Who's Your Mentor?

[the bass wrangler]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

Doug Hannon

Al Lindner

Jerry McKinnis

[kanasbassfisher08]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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

[scaleface]

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]

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