Nick Arbanas recently shared a fishing trip he took with his son.

"Let me begin the story by saying that I started out 2017 as no fisherman. My father must have "fished me out" by the time I was 12 or 13 because I simply lost interest and I knew this disappointed him dearly.

He was a fishing extraordinaire with both fly fishing and bank fishing. He'd always ask me to come fish with him when I was in my late teens and early 20s and I'd always reply, "No thanks, dad. Fishing is boring."

I was too busy partying, but he did get me to go out one last time; I'd say probably 15 or so years ago. That last time we fished together he took me to his secret spot as one last attempt to get me into fishing I think and we got skunked—not a bite. So I gave it up for good until recently, that is.

I realized my son would be 9 years old this year and he had never been fishing, let alone caught a fish in his life; my poor pops must be turning over in his grave. He passed away in 2012 at the not-too-old age of 63. My son was only 4 years old at the time, so although he remembers him, he never got the chance to really know him.

I decided I had to change this. I finally got him a pole and took him fishing. He caught his first fish while camping this past September—a nice, fat bluegill on a nightcrawler and he loved it. So I said, "Next time, let's get you a real fish, son."

Two weeks later, I took him to my dad's secret spot on my dad's birthday, which was October 6th. I told him, "Let's go catch one for Grandpa Jack on his birthday."

We casted out for maybe an hour or so before almost calling it quits. But something told me put the kastmaster on for him and send him out to the same exact point where my dad and I had last fished together and got skunked. Wouldn't you know it, about the second cast he yells, "Dad! Dad! I got something!! Ooh, it feels like a big one!"

He battled the fish for a minute—maybe a minute and a half—and ended up landing this beauty on measly 4-pound test which broke as soon as the fish got on land. He caught his first real fish—this beautiful striper on my pop's birthday at his secret spot.

It was like something out of a Disney movie. It all made sense at that moment. I finally got what my father so badly wanted to share with me because I got to share it with my son. I KNOW he was with us that day and we've been a fishing duo—or should I say trio—ever since. I'm ending 2017 and going into 2018 as a proud fisherman. Thanks, pops!"

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