Getting the wife involved?

[UTBASS]

After I return to the US, I am thinking about getting the wife involved in my hobbie. She likes fishing, It's just that she isn't in to it as much as me. If she saw more time on the water, she would see how fun it really is. Okay guys, how have you gotten your spouse / girlfriend involved? Any tips for those of us who ae looking for inventive ways? I know this is kind of taboo. I just love my wife more than anything and we need a balance. I am going to spend more time with her on things she likes and also things WE enjoy. I am just looking for a good angle. Help a brother out!
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[TubeDude]

[cool][blue][size 2]Hey, Bro, it sounds like the long enforced separation has got you rethinking priorities. Hope you are successful in your project.[/size][/blue]

[#0000ff][size 2]I can't offer any sneaky strategies, from personal experience, because I had no problem turning a "room-mate" into a fishing buddy. TubeBabe came from a Utah fishing family and learned to appreciate the wonders of the outdoors (and fishing) long before we "hooked up". In fact, some of our premarital interaction was going fishing. And, it was even her choice.[/size][/#0000ff]

[#0000ff][size 2]Getting her involved in float tubing was more of a challenge. She does not handle cold well and is definitely a "fair weather" fisherperson. Our first tubing trip on Willard, where I had to help tow her back to the marina when the wind came up, just about ended her tubing career.[/size][/#0000ff]

[#0000ff][size 2]If I were to offer a suggestion or two, it would be to handle the situation just like teaching a youngster to fish. First, make each early trip about THEM...and not about you, and how great a fisherman you are. [/size][/#0000ff]

[#0000ff][size 2]Take them somewhere where it is comfortable, without bugs, where there are willing biters and hopefully where you can have some solitude to teach without distraction. Don't stay any longer than they are having fun, and be sure they wear some sunscreen. If the fishing is fast, lay your own rod down and become a guide.[/size][/#0000ff]

[#0000ff][size 2]I can bet that you already know that you should not take her out bassin'...runnin' and gunnin' along a bank...throwing spinnerbaits and crankbaits all day. That would not make her a happy girl...especially if you "front-ended" her in your boat and made her fish your used water.[/size][/#0000ff]

[#0000ff][size 2]Most new fishermen...child or adult...don't have any prejudices about species or size. They can be happy lifting sunfish or small trout out of the water, as long as there is some action. So, try to pick a spot where you can at least get bit with regularity.[/size][/#0000ff]

[#0000ff][size 2]Got a good story along that line (as always). A (former) fishing buddy sneaked his new wife along on a planned "boys only" fishing trip to the Colorado River in California. She was a great lady and did want to learn to fish too. [/size][/#0000ff]

[#0000ff][size 2]After my buddy and I had fished most of the night...while his wife slept in the tent...we were ready for a snooze too. But, his wife was ready to try fishing. Since former buddy had already started snoring, I took over the initiation.[/size][/#0000ff]

[#0000ff][size 2]A can of corn (legal in California), a light rod and some size six bait hooks was the setup for some carp catchin'. There were lots of willing three to five pounders in the little backwater next to our tent, and after a few instructional catches I left my buddy's lady whooping and hollering on one carp after another.[/size][/#0000ff]

[#0000ff][size 2]The "rest of the story"? She went on to love fishing and graduate to using spinning, baitcasting and fly fishing tackle better than he did. Outfished him a lot. Don't know if that's why they got divorced a few years later, but my point is to let them have fun.[/size][/#0000ff]

[#0000ff][size 2]Hope to see your posts coming from Utah soon. What is your schedule for return?[/size][/#0000ff]
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[UintaIce]

Not taboo at all. You're just an honorable man with his priorities in line.
My wife loves to fish with me when we make a long weekend of it. We'll go the gorge in the summer and fall, get a motel room, eat out ... And we take the boat out and fish. Stopping for potty breaks is a must. As is knowing when to quit for the day.
For ice fishing, I put up the tent, fire up the Mr. Heater, and put the fish finder into the hole she's fishing from. Teach them the technology, take along a cooler with snacks, and have an adventure!
Best of luck to you!
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[wiperhunter2]

It's like pulling teeth to get my wife out fishing with me but maybe I'll give it another try this year. Some of the ideas that the guys mentioned might help and change her mind. Sorry I can't help you out Utbass but it sound like a good thread, maybe I can get some more good ideas to get my wife interested. When are you coming getting back to Utah? WH2
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[PREDATOR]

You know how we gut hung up on catching fish, and take it pretty seriously?

Some people dont understand that. Not only some women, but some men.

For me, the biggest problem is relaxing. The wife thinks fishing is about fun, and a boat ride.

But for most anglers fishing is about serious focus. Watching the line for the slightest movement so as to dectect an unfeelable bite. Precision movements of the rod tip to present the bait in the strike zone of a hungry smallmouth bass.

When the wife goes along, that doesnt sound like fun. That sounds like work.

I do the exact same things with my wife as I do with the kids.

I take the family on trolling trips where the fishing is fast, and all the circumstances are easy. Heres a hint, dont make your wife drive the boat. They dont understand boat control. Its much more pleasurable and easy to just do the work yourself, and let the kids and wife enjoy the catching and the boat ride.

Of course my kids are very young still. But this type fishing has made the beginnings of the transition to casting much easier. My three year old cant quite handle the big rods and the bigger fish yet, so I still have to help out, but its lots easier for them all to enjoy the various types of fishing now due to the time spent trolling and getting acustomed to fishing.

I would treat your wife like a kid if you want her to truly get into it. Loads of fish, size not mattering, on quick trips. Skills required for serious walleye or bass angling will come later, but to instill the love of fishing, and prepare people for the long hard days of intense fishing on a lake, a good trout trolling session in the late morning works to break people into the sport.

I dont even reel in a single fish when I take the family. I just operate the equipment and try to make sure everyone else has a good time. My day to have fun will be another day.
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[MrLipripper]

You're a good Dad and hubby, Predator. My hat's off to ya. My father-in-law would invisibly rope off an area around him when he would fish and no child of his was allowed past this point. He relaxed a little bit as he got older but not much. As for me, when my girls were growing up, I had a pole for each - essentially a cheap Zebco with the push button casting style. One would have a worm, one a salmon egg, one some floating cheese, and I'd use my spinning outfit with a spinner or fly-and-bubble set up. If I hooked one, they got to reel it in and get credit for catching it. On the others, I'd set the hook and they would reel it in. My wife enjoyed watching and/or reading a book. That's how it is these days when "we" go "fishing." To me, it is now and always has been - the catching with your family is OK but it's the fishing that makes Daddy proud.[]
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[hashbaz]

Like TubeDude said, go for the little ones. Hopefully catching enough "just little" ones will wet her appetite for the bigger ones. It has mine.

Loren Sackett
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[FISH4GRANDKIDS]

You have brought up a subject that is dear to my heart. There is some great advice above. I would add first off don't make it work for her to get ready to go get everthing ready which includes lunch. Don't make it a fishing contest and if you do LET HER WIN, KIDS ALSO. Always remember they will make mistakes, not setting at the right time, horseing fish and losing them etc. tell them its ok and there are a lot more fish in the lake. Like predator said let them rell in your fish. Something about that tug on the line you know what I mean and something I know for a fact if you do catch and release let them put them back you would be suprised how much the kids like to do this. And last tell her how mush you enjoyed sharing your world with her.. Take pictures and show them to friends and family and BRAG IT UP. Most of all have fun and she will to. If you have kids sometimes it nice to leave them home and make it a day out for her. Keep yourself safe and look forward to meeting you when you return.
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[Jedburton]

I say ditto to what most of these guys have said. Make sure she doesn't have to work to hard at it and go where you can catch fairly consistantly. When my wife gets bored with it she starts to loose her happy personality and make sure you can keep her warm and the bugs off. I am about 50/50 for her loving the trips and getting bored. In the summer with float tubing she seems to really enjoy it. In the winter if the fishing isn't great it is a lot harder to keep her loving it. Also make sure to keep food handy. I know if my wife gets hungry her patience with fishing goes down. Good luck with it. I love having my wife with me when I go fishing,

Jed
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[nomoose]

OK after hearing all of these great stories from some of the best fishing guys I have to put my two cents in. First of all the is Mrs. Nomoose and I have to agree with some of these guys if your wife doesn't already like fishing start from the beginning as if you were showing your kids when they first go out. But if that doesn't work you are really in for a rough go. I was also one of those who enjoyed fishing before I met Moose and it was one of his what you could say prenuptial agreements that I would love to hunt and fish before he would get serious with me. Well little did he know that I grew up loving every minute of it even though I couldn't shoot worth a darn. That was back then. Now it is much better but don't give up on her because it's all about comprimising and you should remind her of that when you are doing something she likes to do. Good luck to you and hope you can get home soon.
Stacy
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[PREDATOR]

Hey jedburton, the first time I ever took my wife fishing, she wasnt my wife yet, and we went on a float tubing trip to jordanelle.

Well, I learned a lot that day. I wondered why she just stayed put in the same place all day. So after the trip, I asked. Turns out she was hung up on the bottom all day and didnt want to say anything.

You gotta be kidding me right?!

Well, turns out she was a bit embarrased and didnt know what to do. Who would have thought. Needless to say, she didnt catch anything that day. And it set the standard for all our trips since. If something dont look right, its time to step in.

Now some of the more fortuante anglers here have ladies in thier life who out fish them. I will never forget the day skeeters wife outfished him and me at willard. I think she had 17 wipers to my 15 and skeeter only had 4. It was pretty good. But her father is a fishing nut. X-man has a woman who is pretty handy with a rod and reel. I dont think she has as many state records as he does, but one day.
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[Jedburton]

thanks for the story. The first time I took my wife to jordanelle she got snagged and broke of so many times that she was starting to get anoyed until I put ten pound test on for her so she could rip through the snags and after that I didn't loose as many lures and she was a whole lot happier. My wife has some of the best fishing luck but it doesn't come from a fishing background. She had never fished in her life the first time I took her and her first fish ever was a 19" rainbow. After she caught that one I caught the second fish, A whopping 9" rainbow. Her next two fish were a 16" and 17" rainbow, mine were a 12" and a 10" rainbow, after that I told her she was baiting her own dang hook. She still has a way of pulling out the biggest fish on our trips.

Jed Burton
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[fishluvr]

I took my wife ice fishing last year and she enjoyed it for the most part. She told me afterwards that she would go ice fishing with me again if I got a tent and had a porta potty in it. I have never had a problem finding a potty spot when I am outdoors but it is a whole different issue when women are involved, obviously.

I think the biggest advice I can give is to make the women comfortable. If they are not totally into the sport and are not comfortable they are miserable. Keep them warm in the winter, bugs off in the summer, and always have easy access to some sort of toilet.
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[icehole69]

[][green] Great advice guys, just remember to make it an enjoyable time for her, if its ice fishing make sure she has the appropriate clothing take her shopping for what she will need, a good set of sock liners wool socks, ect, show her you care enough to want her to be comfortable, if its warm weather, go shopping with her for comfortable clothes and gear for the trip, take care of the little things like you would your own gear, examples lunch, or dinner, and her favorite snacks, reservations for a Motel room if you are way out of town, show her you want her with you, and its important too you for her to be with you, make it as comfortable and enjoyable a time together as you can and talk alot, about everything, life, kids, weather, and when your on your way home tell her how much you enjoyed her comming along. also tell her its not about the fish you catch even though thats nice, its about the time you spend in the outdoors, and tell her that you look forward to your next trip together.
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[UTBASS]

Sounds like the White Bass Runs at Utah Lake could be a start. I will take the advice and ad something my dad told me. ... Your wife is your BETTER HALF. Treat her like it. Thanks guys and Gals! See you guys in June! I'll try and make a BFT Activity and put my face to our posts!
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[TubeDude]

[cool][blue][size 1]Hey, Clif, I think I speak for all when I say we will be glad to know of your safe return in June.[/size][/blue]

[#0000ff][size 1]I am attaching a copy of something I just received from a regular "contributor" to my email bin. Thought you might appreciate knowing that there are many of us who realize and appreciate the sacrifices being made by our service people in foreign lands.[/size][/#0000ff]
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[releaseit]

[size 2] Fishing for alot of men is a chance to have time away from there wife/girlfriend's to spend time with there male friends and enforce male bonds and so on.[/size]

[size 2] I have never invited a women fishing, if a past girlfriend wanted to go of course I would take her but I never asked.[/size]

[size 2] My reason is that one above. Not to disrespect women but when me and the guys go out we get rowdy and drink and enjoy being men. [/size]

[size 2] Then of course at the end of the day we return to our wives and/or girlfriends with our stories[/size]

[size 2] I think it is admirable that you want to involve your wife but I would make sure she really wants to do it first. Otherwise you may open a can of worms ( so to speak[sly])[/size]

[size 2] My wife does not like fishing, she doesn't even like to eat fish!
( I am putting her through counseling[crazy] )[/size]

[size 2] But in a way that is good. Men in my opinion, need to be able to go out and be men once in awhile. Get dirty, slimmy and smelly and grunt. Ah Ah Ah.[/size]

[size 2] I think that helps release some of the testostorone and helps level men out. If a man's only stress relief is fishing and he takes his wife or girlfriend that might ruin it. There is nothing wrong in keeping that to yourself. [/size]

[size 2] Just make sure obviously that you do plan equal time with your wife/girlfriend doing something you both enjoy or maybe something she enjoys.[/size]

[size 2] That's my two cents[] I have been married for 11 years so something must be working.[/size]
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