Gone Fishin!!

So about 17rs ago, my father and godfather decided that I was old enough to go with them on their annual fishing trip to Florida.

I was 11yrs old at the time and was really unsure as to what to expect. Back then all I had heard were old fishing tales that they would tell me about after their 4 day trip.

Stories from how great or bad the fishing was, the weather, the food, the living arrangements etc.....

I remember the first time like it was yesterday. The hotel we stayed at was basically a one level hotel with cinder block being the main building material...The first night I remember the lights being off and i could see light coming through the cracks in the wall from the next room over...but it didnt really matter, because its what fishing is all about.....

I remember the first fish I caught on the first day out...It was a flounder and the biggest fish that i have ever caught at that point in time. From that point on ive been hooked......

This year will be the 17th year in a row that I have gone and it has basically been the last week of october or the next to last week every year....

We goto Suwannee, FL aka middle of nowhere....Cell phones dont work, no gas station, no grocery store....But ive come to love it....

Ive had several experiences that have been sort of right of passages into man hood....Being 16 and driving the SUV through Atlanta on the way back from the trip was an experience, or being 21 and my god father asking me to have a beer with him on the boat one day, or talking about business things with my dad or godfather as I get older.....These are the things that I will never forget....

The times have changed over the years....When i was younger I was ok at fishing, my dad is not good at all (but loves to go) and my godfather was really good....Now at age 28 the captain (same guy since the first time i went down there) looks forward to seeing me walk up his drive way, cause im damn good at fishing now....Its a competition you see, the captain doesnt wanna lose to me, and i dont wanna lose to anyone, so we work hard to catch all we can....So im damn good, my dad still isnt good at all lol and my godfather can still do his thing as well....The hotel with cracks in the walls are now replaced with 3/4 bedrooms houses we rent...Still no cell phone service, no gas stations, no grocery stores....But thats what I love about it, time to get away and tell people ive gone fishin.....