Fishing has always been a very important part of my life. Some of my first memories are of standing on the edge of a pond with a bamboo pole, no reel, and some braided line tied to the end of the pole. Attached was a round, red and white bobber, a hook, and a splitshot.

During the 2025 open-water fishing season, I spent more time with a slip-bobber rod in my hands than during any other previous season since I was probably a kid. Here is what happened.