Hi, my name is Shane M. I am from South Florida. I sustained a T12 SCI injury in 2012. I was introduced to the Kelly Brush foundation after my first equipment grant in 2015. Ever since I was a kid I loved fishing! Something about fighting a fish and the anticipation of waiting to see it, what species? How big? Always kept me coming back. Even after injury. The hardest part of fishing after injury was finding accessible spots. If you were to see some of the sketchy terrain I’ve trekked just to get a few casts. No matter what your going through you can still find ways to do what you love. It might just take a little more planning. There is all types of adaptive equipment out there for fishing; from adaptive reels, electric reels, kayaks with outriggers for stabilization, boats with lifts. In my experience even if something isn’t 100% accessible you can make it work with the right attitude. Since I was a kid one of my dreams was to own a boat. That is a game changer when it comes to fishing. I was fortunate enough to buy one this summer. South Florida has some of the best fishing around. My wife and I are taking the boat out tomorrow and troll off-shore. I’m hoping to hook some mahi, tuna, wahoo, king fish, really anything biting. I will take some video and send the links below if its good. This will be the first time just her and I fishing. Not having full trunk control might be a challenge if we hook something big but we’re going to figure it out! How have you overcome challenges when it comes to fishing? What are some of the biggest fish you’ve caught? Anyone here go Marlin fishing?

Hey Shane! Thanks for sharing. I’m Jordan from northern Vermont. When can I come down to Florida and go fishing? 😊 We have a house on Lake Champlain where I fish. We mostly have bass, pike, lake trout, stuff like that, but they put up a good fight. I’m a T4 and don’t generally struggle with lake fishing from the shore, but I have done charters in the ocean and Lake Michigan that made it a little more difficult with core balance. In general, you can lock your brakes and wedge the rod between your legs. I’ve also had someone come up and help support me when I was fighting some large fish. The versatility of fishing is great because you can adapt it to your own style and needs. I’ve even seen quads with rods that will cast on their own. I just love being on the water, even if I don’t catch anything.

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