What got you hooked? 2024

farmpond1 reply :

Okay gang! Time to dust off the nostalgic brain cells. What drew you into this wacky, wonderful obsession we call fishing? Although there are no wrong answers, I'm hoping for more descriptive answers than just "Because it's fun!" That's obvious. Think about it in terms of who, what, when, where, and why. Is there a particular person who mentored you? How old were you? Is there a defining moment that sealed your fate? That sort of thing.

SWMIBASSER reply :

I remember it down to the reel, lure, the appearance of the rod lake who I was fishing with etc.

My dad, brother and I was on a small local lake.....I had been fishing awhile but honestly it wasn't my thing. I couldn't get into because I always had to be doing something and setting there waiting for a bite was boring (Ironically that's the kind of fishing most of us think we need to do w/our kids)

I had been asking about fishing artificials but dad thought it would be better to stick to worms. Plus my rod, a pistol grip rod with rubber handle gray in color, and reel a Daiwa spincast reel, wasn't up to throwing big artificials.

He finally caved. I was casting a small soft plastic perch colored minnow thing with a shaft mounted willow blade very similar to a rooster tail blade.

Caught a 12" or so bass while moving down the south east shoreline..........I've been hooked on reel fishing ever since.

Big Tom reply :

I started out simple enough when I was a kid fishing for bluegill. The creeks around my house always had lots of pan fish in them. I was hardcore addicted to that as a little guy.

I quit fishing for years and rediscovered it while in college. A friend of mine had a bass boat and invited me to go. He took me to Wal-Mart and picked out a Mitchell Avocet spinning combo for me and we headed to the lake.

He rigged up a grub on a jighead and told me to have at it.

I caught my first fish on an artificial that day and it was all over for me.

Gantu reply :

I mentioned about 8 years ago to my wife that I might like to try my hand at fishing. She got me a nice rod and reel and some line for an anniversary. It sat untouched in my garage for about 6years. 2 years ago, on Father's Day, I decided I was going to string that reel up and go to the local lake. Every weekend after that, and every weekend for just about 3/4 of the year I am on that lake. I like fishing, for any fish, but am geetting into Bass fishing more so now. I don't have a batcaster setup yet, but am saving up to get one. I got pretty good with my open face spinning reel, and have a nice 7 foot ugly stick that I bought last year(again with anniversary money...) I had to the original she got me 8 years ago snapped of during a camping trip with the scouts. I like using the spinners, Rooster Tails in particular. I am definately going to try some Bass lures this year. Have some Frogs, and some nice Jigs. Plan on experimenting with trailers, etc.

farmpond1 reply :

Yes! This is exactly the sort of thing I was hoping for! Great stories and, obviously, great memories. Keep 'em coming! When I have a few more minutes, I'll add mine.

Bass Dude reply :

I was about ten years old (about two and half decades ago!) and I got my first 4 pound Smallie. I got it on a 1/4 silver/white Rooster Tail spinner on an 5'6" ultralight combo with 4lb line. It was in my original home town of Oswego on Lake Ontario, from shore. I haven't lived in Oswego in over 20 years, but I could go there tomorrow and pick the exact rock I was standing on when I caught it.

I've been totally absorbed in the sport ever since!!!

Bass Dude reply :

I forgot the OZ. after the 1/4---it was a 1/4 oz Rooster tail.

flippincrazy reply :

Grew up fishing creeks for smallmouth. Its what my Dad, brother and I did every week. We always watched all the fishing shows on ESPN and I just thought the BASS guys were like Gods. In college I found out I coould fish as a co-angler in the BFL's and I thought why not...

First Tourney... One baitcaster combo to my name and three spinning rod set ups, a bag of tackle and Lake Erie. I was fish out of water! Couldn't even help my boater back his boat in the water. I had never drop shottted in my life (were on Erie!). 120 boats, pouring ran, 7-9 foot waves, water spouts and a 35 mile run from Sandusky to Canada. I actually prayed I'd survive the day. Luck for me I had a world class boater and over the course of the day I learned what tournament fishing was about. I survived but my life will never be the same. If I never make it big I know I will tourney fish till the day my body stops letting me. I'm addicted to chasing green and brown fish and catching as many as I can in 8 hours. ;D

Big Tom reply :

Quote
Grew up fishing creeks for smallmouth. Its what my Dad, brother and I did every week. We always watched all the fishing shows on ESPN and I just thought the BASS guys were like Gods. In college I found out I coould fish as a co-angler in the BFL's and I thought why not...
First Tourney... One baitcaster combo to my name and three spinning rod set ups, a bag of tackle and Lake Erie. I was fish out of water! Couldn't even help my boater back his boat in the water. I had never drop shottted in my life (were on Erie!). 120 boats, pouring ran, 7-9 foot waves, water spouts and a 35 mile run from Sandusky to Canada. I actually prayed I'd survive the day. Luck for me I had a world class boater and over the course of the day I learned what tournament fishing was about. I survived but my life will never be the same. If I never make it big I know I will tourney fish till the day my body stops letting me. I'm addicted to chasing green and brown fish and catching as many as I can in 8 hours. ;D

That is a neat story. That boater could have made it hell for you. Its cool that there are such good guys even at the higher levels.

THEbassmaster reply :

i grew up fishing bluegill, crappie, catfish, walleye, anything and everything. my dad took me out alot and i just liked being outside all the time. i would try for bass every now and then with just a basic powerworm on a straight shank hook, it would catch some bass. then i started to like bassin a little more and kept gettin a little and little more tackle but not very educated on it. but then about 5 years ago i was using i bluegill, casting out and reeling in(didnt look lifelike it all lol) because i had caught a few pike like that so i kept tryin, and i got a 22" around 5# bass, that is what got me hooked on bass fishing.

aaron

shootermcbob reply :

I lost my father in law two and a half years ago. He took my daughter fishing quite a bit. I never liked to fish...so he took her. Well, when he passed, I started taking my daughter fishing. At first, it was boring for both of us. But I had a couple friends at work who are avid fishermen helping me and I found this site. After about a month and 6-7 trips to the lake(and catching some fish), I was hooked. My daughter is now 8 and still goes fishing with me. We take coloring books, snacks, books to read, and as of this Christmas, a hand-held video game will be coming. That way if she gets board fishing, she has other interesting things to do. Typically, She fishes for about 30-40 minutes the first go round, then she will come back and fish a few more times. We go home when she says she is ready. IF I didn't have to, I wouldn't work and would just go fishing. I can't believe how badly I have the bug. We were going to buy a boat this spring, but I recently was downsized and lost my job. When we do get a boat, I think even mama will be along for the ride then. I told her, you don't even have to fish, you can just look good and I'll do the fishing. Sooner or later, the whole family will be fishing. ;D

joshuaryan reply :

Setting the hook hard and not knowing how big the monster is on the end of my line.

jack1 reply :

My dad got me into fishing mainly crappie, walleyes, and catfish when I was younger. Then I got interested in girls and it stopped for a few years.

When I got married and the girls stopped lining up, the bug came back and I got back into walleye, catfish, and northern pike fishing. Did that for a few years until a friend of mine introduced me to top water bass fishing and I instantly got hooked. I remember after my first bass fishing trip, I went out for two weeks straight.

My obsession with bass fishing is out of hand at times and my wife thinks I'm just crazy. I'm a multispecies fisherman, but overallI love to chase after those bass.

toolpush reply :

Been fishing since I was a kid, can remember catching sun perch with my uncles when I was a wee boy. My dad used to take me and family fishing on vacations and when he could getaway. One time when I was in my teens, we went to Amistad and I caught two bass at one time on my crankbait. I still remember to this day, thinking how heavy that fish was when I was reeling it(them) in, and being plumb amazed when I saw them two bass on that one plug. Got away from it in my teens thru thirties, would rather waterski and party then fish.I remember complaining about them fishermen on my water, now it's the other way around. A friend of mine got me back into fishing about ten or eleven years ago by going out to the local stocked trout and catfish pond. He would fish for the former and I would fish for bass. What really turned it into an obsession with me was when I went and fished a stock tank on a cattle ranch in central texas. I caught 2-6lb. bass all day long on a top water just cast out, let it hit, jerk, KA-SLAM. All Day. I was addicted, it was the best high I had since quitting doing drugs. Now this little guy named the bait monkey keeps bothering me, Buy, buy, buy. Alot like doing drugs, again. : After catching my personal best, that is what keeps me in the quest. To one day break that mark.

Babelfish42 reply :

I got hooked when my dad would take me out when I was a little kid. Didn't get out that often since he worked so much in order to feed us, but the couple of times a year we did are some of the best memories I have. I didn't fish for many years being involved in other things and working myself but starting last year I have been out at least 2X a week.

Last year I took my nephew 5, and niece 3, out to a local pond for their first trip. I was showing my niece how to cast out with her little Barbie fishing pole when I hear my nephew start yelling "I got one, I got one!!!" Before I could get the words "reel it in" out of my mouth he just starts running backwards yelling with this huge smile on his face. Poor fish got dragged halfway up the beach before I could stop him LOL Now every time I see him he asks when we are going to go again. The next generation has already been sucked in! ;D

Fish MD reply :

Like most I grew up trying for easier caught fish. The Bass were always the more experienced fish. I went on my buddy's boat and threw Red Shad 5 inch ribbon tail texas rig, having no clue what I was doing. I got bit and it almost pulled the rod out of my hand and it was only a 2 lb large mouth.

I was done....rods, reels, boats, and every free second I get is now dedicated to Bass fishing.

firefightn15 reply :

When I was a kid in the real early seventies, we bought a cabin with all the accoutrements. Grabbed the first fishing rig I saw, which was an old Shakespeare baitcaster with a 5'6" steel rod and never looked back.

Olebiker reply :

My father never fished when I was growing up. He considered it to be a frivolous waste of time.

When I was 13 years old I went off to St. Meinrad Seminary to study to become a priest. There was a 2 acre pond on the monastery property, and when I came home for spring break Dad suggested that I get a rod and reel and try fishing in it.

We went to Allied Sporting Goods in Louisville and I spent $1.99 for a rod and $1.99 for a Zebco 33. I bought two inline spinners, a rooster Tail and an ABU Reflex.

I started catching bass and bluegill out of that pond immediately. As soon as class was over every afternoon that the weather allowed I would spend a couple of hours fishing.

When I got home for the summer Dad started fishing with me and within a few years he was just eaten up with bass fishing. My avatar is a picture of Dad with the biggest bass he ever caught.

Ima Bass Ninja reply :

It was last november on a work related outing. I never seriously fished before but we were on a hunting/fishing lodge and i thought i would give it a try with some of the guys from work. I caught a 12" bass the first day out. But the one that got me was on the second and last day, i caught a 3 pounder and i was hooked. Now 3 months later i own a bass boat, 4 baitcast rods and 2 spinning reels and fish every weekend . That darn fish cost me more than 8k in 3 months!! lol but i love it and i plan to keep going for a long time.

teh_bass reply :

Jesus.

farmpond1 reply :

Quote
Jesus.

I meant fishers of fish. Not fishers of men.

teh_bass reply :

Jesus inspired me to fish. Since he was a fisherman.

jrhennecke reply :

My Dad got me started when I was very young. When he was stationed in North Carolina he used to take me to Mr Baden's pond. I really got hooked on bass fishing though when I was a little older. My dad had taken me to fish some sloughs at a friends duck club. I was fishing a rebel minnow and caught a 4# largemouth on my own.

Wayne P. reply :

I grew up on a cattle farm that was bordered on one side by a river, had a creek down the middle, and had two ponds. Fishing was just something to do, I still do and have been for more than 60 years.

CWB reply :

I was about 6 and fishing off my grandparent's dock at their summer home and caught my first Bass on a Hulapopper, probably just reeling it straight in with my Zebco 33. It was probably just 2 or 3 pounds but I thought it was huge. I put it in a fishbasket and hung it off the pier until everyone I could find came and looked at it. Then for some reason, I let it go which was unheard of way back then. Hooked

(pun intended) ever since.

hjerk24 reply :

I second that teh_bass!!!!

farmpond1 reply :

My dad used to take me and my siblings to a pay lake when I was very young. After he died, there wasn't anybody to take me so I rode my bike (or walked) by myself down to a bridge about 2 miles from home on a dusty country road. Little more than a creek that widened and deepened at the bridge, it offered up some feisty little bullheads and the occasional bluegill. At that time I had in my possession probably only one or two lures. One was a creme plastic worm with a propeller harness. I have no idea where I got it. I had never used it before (at least not with any luck) but on this particular Saturday I tied it on and cast it as far as my zebco 33 would allow. It landed in a weedy area where the creek narrowed. After a few cranks of the reel, something grabbled my bait. I really don't remember the fight but when I pulled it up, it was a grass pike about 12 inches long. I was afraid to touch it (something that had pointy teeth and shaped like a snake couldn't be safe). I was simultaneousy afraid and intrigued. It wasn't a bass, of course, but it was my first introduction to a "gamefish" and I haven't looked back (except with nostalgia) since.

Minuteman reply :

I grew up near the Schuylkill river and fished my whole childhood for catfish and other junk fish. One day while fishing in a farmpond(!) at the age of 24 I caught a 7lb 8oz largemouth.

Since that day, May 5th 1983, I've been a Bass Man.

South FLA reply :

I can remember to this day.

My older brother bought me a Pfleuger Blue Sky with a Cardinal fishing reel and took me down to the local park. I had him tie on a Mepp's minnow with a spinner and on my third cast I caught about a 3-4lbs bass, what at the time seemed huge. Anyway, I was so excited I ran all the way home with it to show mom. Been addicted every since.

Scorcher214 reply :

My grandpa always took me fishing when i went over his house, catching panfish and such and it was really fun. then i just didn't go anymore, i don't know why, i just didn't. 3 Years ago i went on vacation to traverse city Michigan, and we stayed on lake intermediate, i had just a zebco 222 and i mostly fished worms, i saw my cousin tony using a spinning reel and fake worms, we didn't catch anything though(because me or him really had no idea of what we were doing lol). the next year i got a spinning rod and me and him fished that lake top to bottom, still didn't catch anything, but we sure had fun. That's what got me started. I got cemented in fishing just last year...I was fishing with a zoom trick worm, watermelon seed. with a 1/4oz tungsten weight, throwing it to shallow as heck water, it was late, i was ready to go, and then i got a hit, i didn't really know what to do so i just started reeling, no hook setting or anything. I had reeled in my first bass on a artificial lure, i was so proud of my self that i called my mom right after i took a picture and released it. The next day i was at the same spot, don the same thing, not getting crapola! A guy walked my and started watching me i guess i didn't really care, i was bent on catching my second bass. He stood next to me and said "here i gotta a better idea, lemme put something on your line that i know will work!" He gave me a 4/0 offset gamakatsu hook, a 1/16oz weight, and a 7 inch Berkly power worm in motor oil. By the end of the day, i had 17 fish. To this day, that is my favorite setup ever, and me and that guy are good fishing buds, even though we don't know each others names after fishing with him a whole summer lol.

Catt reply :

It was some where around 1956 when this little Cajun boy with a hand cut cane pole, a length of braided cotton line, a cork made of real cork, a hook with an earth worm was standing on a wharf on the Calcasieu River. After watching his cork go under and without setting hook that little boy took off running up the 25 stair steps cut into the river back to the camp with a palm sized bream bouncing along behind.

Sam reply :

Growing up in South Louisiana we always fished the Audubon Park Lagoon in New Orleans and the Biloxi Marsh, Lake Pontchartrain and the Rigolets.

My cousins and I caught mainly bluegills and crappie other than the redfish, drum, sheepshead, croakers and speckled trout in saltwater.

One day, we visited a friend on the north shore of Lake Pontchartrain and after my cousin and I went paddling around the swamp area behind the house in a pirogue, I decided to take a spinning rig that was just sitting around and try my luck.

I caught a beautiful "green trout" as we called them back then, and I was amazed.

First, I was amazed that I caught the fish.

Second, I was amazed at how it fought and jumped when coming to the shore.

Third, I was amazed at its beauty.

I let it go and just stared at the water, pads and weeds in the swamp and from that day on, I was fascinated by the largemouth bass.

Only after getting the kid through college and my wife saying I was a pain in the behind when I was home with her did I take up bass fishing once again.

I can still see that bass fighting as I reeled her in and holding her up to admire her. And that was about 50 years ago.

Hannons Hound reply :

My dad took my brother and I when we were about 7 years old. He suprised us both with matching Eagle Claw spinning outfits. Two years later he purchased a piece of property on the water, which is still in the family to this day. The rest is history.

T-Bone reply :

When I was little no one in my immediate family fished at all. It always seemed to be a real treat whenever I would get to go fishing with my uncle and cousin.

I would normally just fish for perch with a cork and worm/cricket.

Everyday during the week while my parents were working I would stay at my grandparents. There was a pond right by there house, so my cousin and I would spend most days over there fishing, at that time I had a zebco 33 on a pistol grip fishing pole which I got for my birthday one year.

One day when we were having trouble finding bait for perch my grandpa suggested that we take some artificial lures and us them. He had some old beetle spins and gave them to us. We went out to the pond and caught tons of bass, but the one that go me completely hooked on bass was the 4lb. bass that I caught. Or atleast it was 4lbs according to my grandpa.

I got into fishing saltwater for a little while and caught more redfish, speckled trout, and drum than I could count. Then I began fishing for bass with a friend in high school, the tournament fishing has had me hooked on bass ever since.

Micro reply :

Quote
What drew you into this wacky, wonderful obsession we call fishing?

Chicks.

CFFF 1.5 reply :

I vaguely remember going Bass fishing with my dad when I was probably around 8 or 10 years old but we didn't go very often. Then in the 90's here in central florida the thing to do was go red fishing. My dad and I started red fishing every weekend and it was a blast. We fished every weekend rain or shine, hot or cold for probably 5 years until I was about 16. The red fishing started to get old and my dad and I quit fishing as much and I was getting more serious about playing sports, baseball year round, so we didn't have much time to fish anymore. Then me and a good friend started bank fishing in this awesome pond down the street from our house. Since then I have been hooked except for a couple years while I was in college. Now I bass fish probably 3 or 4 times a month.

rippin_lips reply :

I fished with my dad when I was younger, but we never went very often. During high school I would fish with some of my friends out of boredom, but never had much luck. Last year, I split a boat with one of my friends and that is what got me hooked. Fishing from shore on small ponds in NH was never very productive for us. Owning a boat allowed us to access much more water and many more fish which got me hooked.

Jake. reply :

Catching my first Flounder at Holden Beach, NC when I was about 7 years old. That was the first decent sized fish that I had caught all by myself, and it really got me hooked. I had always liked fishing, but that Flounder really got me interested for some reason. When we went home I wanted to fish more, but we live a few hours from the beach so I started fishing for Bass in freshwater instead.

Paul Roberts reply :

Lots of stories. I was hooked many times.

I guess it all started here:

I remember my Dad cutting that sapling, and the distinct 'tug, tug' of the bites. "There's SOMETHING down there!" is the feeling I remember.

I also remember Dad returning to the cabin near dark with two "bass". They seemed so big, and mysterious. He caught them on a Jitterbug his father gave him. My Dad gave it to me 30 years ago and I still have it, hanging over my desk as I sit here typing. It's not retired, just waiting for my own son to be old enough to use it -likely this year.

MitchIsFishin reply :

Lost my 6 figure job and could no longer afford high end acoustic guitars, and spending 10K+/yr on photographic gear. Needed to find something else that would satisfy my search for a challenge. That, and the wild girls, like Micro said. Young women, body piercings and crankbait lures, hmmm.............

Red reply :

when i was in high school i got in trouble with the law. i was given a court ordered curfew...8pm school nights, 10pm weekends. my folks made me stick to this very much so. they also had a cabin on cayuga lake (finger lakes) and would go there every weekend except in the winter months. i usually didnt go cuz i was partying!! but now i had this curfew so that put an end to that. what else was i going to do? went to the lake, started fishing from the dock, first big smallie and the rest is history!! i went every weekend from then till i joined the army. my dad got me a boat so i could go whenever i wanted. it was a 14 foot v-hull with a 7.5 hp merc. i caught a ton of smallies in that thing!! so i guess what got me into fishing was being a stupid idiot when i was young!!

Cliff

drmnbig reply :

I grew up fishing the little river in front of my grandads place. We never caught much of anything but it was fun. I didn't fish from about 8 years old till I was 16. I remember the trip like it was yesterday. I had an older 2nd cousin who fished a lot but I never really talked to him as our family had it's issues. One day he just showed up at the house with an extra rod and reel and said lets go fishing. I hopped in the truck with him and we headed to a little lake down the road from the house. The used to draw this lake down in the winter and would refill it in about April. The upper end of the lake is fairly shallow so with the lake drained it turned into basically a river. I remember using a little 4" Renegade purple bubble gum colored worm. When you open the worms in the pack it smells just like grape bubble gum. (to this day it still smells the same and I enjoy the memory everytime I dip into them) We ended up catching literally dozens of small bass that day on these worms and needless to say....I was hooked.

I fished with my cousin for about 10 years after that until he went nuts. His dad (my great uncle who I thought of as a grandfather) died from diabetes at 56 years old. He went into some depression, quit his job and just had no get up and go. It got to the point he wouldn't even shower. He finally quit fishing and we basically parted ways. I sure miss fishing with him. He and I made quite the team for several years. We placed in many tournaments and caught some huge bags. Every now and then I try to talk myself into stopping by his house but I can tell by the condition of his place that he hasn't changed. Sad situation but I still enjoy the memories and I'm still very thankful he stopped by the house that day. Maybe one day I'll make that stop. :'(

crappiekid24 reply :

My dad likes to fish so that helped get me started. My first fish was a nice little 14" bass. Which was a huge fish to me at the time. I think I must have been 4 or 5. I didnt really catch the fishing bug until I was old enough to go out fishing on Lake Michigan. As I got older I spent more time on Lake Michigan with my grandpa. I would go up to his boat with him every weekend in the summer and sometimes for a couple days. When we were not out on the lake trolling for salmon or perch fishing I would roam the harbor catching bluegills and nice bass. My largest smallie and largemouth both came from Lake Michigan. 12 or 13 years later from my first fish here I am addicted more then ever.

SirSnookalot reply :

I go back to around 1950, I was 5 or so. My dad was an avid fisherman, also was in the fish biz as well. We went nearly every Sat & Sun, even in the winter on the ice. For a city boy it boggled my mind how he knew so much, but he did, he even drop shotted using live minnows more than 50 years ago, but he had no name for it then.

We had a cottage on an inland lake and my dad rented me a rowboat for the season with an old elgin 6.5 horse motor and I fished every day. On the weekends we went to the great lakes. He gave me a Masters Degree in bait fishing and P.H.D. in casting.

Crestliner2008 reply :

I'm 64. When I was about 10 or 11, I found a beat up issue of Outdoor Life Magazine near a dumpster in the old apartment block I lived in (and the one my folks had lived in for 40 years). I read it and instantly got hooked on the outdoors. Shortly thereafter, the building attendant gave me a tubular steel fly rod, in 6 sections, which colapsed into one another, & a reel. Since I lived close to the CT River here in MA, I fished there with friends quite often. By the time I was 12, my Dad got interested in fishing and both he & I fished from then on.

I've seen all the trends and techniques come & go. It's all been good!

noway reply :

Back in the day, while fishing an inland lake with some co-workers, this bronze football sized smallie cleared the water several times. I was literally hooked.

Tom H. reply :

Oh this is an easy one .

My Great-Uncle Don (R.I.P) used to fish the mid-west bass assoc. tourneys . One weekend he came down and asked if I would like to go fishing with him , and I said sure . He proceded to teach me how to flip a rubber worm and I caught about a 2 1/2 - 3 lbs bass . Well after that it was hook , line , and sinker . I could tell more stories about him and taking me fishing , but that is what really started it all for me .

Tom

BassChump reply :

I grew up in the guts of Southern California, just down the road from Disneyland. Obviously no lakes or rivers anywhere close.

My father took me to Huntington Beach pier a few times and we caught some fish but I didn't like it.

When I was about 3 or 4, my family went on a vacation to the Kern River near Bakersfield and I loved river fishing for trout.

When I was 6 years old, my folks bought into a private club called Quale Valley. It's next to what is currently Canyon Lake California, not for from Riverside. It was a poor mans country club but they had a pool, clubhouse and out on the backside, far away from everything they had a small lake.

Being a private club, a private city if you will, I could legally ride my gas engined mini-bike on the streets. I rode out every morning at sun up to the lake and fished for bluegill every day we were there and I'll remember that to my dying day. The lake and the country club is no longer there but I can still remember my Zebco rod and reel combo, the rock I sat on every day, the reeds in the water, sitting there enjoying gods creations and never wanting to leave, those many years ago.

As an adult, I moved to Oregon. I've fished for salmon but I really kind of let the kids do all the fishing. I just didn't get back into it until last year. My wife passed away a couple of years ago so I've just been working and taking care of my daughter. I sort of let the fun go out of my life for a while but in August of 07, a woman I had been seeing asked me to look at a boat she was interested in buying. I liked it but she passed on it. I bought that bass boat on a whim. (She regrets passing it up to this day). I got it cheap and I figured I would clean it up, sell it and make a few bucks on it. I took it out on the lake once and I fell in love with the boat but I had never caught a bass in my life. EVER. So I found this site, bought a cheap rod and reel, a few Senko's and hit the lakes. It took me a solid 8 months, fishing several times a week to catch my first bass but I was going to catch one if it was the last thing I ever did. I was getting discouraged but after I caught the first one, I was hooked.

Interesting story is that the first bass I ever caught is also the biggest bass I ever caught. That's the bass pictured in my avatar. A 5.3

With just me and my daughter and not much money, the boat and fishing together has brought us so much closer together as a family. I can't think of anything else we like to do together more than going fishing. It's what has kept us sane thru some very hard times. I've passed on my love for fishing to my daughter and I'm thinking that fishing will be one of the most important lessons in her life. Conservation, patience, knowledge, creativity, luck, and decisiveness. All qualities of fishing that can be carried thru to every part of her life and she learned those things while fishing with dear old dad. Stuff she can tell her grandkids. I'm truly blessed.

I'm now planning a move to the Phoenix area. I picked Phoenix for many reasons but one of the deciding factors was all the lakes around there so my daughter and I can go fishing year round. Whoda thunk.

jax reply :

I have a buddy that takes competitiveness to a whole new level. He talks more crap than anybody I know. He keeps track of his stats in everything he does. He takes the fun out of a lot of things because everything is a competition. He makes alot of things more fun for this same reason. He loves to trash talk.

He talked me into going fishing with him. We fished from the bank of a couple of ponds. As soon as we threw out first cast out he became a different person. He was calm. Very calm. I mean really really calm. He is not a calm person by nature. He cast a few times and then came over and watched me fish. He watched my technique and patiently explained to me how to do better. He was more excited than I was when I caught fish. We hit a dry spell and he was more worried about me getting bored than anything.

It is amazing how much fishing transforms him. He becomes one of the best and most patient teachers I know. Anything else and he gets super competitive and can't teach. Fish with him and all he is concerned with is helping you catch fish. He makes fishing so much fun. He doesn't get upset at all not matter what you do. Most of the time at the beginning he didn't even fish. He just calmly watched me fish then threw a party every time I caught one. If he ever had a calling it is to teach people to fish. I have never met anyone that can teach as well as he can. I cannot wait until my daughter is old enough for him to teach her.

If you spent the weekend with him you would completely understand and be as awed as I am. It is amazing watching the change that over comes him when it comes to fishing.

How can you not love a hobby that can have that good of an effect on people?

Bubba_Bruiser reply :

MY dad was never much of a fisherman, but he would take me about twice a year as a small child, but I still remember the trips and loving it. But when we visited my grandparent's, my grandpa always had me in a pond bream fishing. When I was 10, my dad took the opprotunity to join my grandpa's business and we moved to south MS. I got to fish all the time with my grandpa and he broke me in with bream fishing. When I was about 12 he gave me 50 bucks and told me to go to TG&Y and get a baitcaster and rod, and to get one of Momma aluminum pie plates and get in the yard and start practicing. I think the accumalation of letting crickets and catalpa worms loose in his car finally did it in. He told me if I wanted to fish with him, it was time to big boy fish. So I did that, and I have been bass fishing for over 20 years. Now I have 2 little boys, 3 & 6, and I am breaking them in on the bream and catfish ponds, and they are loving it. My wife has also taking interest since going with my boys. She is wanting me to take her bass fishing now. Uh-oh, I might have just lost my solace if she hooks up.

FordNFishinLover reply :

Its funny, cause i can remember the exact day of the first time i got hooked into "bass" fishing.

It was a warm summer day, and my mother had taken the day off work. She wanted some help in her garden, and then she said she would take me fishing while she tanned.

So i helped her and we headed off to a nearby town with a lakelot a family member owned. Id fished this a few times now. An i was mainly a catfishermen at the time. So i figured we would go there and i would try for cats.

Well on our way we got close a friend of my mothers and she wanted to drop off some vegy's from the garden for him. Well hes a pretty healthy/rich feller, with a big pond out back. Him and a few of his friends were fishing as we got there.

At first i didnt even want to go down there and even look at the water. I wanted to go to the lake. But she said just come on down for 10 or 15 minutes while i talk. Kinda mad, i went down. But about ever 5 mintutes down there one of those guys were reeling in a bass. So they say come here and ill rig a plastic worm for you.

Not but a few casts later i caught my first bass. I thought, dang that was easy! Ended up catching around 15 bass that day! Probally the most fun day of fishing ive ever had!

I find it most funny that i didnt even want to go down there! An if i didnt i prob wouldnt have gotten into bass fishing until later on!

But since that day ive been HOOKED!!!!!

Daniel A. reply :

I vaguely remember fishing for bream when I was very young. However, I vividly recall the numerous weekend trips me and my dad would take with my uncles and cousins. My dad had a knack for finding a good catfishing spot. We'd head out as soon as he got home from work on Friday and sneak back in the early hours of Saturday morning. We caught fish and enjoyed the company of our family.

From then on, I've always associated family with fishing. Luckily, I married into a family of fishermen (and fisherwomen) to continue what I enjoyed so much growing up.

We have a small pond on our property, and when the weather is nice, I take my daughter fishing. It's something we do together - just like me and my dad when I was young.

bass or bass ? reply :

My grandmother actually got me started fishing at the age of 13. Fishing for snook from the bridge over Cypress Creek right next to their house in Ft. Lauderdale Florida in 1964. Thanks Grandma. Happy fishing.

~B.A.S.S.~N.A.F.C.~BoatU.S.~

River Rat 58 reply :

When i was four years old my dad took me down to the river behind our house fishing for the first time ever. In about the spand of 45 minutes i caught more smallmouth bass than i can remember. Ever since then during summer i spend more time down by the river than I do at my house.

Drewster116 reply :

I was 3 my family went camping up in Island Falls Maine. Which was when my dad got me my first spincast rod. I was so excited to try it out so I kept bugging my dad to bait my hook but he said he'd take me fishing later cause he just got done setting up camp. So he went to lay in the hammock to rest a bit. I being impatient decide to fish from shore at our campsite with just a bobber and a bare hook. and every cast I was like "I got one!" to reel it in to see I had nothing till finally I hooked a baby bass which was only like 3 inches long. I got all excited and ran up to my dad still laying in the hammock and was like dad look! I got a fish. He didn't believe me and didn't even look to see so I kept bugging him to look till he finally did. He ended up falling out of the hammock from being so surprised. Next thing that happen was him going to my mom saying I got to get that boy some worms and take him out in the rowboat. Been fishing everyday that I can since then

Maxximus Redneckus reply :

livin on farm with a pond at 5 i was fishing 98% of my childhood then i hit 18 fishing dropped to abouthalf my time but i cant think of life without it

Zel... reply :

My family has some land that Hunters Creek runs through. On the land is a stone gravity bridge (according to legend was built in the mid 1700's by Benjamin Franklin as part of his Fort Allen construction, which was located nearby). As far back as I can remember, I fished off that bridge with a stick, string, hooks and worms in pursuit of chubbys, suckers and trout. I probably fished that setup for 5 years until I got my first real fishing pole. They were some of my fondest childhood memories. I still enjoy fishing off that bridge 50 years later... the best spot in the word to clear the mind.

huntnful1 reply :

my dad got me hooked, but the part of fishing that got me hooked is that it is kinda like duck hunting, the waiting from the time you drop your calls till the time you call kill em. Just like waiting from the time you feel the bite till the time you set the hook, using some baits. It's just that anticipation that got me hooked. Then came topwater and that is a whole different story.

AverageJoeBass reply :

I believe the very first bass I caught was when I was in 8th grade fishing with my Grandpa Red and my grandmother. He took us to his boss's pond to fish and rigged me up with a plain plastic black worm with a weight on it. Something had happened to his line and he asked me to fix it. While doing that off in the distance where I had cast a bass jumps out of the water and splashes back in. My grandfather told me to check my line and sure enough there was a bass on the end of it. A 5 lb. bass at that! We kept that bass and my grandfather filleted him and took the head and nailed it to the barn he had. I was very proud of that bass head hanging there.

ROCbass reply :

I was seven years old. It was at my grandparents house on Great Sacandaga Lake. I was fishing with my dad, my dad's cousin-in-law, and his son. We were fishing out of my great uncle's aluminum 16' deep v with 4 benches and an old 30hp merc. It was crowded, but I didn't care because it was the first time I was allowed out in the boat to go fishing. I had a zebco 600 spincast combo with a live helgrammite rigged under a bobber. The first fish I caught was a rock bass. I didn't even see my float go under because i was getting bored. Luckily everyone else was paying attention. The next trip out I caught my first smallmouth, and I have been fishing ever since. I enjoy all types of fishing for all species, but fishing for smallies on that lake out of that old boat is still my favorite.

done reply :

I always liked it, but did not really get hooked till my first year trout fishing in the NC mountains. After an absolutely insane week of work I took 3 days off and went by myself on the Linville River. Since it was midweek nobody else was on the river. I was about a mile back into the middle of nowhere, wading thigh deep in a nice set of riffles, was about 70 degrees out, sunny, half full creel. Standing there by myself, sun coming through the tree canopy, I can say, was about the most relaxed I have ever been.

Have not stopped fishing, year round since then. Be in trout in a stream, out on Lake Wylie, Deep sea (on the rare occasionI can afford it), or shore, does not matter. I am always game for it now.

farmpond1 reply :

I'm enjoying reading all of these so much I had to say so. I was concerned the thread would get buried in other threads before everyone had a chance to contribute. But it looks like my worries were unwarranted. I get warm fuzzies reminiscing how I got started and it's apparent many/most of you all feel the same way. I want to start a related thread but I don't want distract from this one. I'm enjoying it too much. Thanks all and keep 'em coming!

Dave D reply :

An EWG 5/0 Gamakatsu got me hooked, right in the corner of my mouth! LOL! I just had to do it!

I started fishing when I was really young and I have always enjoyed in. It was when I started getting good at the craft is when I got hooked. I remember going down to my local pond one day after church. I rode my bike there( I was just old enough to ride alone, maybe 4th or 5th grade) and all I had was a spinning rod and some tiny ice fishing jigs. I caught over 200 gills that day in only a few hours! I had the world by the tail! I had put together a pattern and it worked. That's probably the earliest memory I have of things coming together.

The other thing that I live for is the hookset! What is more fun the setting the hook and having something fighting back on the other end! I get butterflies in my stomach just thinking about it!

Yeah and if you here a guy screaming at the lake because he just caught a 5 lb'r, that's probably me. I'm no Ike but I do get excited!

DADto4 reply :

Growing up we lived next to a farm with a big pond that was fed by a small creek. As young country kids do we were always consumed with the outdoors especially the creek that fed the pond. One day when my grandfather was over he decided to "play" with us to see just what inspired us to always come home covered in mud and soaked with water.

When he saw us catching crawdads and garter snakes for fun he made a simple suggestion that we put a hook in them and cast them into the pond. WHAT A BRILLIANT IDEA!

Although we had fished for panfish before, little did we know that there were some rather large Bass that called this pond home, and MAN DID THEY LIKE CRAWDADS!

From that point on the attraction for fishing was set.

Over the years......I have continued to pursue my attraction and offer it to my children as a gift that may do with what they like.

Fishing to me is one of the best gifts I have been given,and still the best gift for me to give.

-John

BassnMan Mike reply :

My dad is responsible for my addiction to fishing. Even though he would at times work 3 jobs to keep a roof over our heads he always made time to take me fishing.

"Thanks dad and rest in peace."

NYfishwow reply :

I used to play video games all the time, it was only thing i did. One day my dad said to go outside, and i didn't.

so i was kicked out of the house and then i started fishing. I was poor at it to begin with, bluegill and 3 lb bass was rare to catch.

In a couple of months i started catching tons of bass. Never stop fishing after that and its been a very long, long time since then.

bass wrangler569 reply :

I went trout fishing on opening day with my grandfather. I caught a few and I thought it was awesome so my dad and I started going fishing together and it evolved from their. Oddly enough, my first time fishing isn't nearly as memorable to me as my first tournament. Fishing didn't became a full-blown, all consuming passion for me until I fished my first tournament. I fished it as a rider and I vividly recall being awed when the tournament director called our number and we went blasting off to our first spot. I love fun fishing but to me, nothing beats the energy of hooking a bass during a tournament. It was and is the ultimate adrenaline rush.

Sherlock 60 reply :

I had always been a very casual, occasional fisherman until that fateful day in 2001 when my 6 year old grandson said, ever so innocently, "Grandpa: next year I want to go fishin' a lot more."

You wouldn't believe the rod, reel and tackle collection I have accumulated since then. In the process of collecting tackle I somehow learned to catch bass...

The irony is that my grandson lost interest after a summer or two. I have high hopes he will catch the bug again this year.

silvercliff_46 reply :

Lets see...,Hmmmm...,Oh yeah there was this real nice guy with long brown hair that hung out with a dozen or so fishermen.

He was a pretty smart guy and I started to read his book. Good book, yup real Good Book.

Long story short I stuck with him and took up fishing around the same time.

Wow that was a long time ago.

dave reply :

Quote
Jesus inspired me to fish. Since he was a fisherman.

Jesus was a carpenter. Peter, Andrew, John and James were the fishermen.

bigbill reply :

I always fished with my older brother all the time. I never really caught anything but he always did. Before he passed on he told me you have to stay going and sooner or later the fish will just turn on. I never really knew what he was talking about till one night while fishing with my son. I would only fish the first few days of trout season every year.

We were on a small bridge over looking a swamp. We were using night crawlers and while reeling in the worm i had a strike. I put on a mepps #3 silver w/gray/brown tail and started catching small bass one after another. By my 3rd fish my son hollers over do you have another one of those spinners? I thew him a red/white mepps with the gray/brown tail and had success too. I'm not really sure how many doubles we had in that short of time but that night started it all in bass fishing for me. I don't do much trout fishing anymore its bass only now.

bocabasser reply :

mine was a natural progression. in 1969 my father bought our second house and it was on a canal, the c-14 to be exact. every wekend my mom would take me to the bait and tackle shop to buy 2 boxes of night crawlers. i would catch bream, bass, turtles, catfish, you name it, and i caught it. i loved being on that dock alone fishing. as i got older i started becoming more independent and started digging for clams and mussels in the sand along the shoreline. when i was 7 my mom bought me a 4 foot cast net and i started netting wild shiners and shad. this was the moment i knew bass fishing would be a permanent fixture in my life. once i caught those shad and shiner, bass were now soooo easy to catch. around ten i started with artificial baits and my first baitcaster, an ambassador (the small red one). as i grew in years, bass fishing took a back seat to surfing and football, but i never stopped fishing. when i got maried, my 3 goals were to graduate college, buy a house and have children. when i bought my house, my wife and i refinanced for a better interest rate and we pulled some money out to update our house. i also bought a flats boat. once i had the boat, i started tournament fishing and was hooked instantly. i can honestly say that bass fishing has kept me grounded in the sense that i don't sweat the small stuff. whether it is family, work, or financial struggles in life, fishing always brings me back to a much simpler way of living and thinking. i know that may sound weird, but i bet a lot of you guys feel the same way. great topic and great stories--thanks for letting me share mine.

silvercliff_46 reply :

Quote

Quote
Jesus inspired me to fish. Since he was a fisherman.

Jesus was a carpenter. Peter, Andrew, John and James were the fishermen.

Jesus was a fisher of men that being said; I think he hung around fishermen because if he could get those bums to tell the truth (at least sometimes), and be on the straight and narrow; Then folks would know he was the real deal.

That's what he said anyway when we were jawin' around the camp fire. By the way if you think his home-made wine was good you should have tried a couple of tall frosty mugs of home-brew on a hot day.

farmpond1 reply :

Quote

Quote
Jesus inspired me to fish. Since he was a fisherman.

Jesus was a carpenter. Peter, Andrew, John and James were the fishermen.

Yup! Jesus was a carpenter by trade. But the story goes that he could really influence the outcome of a fishing tournament!

502largemouth reply :

I remember a few fishing trips when I was really young with my grandparents. They had a lot at Nolin Lake we would stay at and we had to use cane poles with worms....lol.

But....that didnt do it.........

I remember going catfishing almost every night the summer of my 17th year with my buddy Scott. If we were awake, we were fishing.

But.....that didnt do it........

What did do it was the first time I went fishing with my friend Jude...I was 34 years old. I had never fished with artificials, never fished for bass. I had a Zebco BossHawg catfish rig and a old side button baitcaster on a old 6 foot really floppy fiberglass pole.

I tied on a texas rig after he showed me how and we went fishing after dark at Beaver Lake. We hit the lake at about 1030 or so.

It took little more than an hour for me to catch a small bass maybe 1lb probably less. This was my first bass and later Jude and I laughed until we almost cried thinking about the fact that I caught my first bass on a huge catfish rig. Dont know why but it is funny now to think about using that rig to bass fish.

Anyways, that night we fished from 1030pm to about 10am, we were almost out of trolling motor battery, fishing out of a canoe. We got onshore charged up the batteries for a couple hours and went right back out until about 6pm that evening when we had to come off the lake due to falling asleep in the canoe.

That moment when I sat outside the tent, talking to Jude and waiting for the batteries to recharge was when I probably could safely say I was "hooked".

I could not wait to get back out on the water even though I could barely hold my eyes open.

Its as bad as crack......lol.

CYas

Copen1822 reply :

Growing up my dad would take my sisters and I pan fishing at a local lake, usally a family thing with mom bringing a picnic and spending the day. Then when I was about 10 we bought a small fishing boat and on a few special weekends during summer dad would wake me up at 5am and we would take the boat to the lake. Some of the best times I've had with him were out in that tiny boat with the sun just coming up and fog on the water, I don't remember catching much but still I loved it. As I got older dad switched jobs and started working way more and we sold the boat, I didn't really care because I wasn't super interested any more but now of course I wish he would have kept it! When I was about 16 I read my first Bassmaster mag and my life has never been the same. It's all about the mental side for me. When I realized you could develop a pattern and catch more and bigger fish I went in full force. I can't stand fishing with a worm and waiting for a bite, I need to be thinking and working things out in my head. Thats what it's about for me. Now I just wish my dad would quit working so d**n much and go fishing with me again, I don't think he's been out for probly 10 years. Great thread, made me remember the good ol days ;D

eastkybass reply :

When I was growing up my Grandparents owned a house boat on Cave Run Lake. I can't remember a time when I didn't fish. I can remember using the my Snoopy pole to pull in crappies while setting on the front of that boat and getting mad when I wasn't allowed to go when my Dad and uncle would go out in the Ranger fishing.

JUST reply :

Fourbizz!!!

Dean reply :

What got me hooked you ask? My answer is simple, the thrill of catching a bass.

bigmountaineer reply :

The excitement of catching something and trying different stuff out, I love the great outdoors.

Izzy3374 reply :

Needing something to do other than sitting around doing drugs and drinking my life away. Needed something to occupy my time. And it wasnt just fishing that did it. I can thank FISHING and GOLF. I like fishing more though. LOTS CHEAPER. :

Fish Chris reply :

When I was not quite 3 years old {more than 40 years ago} my late, great uncle Elton Wise took me down to his private pond, and placed a cane pole in my hand. He told me to pull up, when the bobber (he called it a cork :-) pulled down. I caught a bunch of Bluegill (he called them Brim) which might have well been 15 lb Bass, because apparently, I could not have been more stoked !

Here's an old fuzzy picture of that pond I first dropped a line in.... All of about 2 acres I think.

My Uncle Elton passed away about 30 years ago, but I still think about him all the time. Every time I stick a big one, I can just see him smilling and telling me "Thata' boy' ! That's a good'un' there" :-)

Anyway, on kind of a philisophical note, I think a person is either born with fishing in their blood, or they are not. But either way, a person still needs to have the door opened for them, so they can experience the thrills that are waiting for them.

It might be kind of cliche' but the statement, "Only a fisherman would understand", is SOOO true !

Peace,

Fish

fishfanatic reply :

my Grandpa took me fishing for the first time at a trout farm in CA I know its a sure thing but i caught the fish bug he took me out to different places and bought me my first rod and reel he even foolishly let me try to teach me to fly fish that lasted about 15 min never was able to cast any where but the trees

MaineBassMan reply :

I got hooked because I was very fortunate to grow up in a bass fishing family at a time when a lot of the locals considered them trash fish, can you believe that? I use to get hell in class when I told the other kids that I fished for bass and not trout. They kept telling me that the bass were eating their trout and I reassured them that bass hated trout, ;D. Then when they asked me what my favorite color was for a bass lure I told them trout ;D.

Spending time with my father and grandfather in a boat listening to them tell stories and catching bass until my arms fell off and when I caught my first 4 pound smallmouth at 10 years of age pretty much hooked me.

ejtaylor822 reply :

Grew up fishing with my Dad and Grandfathers. Got away from it during college, but got back into it about 5 years ago. I do it now for its pure simplicity, beauty and reminder of when life was simpler.

At its purest form its a rod, lure and a fish - no computers, no boss, no fax, etc. Just me and the fish. Nothing like being on the water early in the AM.

justinrose40 reply :

I've been fishing since I was a little kid, and I don't remember exactly what drew me to fishing in the beginning. But as I grew up, I know that it was just the time spent outdoors with my dad and friends that made me grow to love this sport.

Spinnerbait fishing in timber is my favorite technique, but the thing that keeps me up at night, is thinking about a slack line at night under a black light. Just watching ever so closley for the slightest jerk to bounce the line, and then the feel of a solid hookset.

It is amazing to me that so much joy and pleasure can come from something as simple as a jerk on one end of the line waiting on a jerk on the other end.

Blake R. reply :

I have fished for as long as I can remember. That being said;

The fish that hooked me was a little, maybe a pound, bass that slammed a Mann's Classic Spinnerbait. I saw him hit, and set the hook so hard he turned into an unsuspecting torpedo. No fight, but I was as pumped as possible for an eight (or so) year old.

10065

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