Why You Should Take Your Kids Fishing This Father’s Day
Whether you grew up a junior angler or discovered your love for fishing as an adult, there’s no denying it’s a hobby worth passing on for generations to come. We hope you caught our Mother’s Day article about some really cool HMY moms giving their kids the experiences of a lifetime, but this week we’re celebrating the patriarch of the family- dear old dad. While fishing builds fun family memories to last a lifetime, it also teaches kids valuable life lessons and encourages putting down the electronics to appreciate nature with the people around them.
Pictured: HMY Yacht Sales Professional Mike Scalisi's daughters and family friends after some successful mahi fishing
Think back. Do you remember catching your first fish? How much did it weigh? How old were you? Did you bait your own hook? Was it sunny or overcast? If your parents raised you around fishing from a young age, answers to those questions are probably a little hard to recall first hand. If you remember your first fish off the top of your head, it’s either because the milestone happened later in life, or because salty old dad snapped a photo. Most people don’t remember their very first fish, exactly where they were, or what the weather was like, but I bet they know who it was with, and most of their answers would be good ol’ pops. You may have been four or five years old when you reeled in a fresh little guy, and I bet your father will never forget the proud smile on your face. 
Pictured: Captain KJ Zeher of 62 Viking "De-Bait-Able" and Tom Carroll Jr, VP of Sales at Princess Yachts, take KJ’s son, Noah(5), for a fun-filled day offshore aboard "Beach Komer," HMY Yacht Sales Professional Brian Komer's center console
As kids grow older, life gets busier, and quality family time gets shorter. To this day, the best family memories I have are boat days with my dad. While brotherly love on the water consisted of our Dad and Uncle arguing about technique, mono or braided line, or which lures to use, fishing with them was always a friendly competition that my brother and I found hilarious. HMY Yacht Sales Professional Alexie Creary speaks fondly of fishing the Florida Keys her entire life with her dad, Jeff Creary, also her business mentor as a fellow HMY Yacht Sales Professional. “He has constantly been educating me throughout my entire life about product knowledge and everything you need to know in this fishing and boating world. To be able to learn from my dad everyday and be backed by the ultimate powerhouse we have at HMY; We’re truly the best in the industry. At the end of the day, we work together, we fish together, and it’s a family affair.”
Pictured: "Team Creary," HMY Yacht Sales Professionals Alexie and Jeff Creary, a father-daughter team
Pictured: HMY Yacht Sales Professional Jeff Creary and daughter, Misty Creary, during a family sportfishing trip
Young minds are sponges, especially when the person they look up to is the one teaching them something new. If you’re already passionate about fishing yourself, it comes natural to impart your wisdom on your kids. This gives them confidence in a useful skill, reminds them that putting food on the table isn’t always easy, and teaches them the virtue of patience. “All three of my girls have been raised on the boat, and have progressed into very seaworthy boaters and anglers.” HMY Yacht Sales Professional Mike Scalisi says they take pride in being hardcore offshore anglers. “I brought them along slowly and part of the initiation process to the NADICOLE sportfishing team is to understand that when we go out there, we are out there. That being said, we don’t go when conditions are unsafe or super uncomfortable. They’ve been raised with a healthy respect for the ocean and the environment.”
Pictured: HMY Yacht Sales Professional Mike Scalisi and daughter Layla (6) after reeling in her first mahi
Learning a skill is priceless, and there’s something vindicating about knowing how to put food on the table without relying on the grocery store. Fishing goes back to the dawn of man. Today, knowing how to fish may not mean the difference between survival and starvation, but it certainly contributes to a greater confidence that if you had to fish to live- you could.
Pictured: HMY Yacht Sales Professional Mike Scalisi's daughter Layla (6) showing us how it's done!
Of course, no matter how much you know about fishing, it’s not a perfect science. The unpredictability of actually catching fish teaches diligence and patience in a world where entitlement has become an unrealistic expectation. Fishing not only teaches kids a skill and valuable virtues, but it sparks their curiosity enough to keep questioning the world around them. The marine ecosystem is so vast, magical, and ever-changing that it entices someone to never lose the adventurous spirit they’re born with. To see the excitement and pride in a child’s eyes when they catch a fish is nothing short of remarkable, and it reminds adults why they started fishing in the first place. 
Pictured: HMY Yacht Sales Professional Mike Scalisi and his daughters during an offshore sailfishing trip
It’s much easier for a technology-addicted modern family to put the phones away and live in the moment when they’re out experiencing life on the ocean. Who doesn’t want to see a dolphin jumping majestically or the outrageous speed of a swordfish? Sure, the kids may take the camera phone out to brag about it on Instagram, but it’s still experienced first-hand, in person, with you, and they’ll never forget that.
Pictured: Captain KJ Zeher's son, Noah(5), showing off a mutton snapper aboard "Beach Komer," HMY Yacht Sales Professional Brian Komer's center console To all of our HMY dads taking their kids fishing this weekend- Happy Father’s Day!
