A black and white sketch of a swarm of mosquitoes at a fishing spot on the river

3 Ways to Keep the Skeeters from Carrying You Off (In Fishing and in Life)

April 7, 2025

If you’ve spent any time in the South, you know the mosquitoes don’t play around. They don’t care if you’re busy, don’t care if you’re minding your own business, and certainly don’t care if you’d rather not be turned into their next meal.nI was reminded of this the other day when I headed out to my favorite fishing spot, looking forward to a quiet afternoon by the creek. The water was just right, the air had that perfect stillness, and I’d even packed a fresh thermos of sweet tea. But before I could so much as cast my line, a swarm of bloodthirsty skeeters descended like I was an all-you-can-eat buffet.

No matter how much swatting, waving, or muttered cursing I did, the skeeters wouldn’t let up. They chased me out of my own fishing hole. Leaving me itchy, frustrated, and with exactly zero fish to show for my trouble. And as I sat there scratching at my arms and grumbling to myself, I had a realization. Skeeters aren’t just mosquitoes. In life, all kinds of little things can swarm you, wear you down, and ruin a perfectly good day—if you let them.

That’s why I like to say: “Don’t let the skeeters carry you off.” Here’s how to handle the pesky, needling things in life before they get the best of you.

1. Recognize when you’re being swarmed.

Mosquitoes are sneaky. They start with one or two, just enough to make you mildly uncomfortable, and before you know it, you’re under full attack.

Life’s little annoyances work the same way. Maybe it’s a pile of small frustrations—too many emails, a snarky comment from someone, spilled coffee on your last clean shirt. Or maybe it’s the kind of nagging thoughts that buzz around your head, making it hard to focus on anything else.

If you don’t catch it early, suddenly, a minor inconvenience turns into a full-on bad mood. Pay attention to when the “skeeters” start showing up, so you can stop them before they take over.

2. Swat what you can, ignore the rest.

When mosquitoes show up, you can’t always get rid of all of them. But you can handle them smartly. You swat the ones you can, move to a better spot, and throw on a little bug spray.

Same goes for life. Not every problem needs your energy. Some things—like rude people, petty complaints, or pointless worries—just aren’t worth swatting at. If you spend all your time reacting to every little thing, you’ll wear yourself out before you get anywhere.

Instead, deal with what needs dealing with, let the rest go, and keep moving forward. [Here’s an article on why ignoring small annoyances can actually make you happier.]

3. Don’t let a few skeeters ruin a good day.

I should’ve just moved to another fishing spot instead of letting those mosquitoes ruin my afternoon. But instead, I let frustration win, packed up, and went home.

It’s easy to do that in life, too—to let little things steal your peace, distract you from what matters, or chase you away from something good. But here’s the truth: skeeters only win if you let them.

So next time you’re feeling overwhelmed by life’s little annoyances, remember: swat what you can, move when you need to, and don’t let the small stuff carry you off.