The pair commented in a Rolling Stone article that the song was based on an actual event: "A real event that actually happened. We were 16. This was the first summer that we actually got to hang out a lot. One day we were just really bored: "We love to fish, so let's go fishing." We'd been texting these guys, "Do you want to go fishing with us?" We literally thought it was just fishing, because they had the fishing poles, which they didn't even know how to use, come to find out. So we get there, and they come dressed up in like white v-necks and coral shorts. Just the typical city boy with their Sperry [boat shoes] and stuff. So we're like, "You know we're going fishing, right?""
