MEMPHIS, Tenn. —
The fresh air, calming water, and peace that fishing brings have people enjoying it more than ever. Fisherman Hermon Powers said it's the perfect activity for the times we are experiencing with the coronavirus pandemic.
"It relieves stress," Powers said.
Fishing lets you safely get out and about, even with family and friends, while keeping a distance from one another.
"If you want to continue social distancing, just get away from the house and this is one the thing you really can do," Powers said.
Powers loves fishing so he's been bringing his grandson and great-nephew along with him.
"Just tell them to put their mask on and we just go out and fish," Powers said.
The owner of Walnut Grove Bait and Tackle and Catch'Em Lakes, Eric Beene, said he's had at least 10 times the amount of sales compared to last April because of how much people are getting out to fish right now. He contributes the uptick in sales to how healthy the activity of fishing is.
"Most of our fishermen are at least 20 feet or farther apart and you can be as far as you want so it’s pretty safe," Beene said. "It’s out in the sunshine and fresh air and they’re catching food in the process."
Beene said there's been a lot of new customers taking this time to learn how to fish. He said along with fishing being a stress reliever, people enjoy the thrill of catching fish.
“We’ve stocked 10,000 pounds over the last month of catfish in those lakes,” Beene said. “We’re putting fish in them every week.”
For a lot of people like fisherman Alex King, fishing is already one of their favorite activities with or without a pandemic. So, while we stay apart we can still come together to do something fun.
"Fishing isn’t always about fishing," King said. "It’s usually more about having fun with your friends your family and just going out and doing fun things."
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