When I joined a fishing club in July of 2006, I didn't know what to expect; however, I can say that I've found more than I had anticipated. People join fishing clubs for several different reasons and the format of each club is different. I joined to be around people that were passionate about fishing and who shared a common interest. As a novice, I was looking to gain fishing knowledge. I had thought about joining a fishing club for awhile and it took some time to find the right club. My first attempt at joining a club was a little disappointing; however, my disappointment was short lived when I found the club that I belong to now. This club not only accepted me, but openly welcomed me. I'll never forget when I went to the first meeting, which was being held outdoors at a pavilion on a lake. As I walked towards the group of members, my heart started pounding as I didn't notice any women in sight. To this day I can still remember thinking to myself; I better just turn around right now and run for the truck as it's not going to happen. Quite to my surprise, and within a moment, I was greeted by Fred. I'll never forget the smile on Fred's face and how kind he was to me. I knew at that moment that this would be a club that I would be honored to join and that Fred would always be someone that I would respect.

There are many benefits and resources available to you when you are a member of a fishing club. Since I started fishing rather late in my life, I thought by joining a fishing club there would be learning opportunities available for me to expand my fishing skills. Being around knowledgeable fishermen is a great way to learn new fishing skills, tips and techniques, and the members that I have talked with have been willing to share their knowledge with me. Another advantage is that we're a multi-species club, and this enables me to learn about different species instead of just focusing on one type. We have guest speakers at each meeting and many of our own members will address the club and share their knowledge and experiences. Another advantage at our meetings is that members will share their fishing reports with the group and most of these reports are from local lakes and rivers. Here again is another resource to help us to become more familiar with lakes and rivers that we haven't fished on.

Many non-boaters will join fishing clubs with the hope of meeting a boater. When I go out fishing, I always like to have a partner with me for safety reasons and most of the times I fish with my husband. Now, when my husband isn't able to go and I have the opportunity to go fishing, I'll take a club member out with me.

Let me tell you about one of my day outings. I took my friend Lou out with me fishing and we enjoyed a great day out on the water. Our conversations are always enjoyable and we talk about life in general. We share fishing stories and of course there's always laughter. I consider Lou to be one of my good friends and he is always willing to help educate me through our fishing conversations, his books and video tapes, and he even lets me use his own personal lures, if needed. Having a good friend like Lou is an extra benefit of belonging to a fishing club; we started out by being members and ended up becoming friends. I call Lou my "big brother" because I look up to him and he looks out for me. We have a total of 156 members, 6 of which are women. The men in our club respect the women and treat us all as equals and as the club grows, so does my circle of friends.

If you're an angler who enjoys spending time with other fishermen and going on fishing trips, consider joining a club. Our trip chairman sets up many wonderful trips and they're scheduled at the time of the year when there's a better chance the fish will be more active. An additional benefit is that we split the expenses of the lodging and gas; therefore, I'm able to go on more trips because this keeps the cost down.

People join fishing clubs for various reasons and everyone's situations are different, but the benefits are very rewarding. If you're trying to figure out what club to join, attend one of their meetings and don't forget to talk to the members. Ask yourself, what is the main reason you want to join and in what ways can you contribute. Are you looking for a club only to learn fishing skills or do you want to be around people that share in a common interest? Some clubs are competitive and focus on tournaments while others are non-competitive. Again, figure out what you want out of a fishing club, it can be as simple as learning to catch more fish. I encourage you to join a fishing club today and make a difference.