I sit here with about 90 minutes left in the year, completed worn out and exhausted, but I suppose I’d be remis if I didn’t write some sort of fishing year in review. 2020 was a tough one for everyone in the house. So many things that my kids and I loved doing just weren’t in the cards for most of this year due to the pandemic.
I think my son summed things up best yesterday when he looked at me and asked, “Daddy? If I grow up and you’re still alive, can you remind me about Denny’s?” This sentence floored me and forced me to think about everything that happened this year. That “if.” What a word for a father to hear from his five-year-old…
I’ll always remember this as the year of no Crown Point. I went to Champlain exactly twice this year and spent all of 2 hours on the lake. My children didn’t go at all for the first summer of their lives. I barely caught anything on my trip, and did manage to ram a submerged rubber cable of some sort. Such was 2020!
The year started with such promise and I was excited to see it come. I was born in the 80s, grew up in the 90s, faltered in the 00s, and rallied in the 10s. I had high hopes the 20s would be my prime.
Well, the jury is still out on that one. I made the best of this year as we all did and came out of it a little stronger and with a new found appreciation for family and toilet paper. Here’s a few highlights:
I Published My First Book
2020 started off great as I published my first book in January, and even managed to sell a few copies to people who don’t know me (thanks you two)! It was a rewarding experience simply because of how long it took to write. Many, many mornings saw me wake up a few hours before work to plug away for several months. Let’s hope it’s helped a few people discover the sport and do better with it.
I Ramped Up the Blog
I was able to bring the blog up to 50 articles (51 counting this). My hope was for much more but I simply didn’t have the energy or focus. Hopefully in 2021 that can change a bit. The focus this year was on writing help articles mostly that would assist people in learning the sport. Now that many are written, I’m thinking I may take a more philosophical approach in 2021 as I share thoughts with my audience. We’ll see.
We Fished New Locations
What good is an article about the fishing year in review without some fish stories? Since Champlain was not happening I had to make due trying out new locations around town, many of which I featured in this post. The boy and I spent a lot of time on Bantam Lake learning it a bit. He had a good sized pike that shook the hook in the north bay, but at least we got to see it. We also found a good spot for rock bass, which is one of his favorites for reasons unknown.
On foot, we explored the Farmington River and some ponds in Meriden. We caught many panfish — most of good size — at these places and added a few new spots to our cycle.
Mansfield Hollow didn’t quite pan out this time but we never hit it at the right time, either. We went early in the year and then never quite made it back.
Batterson, however, gave us some great action. We found a little laydown where my son caught his first walleye and we teamed up for some decent Connecticut bass.
I once again failed to try out the Connecticut River all year. Maybe next time. I was a little shook by striking the cable earlier in the year and wasn’t crazy about going into an uncharted water known to be full of hazards.
We went to Spring Pond many times as well including a few times with the Gheenoe. It wasn’t as good as it has been in the past. That place is normally good for at least a few five pounders each year but they just weren’t around this year. 2020 again!
I Saw My Daughter Grow Up
The greatest silver lining to the year was, by far, getting to watch my daughter grow up. I always felt like I watched my son grow up through videos taken by his grandparents–I was always at work for most of his life. While I was fortunate to keep my job through 2020, I’ve been working from home the entire time. At a moment’s notice, I could pop down for a hug or high five, to have a nerf sword fight (which, by the way, is the greatest thing you can ever buy your kids), or just to say hi. I’ve seen her dance, heard her sing, and watched as she took an interest in different toys and hobbies, like drawing. It’s been a true rush!
2020: A Fishing Year In Review Final Thoughts
Many people had a far worse year than me and I’m feeling for them. It’s been tough for everyone to make ends meet, and I’m sure every parent spent at least one night wondering what the world has come to. We’ve gotten through it though. While it’s not like things will magically change in an hour or so, maybe my attitude will. There’s a lot of good that a fresh sheet of paper can do. Let’s all channel a little bit of our inner Watterson 25 years later and go exploring in 2021. After a year like this, we can get through anything. I know this isn’t exactly the most inspiring thing I’ve ever written — it could be far more grand I’m sure — but after spending most of this week and especially in a funk, at least I managed a few words.
I hope all of you reading this have long and happy lives spent making memories with your children on the water.
See you next year,
John Paxton
