WISTER (KFSM) -- Free Fishing Days are wrapping up in Oklahoma, but will kick off in Arkansas next weekend and professional angler, Mark Goines offered a few tips and said fishing is something everyone should experience.
Goines has been fishing since he was a little boy. Now, he's a professional angler, a dream he said he's had for a long time.
"When I grew up fishing, that was pretty much all we had to do when we were young," Goines said. "I remember my grandma taking me down to the pond and when I caught my first fish, it was a great big giant blue gill and I caught it with a cane pole."
With Free Fishing Weekends happening around the country, he hopes families take advantage of the opportunity to get their kids involved.
"It's good for a lot of people to get out with their families and take their kids fishing," Goines said. "That's a big deal is getting their kids interested in fishing. It's an opportunity for families that don't go very often, they don't have to worry about going and getting a fishing license. They can just go and get them some fishing poles."
With fishing comes patience, but with new technology, casting a pole has gotten much easier for the little ones.
"A lot of times you see them and it gets all tangled up and they throw it down and they forget about it," Goines said. "But with this, you don't have to worry about that because you can just get it and keep casting and you're never going to have to worry about it tangling."
Fishing is all about the fun, but Goines said safety does come first, whether you're fishing on a boat or on the bank.
"The number one safety factor is when you're out in the boat, make sure you've got your life jacket on, your kill switch attached, and when you stop somewhere, if you have small kids, make sure they keep their life jackets on," Goines said.
For those hoping to keep the younger ones entertained, Goines said start with casting.
"Keep them fishing," Goines said. "Put those fishing poles in their hand, put them a little plug on there and let them cast and reel, cast and reel. They'll be just fine with that and once they catch one, they'll be hooked."
Free Fishing Days in Arkansas are June 9-June 11.
For more information, visit the Free Fishing Days website.