
This in itself is hilarious, because I’m not especially funny. Still, there has been more laughter, more ribbing (or “ball-busting” as we call it), and as a result of my lightened demeanor, you can tell that both my wife and my children want to be around me more.
Our house is filled with laughter.
It’s also filled with yelling, screaming, spitting, fighting – but the extra laughter is in addition to the chaos.
This has also translated to my work, including my writing. Just last week, I received several emails from people letting me know they’ve been following the site for a while, and that I said something that made them feel a pull to reach out, say hello, and let me know it was helpful.
It does my heart good.
It also makes sense.
How can you do your best in faith, family, work, hobbies – in life – with a millstone hanging around your neck?
How can you expect others to want to be around you with a sense of anger & frustration gurgling under the surface at all times?
How can we set a proper example of what it means to be a man for our children and grandchildren with so much hate in our hearts?
We can’t.
I can’t.
Not with that millstone weighing me down.
So set it aside.
Not forever, but for now.
Give yourself permission to take a break, and focus on the things that are most important.
This afternoon I will cut out early to go fish a Pop ‘n Drop in an algae covered lake nearby. I’m working on a heavy-cover modification, and this should be a good time to test things. Last week, the fishing was awful. I’m expecting similar results today.
Your support directly funds the creation of weekly articles and videos that promote the development of better anglers and better men. Our country (and our kids) need both. Please share this site, and consider a monthly, weekly, or one-time donation. You are helping us make a difference!
I don’t remember the last time I took a picture with my wife.
We have 4 boys.
They’re crazy about her.
As they should be.
We do things with them. On vacation especially. It’s easy to make time for activities that are not the norm when you are on a trip. “We’re on vacation, so we have to go do vacation things!” But even when we’re not doing said vacation things, the kids are always around (thankfully). If my wife and I are in a picture together, it’s with the addition of 1 to 4 little boys.
Wildwood Wildlife Park Zoo & Safari in Minocqua, Wisconsin
No big deal… I mean… one of us has to manage the camera… we have enough pictures together… right?
Last week, I mentioned that the first 7 days allowed me to see how much I was not listening to my wife. When I say “listening“, I don’t mean “obeying” – this is not submissive exercise. A marriage is a partnership, and I was being a bad partner. She was carrying the events of her day at the hospital alone. I was not hearing her when she was speaking, because I was obsessed with the little glowing rage machine.
That has changed.
As a result, you can tell that she wants to be around me more. It’s the same on my side as well! I’m enjoying having real conversations that are beyond the stuff that we have to talk about.
You know the stuff…
What are we cooking this week? Who is taking the kids to the dentist on Wednesday? Are we painting those doors or leaving them for now? Should we do church Saturday or Sunday? School starts back up on what date?
This is the stuff that keeps life moving… but it’s boring.
With the newfound space for actual conversation, there is a change in the atmosphere. We like each other. We’ve always loved each other, but there is a playful banter that has resurfaced in our relationship.
It’s Flirting.
Do you remember when you were courting your wife? The compliments? The things you did to try to impress her? To make her laugh? To show how special she was to you?
Are you still doing those things?
If not… why not?
Because life. Because job. Because tired. Because excuses. Because these days we don’t even think about it.
I started this Political Detox hoping to do more fishing, and instead I’m doing more flirting.
Definitely unexpected, but let me let me tell you… that ain’t a bad thing!
Do you know what else happens when you genuinely invest your time and energy into the relationship you have with your wife?
Good things, fellas. I ain’t gonna spell it out for ya, but many, many, many good things…
The Fishing Keeps Getting Better, Too.
This was the original goal, and it has been successful. I was able to fish again after getting back from a 4-day Prison Ministry trip to Tennessee. What a great way to close out the evening after the 9-hour drive.
But there is work to do between now and then. So for now, I think I’ll go give the misses a little pinch, perhaps a smooch on the cheek… maybe it’s time to set up a date night so we can get that picture with just the two of us?
It’s important, and I’m glad I can clearly see that again.
For the full explanation of what this Political Detox is, and the habits it’s addressing, please see: Fish for Bad Habits…
Your support directly funds the creation of weekly articles and videos that promote the development of better anglers and better men. Our country (and our kids) need both. Please share this site, and consider a monthly, weekly, or one-time donation. You are helping us make a difference!
1 week since a simple family vacation to Minocqua, Wisconsin helped me to identify a very destructive habit.
My morning and evening “news routines” were taking a major toll on my time, and more importantly, my family. There were several things that happened over our two week fishing trip that gave me the much needed space to think clearly, to see these habits as the problems that they were.
I am 1 week into a full-bore Political Detox.
I have not allowed myself to check in on the rage machine in the mornings, the evenings – even while driving (which has been extremely difficult).
So far, here’s what I’ve learned…
In Wisconsin, it was easy.
Wisconsin bluegill fishing
When I was surrounded by water, nature, family, activities – so many good things from the time I woke into the late, late evenings – it was easy to push these bad habits behind me.
Now I’m home.
Every day starts with work. There are real-life responsibilities. Real-life problems. Things break, things cost money, things seem to go wrong constantly and all of this makes me want to sit and “veg out”. Disconnect. Fortunately we don’t have cable so the TV isn’t a huge draw for me – but as a website developer, I have screens. Many screens. Screens filled with YouTube, Twitter, and every opinion-type website you can possibly imagine…
When overwhelmed, there is a strange, powerful draw to just sit – to do nothing – and check in on what other people think, what other people are ticked off about. To let them think for me – not to mention, a (big) part of me wants to know what is going on out there! I don’t like being uninformed… but still, being informed with rage isn’t a good place to live either… so at some point, we’ll need to figure out a way to get simple, straight, distilled news with no slant. Just information.
Does that even exist?
Not sure, and today isn’t the day to find out, because I am dedicated to this experiment. There are 3 weeks left.
Good things have already started to manifest themselves.
Two days ago, I realized how much I was not listening to my wife.
(Insert some joke about how “hubby don’t listen“, or “my wife never stops talking“, or “put the toilet seat down!“)
Jokes aside, I’m not talking about OBEYING, I’m talking about LISTENING.
Those are very different things.
My wife is a registered nurse, and at the hospital, she sees some pretty heavy stuff. The other night we were in the kitchen, and she started to talk about a man with an infection. I won’t go into the disturbing details (and she never gets into specifics like personal info), but it was clearly worse than anything she had ever seen before.
This person was essentially rotting from the inside.
As she was explaining this in our kitchen, I had my phone in my hand. Not because I was going to open YouTube, but because I was waiting to borrow the charger. At one point I looked down and noticed it was there – and that the screen was blank.
Dark.
Then it hit me like a ton of bricks.
Just a few weeks ago, my response to her would have been “uh-huh, uh-huh, yup“, to end the conversation so I could start a video, or read a tweet, or check some social site… how is that being a good husband?
Easy answer: it isn’t.
By not listening I was forcing my wife to carry the weight of her job by herself. Can she do that? Yes. Should she do that? Of course not. This is a partnership, and whether or not either of us realized it, my bad habit was placing extra stress on her, because she wasn’t properly unpacking the events of the day.
It’s a blessing, and this Political Detox has helped me realize that.
Yes, the fishing has improved…
This week I was also able to get out to the local honey hole and do some fishing. It’s a far cry from the deep, clear lakes near Minocqua, but still fun. Yesterday I threw a Z-Man Pop Frog, then a little finesse Tokyo rig I’ve been playing with as a delivery method for some Strike King Super Finesse Worms and had some success.
The topwater strike was the most fun, which is often the case.
I left earlier than usual instead of sitting on my rump, slurping coffee and looking at a my computer screen, because of my new-found morning time. This meant more casts, more fish, and more time breathing the fresh morning air.
Truth is, the extra fishing time was the initial draw for going through this process – this Political Detox… but the things I am learning about myself and my family at the same time – that is the real benefit.
Consider going through this process yourself. You’ll be glad you did.
For the full explanation of what this Political Detox is, and the habits it’s addressing, please see: Fish for Bad Habits…
I’ll be traveling south for the next 4 days doing Prison Ministry, so articles and videos will be on hold while I’m on the road to & from Tennessee. Please pray for safe travels and that the hearts of many, many men will be touched by the Holy Spirit!
Get Articles & Videos First
Catch More Fish Than Your Friends. Laugh At Their Tears.
Your support directly funds the creation of weekly articles and videos that promote the development of better anglers and better men. Our country (and our kids) need both. Please share this site, and consider a monthly, weekly, or one-time donation. You are helping us make a difference!
Vacations have a way of bringing things that are truly important to the forefront.
My family is home now.
We currently live in Illinois, but for the last two weeks we have been elbow-deep in fishing, swimming, eating, being merry, and then… even more fishing up in Minocqua, Wisconsin.
You read that right. Two weeks. And we go with the EXTENDED family.
Trips like this take a lot of planning & patience… virtues I have been sorely lacking for many years…
But it seems like we finally have a routine dialed in. We have checklists. We know what not to pack. We’ve minimized, you see. We know what presentations to use on the crystal-clear, spring-fed lakes if we want any chance of attracting the finicky smallmouth bass and walleye that roam the depths…
With the added clarity, I realized something this year:
These trips are a good way to disconnect from the modern world.
With an intentional focus on family, fun & fishing, all of the excess – the clutter, the noise, the distractions – they all fall by the wayside.
At times, we find ourselves on the calm, quiet lake, and we are left with something a bit unsettling…
Our thoughts.
Not a distraction in sight…
This helped me notice a very bad habit…
I start every morning by reading “the news”. After checking a few sites, I hop over to read 8 to 10 Twitter feeds, to get a feel for the reaction(s) to said news. This can take about 2-3 hours as I drink coffee and “wake up” with the rage machine.
At the end of the day, I catch up on daily events by watching YouTube commentary for 60 to 90 minutes.
Every. Single. Day.
Yet over the last two weeks I didn’t have the time to indulge in this sick, twisted habit, and as a result I realized just how destructive it was.
I was up every morning at 5:30 a.m. to fish with my Dad.
Smile, Pops.
It paid off.
Sometimes with fish.
Other times… with conversation.
Often both.
The days were filled with family activities. Swimming, sight-seeing, bobber-fishing.
In the evenings, I would read to my boys, then lay them down after prayers.
Then at night, the adults would play dice and drink a few refreshments, eventually rambling off to bed. Late. Late enough that I didn’t even want to try to keep my eyes open to watch YouTube commentary.
The swimming and sun, combined with everything else that happens on a vacation day, makes you rather tired. The real tired. The good kind of tired that comes from actually doing stuff.
Y’all ready for a nap yet?!
Then something changed.
I began to enjoy the mornings.
I looked forward to the evenings when my head would hit the pillow.
My family started to get the best of me, my wife got more attention & time and my kids got Daddy in a good mood. I started to focus on them, started to plan things with them, started to zero-in on the things I could actually change in the short-term. There simply wasn’t time for my bad habit.
But I didn’t even know I had made a change… until I came back home.
When I sat down to sip my coffee and fire up the same ‘ol websites the first morning back, something was off. I realized that I was about to pick up a bad habit that I had minimized… by accident.
Happy accident.
And so, this habit has stayed gone.
I am now entering into a period of Political Detox, to see what I can do with the time I will regain.
If my math is correct, I may very well regain four hours every day.
How in the WORLD was I wasting four hours a day without realizing it?!
Your support directly funds the creation of weekly articles and videos that promote the development of better anglers and better men. Our country (and our kids) need both. Please share this site, and consider a monthly, weekly, or one-time donation. You are helping us make a difference!
What do you think?