I've discovered that fishing isn't about catching fish—it's about accumulating enough gear to justify your life choices. My latest expedition involved a drone, an overly friendly whale, and enough used fishing rod and reels for sale to equip a small navy.
It all began when my online shopping addiction met my fishing hobby. I'd acquired everything from an ugly stik walleye combo to its rounder cousin, the ugly stik walleye round combo. Why both? Because when it comes to fishing gear, logic takes a backseat to "ooh, shiny!"
My collection included the sleek ugly stik x2 that promised to make me look competent, paired with an ultralight trout rod and reel for those times I want to feel like I'm fishing with a toothpick. I even had an ultra light trout rod and reel combo because apparently, you can never be too light when disappointing trout.
For my "serious fisherman" moments, I packed my ultralight tenkara pack—which is basically fancy talk for "I spent too much on a stick and string." My umbrella rig storage bag held... well, I'm not actually sure what it holds, but it looks professional!
The real treasures came from the secondhand market. My used fishing tackle box smelled like regret and old worms, but it complemented my used coarse fishing tackle perfectly. I'd scored some used carp fishing stuff from a guy who swore it was "lucky" (it wasn't), and some used saltwater fly fishing gear that had clearly seen more action than my love life.
The day of the big adventure arrived. I suited up in my under armour fishing rain gear—because nothing says "I mean business" like matching athletic wear—and accessorized with unique fishing accessories that served no practical purpose. My unique fishing gadgets included a fish-finder that mostly found rocks and a depth gauge that consistently told me I was in "really deep water."
I brought along my unique ice fishing gear despite it being beach weather, because optimism is free. My used fishing waders for sale had a suspicious leak, and my used surf fishing gear had seen better decades. I felt prepared. I was wrong.
That's when the whale showed up. Not just any whale—a curious, camera-hogging whale that decided my used ice fishing equipment looked delicious. My drone, which was supposed to be capturing my angling expertise, instead filmed me trying to explain to a marine mammal that my unwanted fishing equipment wasn't food.
For forty-five hilarious minutes, I was the straight man in a whale comedy special. The giant mammal seemed particularly fascinated with my ugly stik walleye combo, nudging it with its nose like a food critic evaluating presentation. I tried switching to my ultralight tenkara pack, but the whale clearly preferred the ugly stik brand.
I didn't catch any fish that day. But I did learn valuable lessons:
Whales have questionable taste in fishing gear
Under armour fishing rain gear is not whale-proof
Sometimes the best fishing stories involve exactly zero fishing
So if you're ever feeling down about your angling skills, just remember: somewhere out there, a guy with used surf fishing gear is being upstaged by a cetacean. And that guy will probably be me again next weekend.
Now if you'll excuse me, I need to list my unwanted fishing equipment online before the whale tells all its friends about my terrible technique.