“they left everything and followed him.” This is a summary statement. It does not mean that the disciples left that great multitude of fish to rot in the sun. Peter and the others had been involved in a months-long discipleship process that started with Andrew being a disciple of John the Baptist and telling Peter about Jesus. Their discipleship intensified over the months, and this record in Luke 5 is when Jesus called them to leave fishing and enter ministry on a full-time basis. In saying they left everything and followed him, the text is simply telling us that at this time the disciples took care of the loose ends of their fishing business gave it into the care of others, and then followed Jesus.

[For a much more complete understanding of the discipleship of the apostles, see commentary on Matthew 4:20.]