Like father, like daughter

12-year-old Anna Bellinghiere and her dad, Stephen, are crazy about fishing.

And apparently about fishing equipment, too.

“We have 64 poles,'' the 12-year-old Omahan said. “We have 12 tackle boxes. We have a boat. I like to go to Scheels and help my dad pick out stuff.''

She even makes her own fishing leaders, which her dad said has helped with her success.

She's especially proud of three fish she nabbed this summer, two of which were Master Angler efforts. One was a freshwater drum that was 23 inches long that she caught with a crawdad at Gavins Point Dam. Her second was a 20-inch largemouth bass she caught with a leech at Prairie View Lake in Bennington.

Although it wasn't a Master Angler fish, she also caught a 28½-inch channel catfish, one of several big ones she found at Prairie View.

Anna has been fishing since she was 4 and says the first fish she ever caught was a bluegill. She keeps track of her big fish in a scrapbook that she started this summer.

“When people want to see my fish,'' she said, “I show them my big scrapbook.''

Anna and her father usually fish about four times a week. Her brother Joey, a freshman at Omaha Skutt, has cut back on his outings.

“Now he is too cool for it,'' Anna said. “My mom (Janice) only goes when it is 90 and sunny.''

Anna said fishing is a good hobby, and it's fun to spend time with her dad. They talk a lot about sports, because Anna loves to play basketball and also competes in volleyball, and sometimes she even works on her homework.

Stephen Bellinghiere said they have an awesome time together. He's hoping that as she grows up, she'll keep her love of fishing.

But he knows that when high school arrives, things could change. If they do, he'll be ready, whether it's basketball or boys.

“I'll have to take her boyfriend along with us,'' he said.

Contact the writer:

444-1034, marjie.ducey@owh.com