Who's Your Mentor? 2024

BigSkyBasser reply :

I've been prepping myself mentally for that one day, far into the future, where I know I will take the plunge into trying to make it as a professional fisherman. This includes me reading hundreds of articles in book and on the web to better understand everything that it entails.

I came across this article during my daily lurking over the bass master page. ---------> http://www.bassmaster.com/blog/who-are-you

This made me take a moment to think about the anglers and outdoorsmen that I pull my inspiration and wonder from. They are as follows:

- Doug Stange (In-fisherman Editor)

- Al Linder (Angling Edge Editor)

- Aaron Martens (if you've never heard of him, then look him up....he's the best)

- Tim Johnston, he is a local fisherman from Kalispell, MT that has qualified for the bass master classic 3 times through the Federation B.A.S.S. tournament trail.

I learn from all of these people, all in different ways. I have fished the latter of the four and dream of fishing with the rest but still am taught by them on a daily basis.

Who are any and all of your inspirations and mentors?

RoLo reply :

I've learned the most by far from the In-Fisherman staff,

and still have handwritten letters I exchanged with Al Lindner.

In the final analysis however, there is no better instructor than hands-on experience.

Roger

the reel ess reply :

Jimmy Houston teaches me the most. But Bill Dance entertains me the most and is my all-time favorite. Scott Martin explains well too. Hank Parker's another who instructs well. For all the catching Roland Martin does, he instructs the least.

But with all these guys, I have to take what I can use and leave what I can't. I don't fish exactly like any of them. I mostly fish smaller waters now. I'll definitely stop and watch a show about frogs in the lily pads or kayak bassing in an oxbow.

Master Bait'r reply :

I can't honestly say I have a mentor, but I am ALWAYS trying to better myself. In terms of fishermen I look up to, I know this may sound corny but Glen is pretty much my fishing idol. He's not famous for anything except trying to pass on the love of fishing and helping people be better anglers out there, and I respect the heck out of that. The forum he runs is adamant about staying friendly and he is truly a class act all around- he is always happy to share or help. I hope he knows how much what he does actually does for others- I don't have any real fishermen in my life so for him to share his wealth of knowledge is an invaluable resource for me and I know I'm not alone. I hope I get to meet him someday!

blckshirt98 reply :

YouTube, magazines, TV, forums. Some of the pros that I like to watch and pull for and listen to more carefully when I see them post a video or written piece are Chris Zaldain (local guy that made it), Aaron Martens (because he made his name with the dropshot which I fish most of the time, KVD (all time money leader must know a thing or two about catching fish), Andy Cuccia (retired pro and highly regarded CA Delta guide).

CeeJay reply :

I never had a mentor who took me out fishing and taught me how to fish.

But I did learn quite a bit, especially when I first started fishing, by just talking to other friendly anglers I'd meet on the banks of my favorite lakes and ponds.

Also learned from In-Fisherman magazine which I used to read cover to cover regardless of which species the articles were about, and a modest collection of books. And now, of course, the internet.

BigSkyBasser reply :

On 7/16/2015 at 3:45 AM, the reel ess said:

Jimmy Houston teaches me the most. But Bill Dance entertains me the most and is my all-time favorite. Scott Martin explains well too. Hank Parker's another who instructs well. For all the catching Roland Martin does, he instructs the least.

But with all these guys, I have to take what I can use and leave what I can't. I don't fish exactly like any of them. I mostly fish smaller waters now. I'll definitely stop and watch a show about frogs in the lily pads or kayak bassing in an oxbow.

Jimmy Houston has a way about integrating lessons into some of the best fishing stories I've ever heard. His humor is timeless and he is can get a message across in a really tasteless manor. I read one of his books recently and took way more from it than I thought.

Senko lover reply :

-My Grandpa taught me the basics of fishing.

-Scott Martin, and dozens of other YouTubers taught and still teach me how to fish for bass.

-Robert Montgomery taught me a lot through his book Better Bass Fishing (highly recommended)

-An older man in my church who used to fish tournament trails has taught me a ton about bass behaviour, lures, and tackle.

-I'm always trying to improve my game and try new things

And last but not least, the family of BR, who's taught me more than I'll ever know. Thanks guys!

Montanaro reply :

My dad!

Couple guys in my club help me out with nuances and tricks I hadn't figured out.

Long Mike reply :

I truly had a mentor. My late friend, Jack Yates (known as Fishfordollars on these forums) took me under his wing and taught me how to become a much better fisherman and boat operator. He passed away suddenly three years ago. I still miss him to this day, and think about him often. I was standing on his boat when he took the picture shown in my avatar. That morning I caught a 4+, a 5+ and the 7/11 in the photo. I'm not the only one he has helped. Many of the long term members on these forums can attest to that.

that possum reply :

His name was Jerry. Was best friend to my dad. We tube fished together and be taught me the basics of bass fishing while I was young. As I got older he taught me more complicated techniques. He died about 5 years ago and his wife gave me all his gear. His biggest bass was 10#. When I break or equal his biggest with his equipment I plan on having a mount made in his honor.

scaleface reply :

I'm pretty much self taught . Before I was a Bass fisherman I was a kid who just fished all the time. I read a lot of magazines. The one pro who I identify the most with is Rick Clunn.

hoosierbass07 reply :

On 7/16/2015 at 3:25 AM, RoLo said:

and still have handwritten letters I exchanged with Al Lindner.

That's cool!

hoosierbass07 reply :

I just started bass fishing three years ago. I don't know anybody personally that fishes for bass. My brother is more a fly fisherman and that's it. So I had to learn on my own and Youtube has helped more than anything and online forums. The six or seven books I have have helped some.

ABW reply :

I remember seeing Bill Dance use a Yum Dinger on the show. I immediately went out and bought some and looked up how to rig them. Immediately hooked onto bass fishing after that. My answer is the internet / media.

WRB reply :

My mentor was Jerry "red" Cowen, manager of the boat dock my older brother worked for when I was 10. Red taught me how to cast a baitcaster and catch bass. Jason Lucas was my pen pal, editor of Sports Afield who took the time to write notes and send to me as a 12 year old, taking interest in my bass fishing.

Priceless.

Tom

travis23 reply :

My papaw would take me fishing when I was around 4-5, and I had an older friend when I was around 10 that would take me fishing for bass in the creeks and ponds. He taught me the basics back then, but I have definitely learned almost everything from here or other sources online. I have a lot of respect for the older anglers who had to learn the old fashioned way.

BASSPATROL247 reply :

Hands down my grandpa.... the first fishing show i can remember watching was virgil ward with my grandpa but before that he introduced me to fishing when i was 3 or so and i didnt know it at the time im sure but grandpa said i was "hooked" and he knew what he was talking about because ive fished my whole life and still love it and him and hope one day we'll fish together again up in the big lake in the sky.......

scaleface reply :

On 7/16/2015 at 2:42 PM, BASSPATROL247 said:
Hands down my grandpa.... the first fishing show i can remember watching was virgil ward with my grandpa but before that he introduced me to fishing when i was 3 or so and i didnt know it at the time im sure but grandpa said i was "hooked" and he knew what he was talking about because ive fished my whole life and still love it and him and hope one day we'll fish together again up in the big lake in the sky.......

My grandpa had a magic bobber. It would jiggle . Mine just sat there . LOL

HoosierHawgs reply :

On 7/16/2015 at 3:45 AM, the reel ess said:

Jimmy Houston teaches me the most. But Bill Dance entertains me the most and is my all-time favorite. Scott Martin explains well too. Hank Parker's another who instructs well. For all the catching Roland Martin does, he instructs the least.

But with all these guys, I have to take what I can use and leave what I can't. I don't fish exactly like any of them. I mostly fish smaller waters now. I'll definitely stop and watch a show about frogs in the lily pads or kayak bassing in an oxbow.

Watch Chad Hoover on Knot Right Kayak Fishing. I have learned a good bit from him. Also entertaining. As for me, my mentor is my father, who first taught me to fish. While I've learned a lot from others, probably more than I ever learned from him, I'd never have gone fishing without that man.

BassinLou reply :

I was self taught from a young age. My Dad who knows nothing of fishing took me out once with a friend of his and I have been hooked ever since. Before there was the Internet, I read a lot from books and magazines that I came across. Much of it was trial and error on the water. Since I have always lived in urban areas, I learned to fish in canals. My first experience fishing in a big lake was just last yr. I was fortunate enough at the age of 24-25 to have a mentor. His name is Bill W. He is much older now and sadly doesn't fish any more, took me under his wing. I thought I knew about bass fishing until I met him. He also taught me how to handle a boat, and because of his teachings I mustered up the $$ to buy my bass boat that I still have today. Over that time the internet took off and up until 3 yrs ago I became involved in forums. I can happily say I am still student of these green fish I love to go after

the reel ess reply :

On 7/16/2015 at 7:57 PM, HoosierHawgs said:
Watch Chad Hoover on Knot Right Kayak Fishing. I have learned a good bit from him. Also entertaining. As for me, my mentor is my father, who first taught me to fish. While I've learned a lot from others, probably more than I ever learned from him, I'd never have gone fishing without that man.

I do watch him on Kayak Bassin' on WFN. It's what really got me interested in the hobby.

My dad was my first mentor and I was neglectful by not thinking of him first. And he had a buddy who introduced us to bass fishing. But to be honest, once I was bitten by the bug, I became his mentor. I would drag him fishing. He bought a fishing boat for me and I know he went a lot with me when he didn't really feel like it. Now he's in his 70's and doesn't really want to go anymore. I think he would if we could take it easy, like fishing from a pontoon, but I don't have one.

I have a daughter, and she has her own kayak, but fishing isn't really her thing, as much as I'd like it to be. At least she's not into fishing for 3 hours at a time.

Chris S reply :

Fresh Water Papa and Grandear

Saltwater My Dad and Crazy Uncle Kurt!

Canyon explorer reply :

Denny Brauer

Darren. reply :

Welp...

For me it is mostly self taught. A ton of reading, watching

anglers do their thing, asking questions, then more questions.

I can't really point at one person to say "they were my fishing

mentor".

Most certainly I CAN say that this very forum, and the articles on

this site were VERY helpful to me in my fishing education

the bass wrangler reply :

im also pretty much self taught, and many people on youtube and things like that. but one person who really stuck was matt allen from *. he is as many of you guys know, a phenomenal fisherman, and he is just an honest person. hes got no sponsors and so he is always giving you legit advice and legit lures. i have had many conversations with him via email and i watch everyone of his videos and i visit his and tims website sometimes. he taught me that fishing is never one thing all the time, and that confidence is key. saved me quite a lot of money too, taught me how to get around expensive stuff by using cheaper stuff in place of it, and making it work. shoutout matt allen

BigSkyBasser reply :

I was introduced to bass fishing through my friend. His parents we're tournament fisherman and took me up to their cabin several times every year in grade school. They also convinced me to fish several of the junior basser youth tournaments.

My favorite youtuber for fishing is flw semi-pro Justin Rackley. His YouTube channel is LakeForkGuy. He is a northwestern Texas angler and fishes from every platform including bass boats, shores, and kayaks. Used to be a guide as well. The guy is a solid fisherman but is also very educational and hilarious to boot.

HoosierHawgs reply :

I'll also add my uncle as a mentor. He knows a lot more about the technical tackle stuff than my dad does. He also taught mw to fish saltwater.

AdamsEye reply :

My mentor to Bass fishing, this is a touchy topic for me. Since I was about 7, I have been fishing for Bass, when I was 11 I got my first job at the same tackle store he used to work out so I could start buying better gear. This guy was a fish pimp plain and simple. He taught me most everything I know, from rigging a soft plastic to understanding the difference in a willow and colorado blade seasonal patterns and understanding conditions.

I can remember going fishing with him would always start with a weather recap. From there he would predict water clarity, and devise a seasonal pattern before we even left the house. He would produce when others couldn't, and that was him limiting the tackle he had in his bag. He would grab a couple bags of plastics, and a few baits which all normally fit in a small pouch and out fish guys with everything under the sun.

We would watch the fishing shows, and he would be quick to point out things others over look like how Bill Dance normally fishes private lakes that see little pressure. The man did not miss a beat.

He passed away about 15 years ago at 28, and so did my passion for fishing. It has been a long hard road for me with out him around, he was far more then just a mentor. He was like the big brother that anyone of us have always wanted.

Until the last few years, I hardly fished. I just pushed that part of my life out, so I did not have to deal with the pain. Lately I am feeling like that young man who can't wait to hit the water, funny because I just had a son and clearly have less time to fish then ever.

I must admit that joining the forums has helped me rekindle that passion! Thanks for creating this thread, and sharing a passion!

Shockwave reply :

My uncle is probably the best fisherman I know on a personal level and I'd consider him the one who got me hooked on fishing from a very young age.

Catt reply :

As a Cajun I grew up hunting/fishing the marshes & swamps of southwest Louisiana & southest Texas.

My Dad taught me how to find my way around the marshes/swamps without getting lost, how to respect the land & the the wildlife. If you fired a shot you better have killed something, if you wounded it you better track it till you found it. When you fired a shot you walked over & picked up the brass. I kept only what I was willing to carry out, clean, & eat.

During the 60s I worked on my uncle Joe Addison's charter/shrimp boats in the Gulf of Mexico as a deck hand/first mate. He taught me how to navigate the gulf with a map & compass, read structure, & position the boat on structure.

icatchlittlebass reply :

I don't really have a go mentor, but fishing shows on at 9 on Saturdays taught me a lot, would watch them for a few hours.

As for someone I still watch, I like Mike Iaconelli, he is very serious but at the same time not serious, hard to explain when you see him flip out, but the socks he wears crack me up.

Bankbeater reply :

I have learned a TON on this forum, but I try to pick up a little bit of info from everyone I fish with.

papajoe222 reply :

My inspiration was my dad. He introduced me to fishing as a pre-schooler and had his fateful heart attack as we prepared for our first fishing trip of the year.

I learned more (and forgot a lot of it) from the writers of Fishing Facts, Spence Petros, Dan Gapen, Carl Malz, not to mention Buck Perry, the 'father of structure fishing.'

Despite all the marketing done on their shows, I still watch and enjoy Jimmy and Bill.

Bluebasser86 reply :

I'm mostly self taught on how to bass fish. My favorite pro when I was growing up was Denny Brauer, always liked how he fished like he liked to fish and wasn't afraid to swing for the fences and go down swinging.

chitura reply :

Doug Hannon

Al Lindner

Jerry McKinnis

kanasbassfisher08 reply :

Bluebasser86 was that guy and that friend that always had a spot in his boat! He wasnt discouraged on my skill level which was a spinner bait or a meps on a ugly stick spinning rod and a walmart reel i think a shakespear or a abu something cheap. first trip i learned how to throw a jerk bait then the next was a texas rig and before i knew it i was borrowing rods and tackle and building my own arsonal. it was all hand me down stuff and extras that he had. I learned how the cheap stuff was junk but worked and if you spend the money on quality epuipment it will last. We went on many trips and i always seemed to come home with some sort of knowledge that i didnt even realized i learned. if it wasnt for him I dont know what i would be doing or spending all my money on. But i thank him and he continues to share his the love of bass fishing with whome ever wants to learn. real quality guy

Thanks Blue

gardnerjigman reply :

On 7/20/2015 at 9:59 AM, kanasbassfisher08 said:

Bluebasser86 was that guy and that friend that always had a spot in his boat! He wasnt discouraged on my skill level which was a spinner bait or a meps on a ugly stick spinning rod and a walmart reel i think a shakespear or a abu something cheap. first trip i learned how to throw a jerk bait then the next was a texas rig and before i knew it i was borrowing rods and tackle and building my own arsonal. it was all hand me down stuff and extras that he had. I learned how the cheap stuff was junk but worked and if you spend the money on quality epuipment it will last. We went on many trips and i always seemed to come home with some sort of knowledge that i didnt even realized i learned. if it wasnt for him I dont know what i would be doing or spending all my money on. But i thank him and he continues to share his the love of bass fishing with whome ever wants to learn. real quality guy

Thanks Blue

X2. I still pick up different techniques from him.

kingmotorboat reply :

I have 2. My father being one I've learned a lot from him and still learning. Also catt I've learned a lot and he has helped me a ton. My fishing game has stepped up so much from these 2 men sharing there years of knowledge. Big thanks guys

I.rar reply :

Without getting into my background, I was self taught. I honestly can't remember what drove me to get into fishing but I can say that BR and it's members have taught me so much and made me the half way decent fisherman I am today. Since then, I've been watching fishing shows, reading articles and lurking forums daily. I like to think I'm pretty OK at finding and catching fish.

greentrout reply :

The best information I personally ever gathered to catch LMB was reading Guido Hibdon's articles with a simple philosophy that you will catch more bass day in and day out using light line and smaller lures resulting in more bites that will produce big bass, too. With that in mind, I went forward and was not ever embarrassed to use my spinning gear in the presence of others to catch the LMB again.

The Old School Basser...

SirSnookalot reply :

My dad taught me a lot, he passed away 23 years ago and wasn't a saltwater fisherman to the extent I am. I'm pretty much self taught in salt, I've taken what learned and applied to bass fishing, it's served me well. A good fisherman can catch any kind fish in any place, just have to learn the nuances of the species.

JT Bagwell reply :

I don't know if I have 1 person that I would call a mentor but I have learned from dozens of guys.

I will say though that I loved watching Hank Parker growing up. He was definitely my fishing hero. Hank

turned pro the year I was born.

As an adult working in the fishing industry I was able to work with him on some articles and one concern
I had was that he would be a jerk and totally destroy the image I had of him in my mind.

Luckily, he was one of the nicest people (he even said I could call him Uncle Hank lol) and he is still my fishing hero.

Lunker Huntin reply :

Pretty much self taught fishing, picked up a lot along the way from friends and once I really started to get into it I started doing a lot of research and really trying to learn as much as I can. A lot of thanks to this sight and the members on here contributing I have learned a lot since coming here. Someone on here suggested Gerald Swindel's 5 video conference that he did and I watched them and immediately I really liked him and looked up to him. His message of positive metal attitude says a lot to me and I agree, when I first started getting into fishing I looked at it more like an excuses to go out with buddies and drink to much beer, once I quit drinking fishing became a whole new thing to me, my attitude changed and I had more successful days on the water and the whole process of fishing has become a better experience for me. I truly do believe that attitude is what makes or breaks your day on the water. Thanks to the G-man for teaching me that.

Basspastor reply :

My dad taught me the basics. From there a became a student of Al Lindner and In-Fishermen.

scaleface reply :

On 7/27/2015 at 6:01 PM, Basspastor said:
My dad taught me the basics. From there a became a student of Al Lindner and In-Fishermen.

My dad taught me the basics and they were pretty much all wrong bjut they worked . He grew up in the depression and they made due with whatever. I thought everybody used a piece of stick with a lot of loops thrown on as a sinker stop . LOL. We bought Zebco 202s by the dozen , they were disposable fishing reels . If they wouldnt cast then give them a dunk . Him and his brother made their own catfish bait , it was good stuff . I can still remember the smell of it , smelled like summer . We would go below the dam and tie a marabou jig two feet below a medium bobber and make our best cast. Usually had to pull string out by hand and " give it a dunk " because it was always catching in the reel . Once the lure got out far enough we would just let the current move it around. Somehow this caught fish . He would catch a drum , cut the side fins off and use the fins as a lure for white bass. We caught a lot of fish had a lot of fun and didnt spend much money doing it .

spencer12 reply :

My grandfather and my father. Without them I'd have been lost.

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