Fishing with Mickey Mouse
by Bill Mathis
Recently my family and I went on a trip to Disney World in
Florida. We stayed at a Disney resort and I knew ahead of time that BASS in
conjunction with Disney offered guided bass fishing trips. (You don’t need to
stay at a Disney resort to book a trip.) I did all I could not to mention this
to my wife and or child, however upon arrival, I had to check it out. I asked my
family if they wouldn’t mind if I went out on a guided trip and they said not by
yourself. They were excited to be going and a have a chance at a big bass.
We booked a 2 hour trip out of one of the Disney resorts and at the conclusion
of the trip; everyone was smiling and had a great time.
We took off at 10:00 a.m. in a pontoon and fishing out of the pontoon was
actually easier than I thought. In fact with a child (9 years old) it worked out
great. You’re able to move around without worrying about somebody going
overboard. I was still able to even skip docks. The guide we had was great and I
hardly ever helped my kid or my wife. My wife and son were set up with giant
shiners. They get them from Arkansas and they are huge. Apparently in the winter
months, giant shiners are the ticket. I stuck with plastics and threw a
spinnerbait once in a while. The guide rigged up my wife and son and whenever
the shiner had enough, he hooked them up again. He helped my kid with casting.
I didn’t do much at all, except enjoy being on the water in
December and 84 degree temperatures.
There was something unique about casting and seeing the castle across the water
at Magic Kingdom. The cost is not cheap, but nothing at Disney is. But I would
do it again. If there are just two adults or you want to go buy yourself, they
do have a 19’ bass boat for those trips.
You get a free year’s membership to BASS even if you already are a member, it
can be used to renew when your year is up. I don’t know if this is customary,
but the guide knocked $100 off because the fishing was not very good. He even
was willing to stay out as long as my son wanted, until he landed a fish.
If you’re planning a trip to Disney, I highly recommend booking a trip. It’s
convenient, no hassle’s and the guides are excellent people. Ask about the BASS
discount as well.
Bill Mathis
Classic Bass Field Staff
Team Skeeter
