Hooked for Life by Caden

Hooked for Life by Caden - March 2026 Scholarship Essay

It’s crazy to think that it all began with that first small catch; becoming a lifelong
obsession with fishing and wanting to bring others along. All the men in our family, including my
dad, grandpa, uncles, and cousins would travel to a lake house for one weekend a year. It was something I had been wishing to go to, and I finally had my chance to go at age five. Fishing was our big event, then hanging out, eating junk food, and watching scary movies. The fishing was awesome! Fishing with my Uncle Lanny is a memory that still feels so clear to me. That
boat ride was so cool! My cousin and I ripped up the crappie! I was so excited, the
rush unforgettable! The stress was off of us to catch supper; it was pure fun. If
nothing had been caught, we always had hush puppies and hot dogs to grill. That night
after a day on the water, everyone would sit around the campfire and look at the lake.
Telling jokes and laughing could be heard if you were nearby; we just enjoyed being a
family. That is where it all started for me; I did not stand a chance; I was a goner. Fishing
became my obsession.

As I got older those weekends did not occur as frequently, everyone’s lives
became too busy to get together. However, every chance I could find a free moment I
would try to find a way to go fishing. We lived near a creek and had a small
neighborhood lake down the road from my house. One of the advantages of being
home schooled was that I could usually talk my mom into letting me go fishing once my
schoolwork was finished for the day. Countless afternoons were passed by fishing
perch or bass from the bank; I was happy to catch whichever would bite. My obsession with fishing led me into competitive bass fishing in eighth grade.

Being on the water with Dad was awesome, he's my captain! The tournaments are on
lakes Sam Rayburn and Toledo Bend. It was really fun to learn how to do
everything in tournament fishing. Up until this point I had never competed in a
tournament. My dad and I have since competed every season throughout high school.
We might not have placed in a tournament, but we always try our best. We never give
up; we are a team. My dad navigates the water and encourages me; I have learned a
lot, especially during that first season. That first season had me hooked on tournament fishing, and it’s turned into five seasons of bass fishing alongside a teammate and my dad.

I have always loved helping people get excited about fishing. I volunteered at
Cast for Kids. It is a special event that pairs someone with a disability and a volunteer
together; it is a day focused on the participant. My goal as a buddy was to make sure
my friend had the best experience he could have. I baited his hook, tried to take care of
any need he encountered as he fished, and enjoyed being a friend to him cheering him
on. It was a blast! Helping my friend to reel in his catch was fantastic! He was so
excited and his joy was contagious. I left that experience realizing how blessed I am and
that I want to continue being a blessing to others.

Last summer my friend Zachary told me that he had never been given an
opportunity to go fishing. Living near the coast, there is water everywhere, it seemed
unreal to me. He was about to head off to Army Basic Training in a matter of weeks. I
was determined to take Zach out; he had to experience this. I picked him up and we
went that morning to the jetties. I was able to give him that experience, it felt awesome.

I want to help others have an opportunity to experience it and feel the same surge of
excitement that I do when the line goes tight, and the fight begins as you reel in. It keeps getting better the more you experience it. I think it can be a
positive thing that keeps kids from getting into trouble and from losing their futures to
bad choices. It just takes us to invest our time in others, helping
them experience it. I want others to experience all the fun things that I have experienced fishing, finding themselves hooked for life!