A South Georgia Redneck Goes Fishing

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From the lake or the grocery store?

C.B. Smithwick, founder of Koopedia, is a self-described “South Georgia Redneck” who loves to go fishing. (You’ll love the story about how his dad’s instantaneous transformation from bonding-with-the-son mode to dead serious, “you better not do anything to make me lose this fish!”)

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Your (now and then) humble host never has been very enamored with the time-honored, All-American pastime, but wound up asking to go along on C.B.’s next fishin’ trip.

Who’da’ thunk it???

CB’s fishing career started when he was a little kid hanging out with his dad who started his fishing career hanging out with his dad. Now that’s pretty cool. CB also claims he has never been to Disney World because there are too many lakes between here, and there and the family never quite made it that far.

It’s grown into a lifetime hobby including regular participation in tournaments. Surprisingly – at least for me – there’s serious money to made. That said, like so many things, it’s really all about the bragging rights and the sheer, raw fun of competing.

You have to outsmart the fish…

And of course if it’s a competition, there must be some real skill involved. It all makes sense… Knowledge of “what they eat, when they eat and how they eat it,” doesn’t just happen. It takes study and real effort. Knowing the topography of the lake – and every lake is different – and its “structures” (like docks, sunken logs, rocky ledges, etc.) is also essential to winning. And then there’s water temperature, colors,… There are even a few fellow fishermen who maybe just maybe might offer some insight!

Getting started

Grab $30 and go buy a Zebco 33 reel and a fishing pole. That’s all it takes. You’re good to go. Trouble is, that’s how it all gets started! Next thing you know you’ll have a $40K boat, complete with sonar units and a couple thousand bucks worth of lures!

The single best thing about fishing?

It’s an escape. A technique for getting away from the go-go tech world of CB’s career that never shuts off, to the tranquility of boat, buddies and water.