Located in NE McKinney and I haven't been fishing in YEARS and it is always something I want to get back to.

My son and I finally live near each other, so I definitely want to get back out there with him.

He mentioned he wanted to try this. I am more of a bass fisherman, but I'll try whatever.

Has anyone here tried it? Or recommend it?

If so, are there certain types of water that it's better for? Could I do it at Lake Lavon? If not, where is best in the northern DFW area?

I'm meeting him at Bass Pro Shop later today to go on a little fishing shopping spree to at least get started. I'm going to buy equipment for regular fishing as well.

Either way, I'm so excited! Put the fish on notice! Fisherman Pete is back! I belong on the water.

Hell yeah!

I've toyed with the idea as it looks ideal for carrying hiking or backpacking.

I've always been of the impression it is much more suited to streams or small rivers, but I'm sure there are ways to fish still water. You can't get too long of line unless you're going to hand line the fish in.

TenkaraAddict is probably the best YouTuber on the topic....if not the best, he's probably the most enthusiastic!

Paging 87Flyfisher- he's an expert

He's the happiest most positive guy on YouTube! We watch his other channel, SUV RVing, too.

Observations from fishing a Tenkara Sato over the past decade:

-Tenkara is the bowhunting of fishing. You've got a limited range and it takes special skill to fight and land bigger fish without breaking off so you giving the fish a sporting chance; man v nature.

-Caught more fish using the standard tenkara reverse hackle fly than messing around with other types of flys.

-Tenkara is good for fishing in overhead cover and when theres weeds along the shoreline because you can extend the rod once you get close to the water and dab.

-Have caught a ton of fish dabbing. If the wind is behind you can land the fly on the water where no line hits the water at all.

-If you backpacking or traveling and want to fish there is no other way to go. An aluminum tenkara tube will fit in a regular suitcase. Everything else you may need will fit in your pocket.

-Disadvantage is that a headwind or crosswind will shut you down. Typically carry an ultralight spinning rod in case the wind picks up.

-Individual segments of the Tenkara rod are field replaceable, no tools required. You break a western rod and its an expensive mistake. Tenkara replacement segments are around $15.

-Would teach a kid tenkara before western or other types of fishing because it develops key skills.

-If you on a boat standing up you can cast a tenkara sidearm into cover with very high accuracy.

Awesome info! Thanks!

We will do that at some point. We are going to do some traditional fishing first. I just let the most knowledgeable guy there show me some stuff he might use. Typically for bass. It's a good start to my tackle box. Got a symetre and St. Croix pole as well. Once it cools down a little, we are going to have some fun!

Love tenkara for hiking trips next to small streams where it's more of a hiking trip than a fishing trip. Not worth a damn for big fish unless you are Yvonne Choinard and just throw the rod in the water and run downstream!

Tenkara was invented for Fly fisherman who didn't think the sport was obnoxious enough. Basically the ultra-hipsters of the angling world.

and this is coming from a dedicated fly fisherman.

Stat Monitor Repairman said:

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Observations from fishing a Tenkara Sato over the past decade:

-Tenkara is the bowhunting of fishing. You've got a limited range and it takes special skill to fight and land bigger fish without breaking off so you giving the fish a sporting chance; man v nature.

-Caught more fish using the standard tenkara reverse hackle fly than messing around with other types of flys.

-Tenkara is good for fishing in overhead cover and when theres weeds along the shoreline because you can extend the rod once you get close to the water and dab.

-Have caught a ton of fish dabbing. If the wind is behind you can land the fly on the water where no line hits the water at all.

-If you backpacking or traveling and want to fish there is no other way to go. An aluminum tenkara tube will fit in a regular suitcase. Everything else you may need will fit in your pocket.

-Disadvantage is that a headwind or crosswind will shut you down. Typically carry an ultralight spinning rod in case the wind picks up.

-Individual segments of the Tenkara rod are field replaceable, no tools required. You break a western rod and its an expensive mistake. Tenkara replacement segments are around $15.

-Would teach a kid tenkara before western or other types of fishing because it develops key skills.

-If you on a boat standing up you can cast a tenkara sidearm into cover with very high accuracy.

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Firearm hunting = Traditional spinning rod/bait fishing. Point, click, catch. Fast, effective, and gets food on the table.

Archery = Traditional fly fishing. Long, beautiful draw. Requires immense skill, a deep understanding of your target and your equipment, and there are a lot of moving parts (reels, lines, backing, leaders, tippet...). The ultimate challenge.

Tenkara is the crossbow.

It's still a bow, still a form of "archery," but it's simplified. Easier to learn the basics, very effective in its specific niche (small streams, close quarters), and it removes a lot of the complexity that makes traditional fly fishing so challenging and rewarding.