There’s something sacred about a rising sun over the inlet, a fresh spool of braid singing through the guides, and the patient silence that stretches between casts. We who fish know these moments – and many of us owe our earliest ones to someone who took the time to show us the way.
With all the rush and bustle June brings – from open fluke season and striper blitzes to offshore prep and early tuna – it’s easy to forget that this month also presents one of the best windows to pass on what we’ve learned to someone just starting out. Whether it’s your own child, a curious coworker, or a neighbor’s kid who’s been eyeing that rod rack in your truck bed, the conditions right now are tailor-made for mentoring a new angler.
June is forgiving. The weather is mild. The waters are active. Bait is abundant. You don’t need a long haul offshore or a perfectly timed tide shift to get a bite. You need a rod, a few rigs, and a stretch of shoreline where snapper blues or short fluke are milling around, willing to pounce on almost anything that moves. And more than that, you need the patience – and perspective – to remember what it felt like to be new to all of this.
Think back to your first fish. The first knot you couldn’t quite tie right. The first plug you lost in the rocks. The first time you saw a striper roll in the surf and felt your heart leap. Chances are, someone was there to help you through the awkward learning curve. Maybe it was your dad. Maybe it was an uncle, a charter captain, a local sharpie who took the time to explain the drift or hand you a rigged eel when you showed up with a mess of gear and no clue what to do with it.
That’s the beauty of fishing: it’s passed down. It’s tribal. It’s tradition. And yet, as more of us double down on personal bests, high-tech sonar, and hush-hush hotspots, the mentoring piece is getting harder to find. We’re guarding our knowledge like it’s proprietary. But if we don’t share it – if we don’t make the effort to hand off some of what we’ve learned – we’re risking more than just a missed opportunity. We’re risking the future of the very lifestyle we love.
Recruiting the next generation isn’t just a feel-good talking point. It’s a necessity. Regulations are shaped by participation. Access is preserved by interest. If we want more jetties open, more back bay ramps maintained, more say in stock assessments and seasons – we need more people who care. More people who understand. More people who’ve felt the pulse of a good fish on light tackle and want to fight for the chance to do it again.
It doesn’t have to be complicated. Take a kid to the local dock with a pack of squid strips and some scup rigs. Head to a town beach at dusk and toss soft plastics for schoolie bass. Bring an extra rod and a folding chair on your next kayak trip and let a friend tag along. Explain why you pinch barbs, why you let that short fluke go, why circle hooks matter when chunking. These are the lessons that stick – not just the “how,” but the “why.”
June is the perfect time for all of this because the fishing is accessible. The species are cooperative. The daylight lasts longer. There’s time to explain things without worrying about freezing fingers or harsh winds or hyper-selective mid-summer conditions. You can fish in shorts and a t-shirt, with the smell of sunscreen in the air and the sound of herring gulls overhead. It’s the season of wide eyes and wide open possibilities.
So this month, I challenge you to pay it forward. Look around and find someone who’s curious. Someone who wants in. Someone who might not know where to start. And then start with them. Lend a rod. Share a tide chart. Offer to split gas for a trip out front. It doesn’t take much – but it means everything.
If you’re reading this, chances are fishing gave you something. Peace, purpose, patience, maybe even a career. Pass it on. June is waiting.
