Mark Rodeo

Weekly Reflection 

What a week we had for the first week of senior project. We’ve ended up doing many activities and learning many skills that I never would’ve thought I’d partake in. I’m very thankful for this experience as it has taught me several life skills that I will carry with me throughout my life. Outside of fishing, I’ve learned how to make concrete, how to pour and evenly spread and level concrete, and how to make ramps out of that concrete. I then learned how to use circular and reciprocating saws, and ended up taking apart and rebuilding an entire deck. I learned how to properly use a hammer for banging nails and taking old nails out of boards. This week has allowed me to find a love and fascination with construction. Being able to know how things work to the extent that you can entirely take something apart and put it back together is a highly valuable skill that I want to build upon after senior project.

When it comes to fishing, this week has entirely transformed my perception of the activity. Prior to this week, whenever I’d fish I would get bored quickly and want to go home. Jordan has entirely changed that for me. I’m starting to see how there’s calculated methods a fisherman can take to finding areas that are active with fish, and when you can figure out how to do that, fishing becomes a whole lot more fun. I’ve learned the art of slow-pitch jigging, a certain method of fishing where you essentially bob your rod up and down a certain way that makes your lure flutter like an actual fish. We’ve done jigging to catch mainly black-fin tuna. I’ve been able to find an appreciation for being out on the water for extended periods of time, something I’m not used to. I’ve also learned how to tie several different knots, and how to take apart rods, properly clean them, and put them back together. Not to mention the different ways you can prepare tuna that Jordan showed us. Making the tuna we caught earlier in the day for dinner is very rewarding too. Jordan is a very good educator and has offered many new experiences for me that will help me later on in life. I’m highly thankful for the effort he’s put in to our senior project and for the opportunity to work down here in general.