At the Helm: More than a tackle box

By Adam Quandt

It’s not very often that I bring myself into my editor’s column. In fact, I typically actively avoid it at all costs. I strive to use my 600ish words to bring attention to things around our incredible industry and ways to learn more about them in the pages of Boating Industry.

Well buckle up, because in this issue, I’m casting that aside and diving into a story from the other day.

To set the stage, my 91-year-old dad is currently in the process of going through everything at home. Selling, donating, giving away, you name it, it’s happening. With this, during one of my recent visits home he gifted me a pair of his fishing rods and his tackle box. Now I grew up fishing with my dad and I have always enjoyed making the memories with him, but fishing as a hobby never truly stuck with me.

With the exception of a family charter on Lake Michigan to celebrate my dad’s 88th, I hadn’t fished in years. Inspired by a recent media event that involved getting out on the water and throwing a line, I decided I would at least dig into the tackle box and see what I was working with.

I knew it was going to be full just by the weight of it, but I had no idea what awaited me when I started unzipping pocket after pocket and opening case after case. Five minutes in, I’m sitting on my garage floor surrounded by a circle of (now) semi-organized tackle. I decide to call my dad and let him know that he did not inform me that the gift of a tackle box should’ve come with a tetanus shot. After a chuckle and the exchange of some fishing stories from my childhood, I returned to organizing.

As I continued carefully digging through the bag, the things I found beyond fishing tackle –
an archaic-style glasses strap, trailer light bulbs, sandwich bag twist-ties and much more – were all very much a testament to how (over)prepared my dad always has been for everything (and perhaps some items he kept for good luck on the water). All items that will remain in that tackle box (and any tackle box) I own for the rest of my life.

What I expected to be a simple task of just sitting down and organizing turned into a journey of navigating various emotions and memories between my dad and I. Regardless of my lack of interest in fishing (until recently), I knew the gift of the poles and tackle box from my dad were something special and would remain that way, but I didn’t know it would bring me the feelings it did. It was and is truly more than just a tackle box, and I’m very thankful for that.

To bring this full circle and bring in the greater theme of this issue, I think it’s important we view the things from our industry; a boat, a standup paddleboard, a tackle box, etc. as more than what they physically are. They are memory-making tools, they are things that bring emotions and create connections. And through the lens of sustainability and conservation we ensure that we continue to contribute to these emotions, connections and memories forever.

Adam Quandt is the editor-in-chief of Boating Industry and director of the publication’s Top 100 Awards program.