How long have you been bass fishing?

[WCWV]

45 yrs now.

Boy , how time has flew

[Catt]

Right around 60 yrs

[.ghoti.]

Been fishing for 60+ years. I think I got my first bass around twelve years of age; so 50+ years of bass fishing. With a decade+ off while I was on the road. So 40 years, or so. I should be better at it than I am. LOL

I have to pass on an early, indelible memory of fishing with my grandad. He was a carp fisherman, catch and release only. One place he liked to go had an interesting old gent, who came on Sundays. He was at least a foot taller than grandad, who was about 5'4". The old gent was tall, slim, walked and sat ramrod straight, wearing a tailcoat, cumberbund, spats, tophat and gloves. And shoes you could see your reflection in. Looked like he was going to a wedding. This was Illinois, in the summer. He had a lawn chair with a pipe welded to it for a big umbrella.

What was more interesting was he always had a bottle of whisky, and a big box of chocolates. He kept those in a wood box, with a block of ice in the bottom. He would stay until the whisky and chocolates were gone. 

Even more interesting was he would talk to me like an adult. I was six or seven years old, and this was the first time an adult spoke to me like I was an equal. He was very polite, soft spoken, and I realized a long time later, spoke like English professor.  He talked about books, and mostly about Shalespeare, quoting large sections. At that age, I had very little idea what he talking about, but I loved to hear him. I saw him, and sat and listened to him, every now then for a couple of years, and then never saw him again. His name was Tuck.

[Raul]

36 years, since we moved to warmer locations, I used to fish for trout when I lived in Mexico City, back then there were no bass in the vecinity and even though I came to my grandmother's house every two weeks nobody took me fishing here.

I still remember my first bass ever, with what and how I caught it and where, not the exact date but believe it or not, the weather on that day.

[everythingthatswims]

I bought my first baitcaster and started targeting bass in the fall of 2013.

[the reel ess]

5 hours ago, Alan Reed said:

I started this year. I have really tried to be a student of the sport and it has definitely paid off.

You came along at the best time yet. Heck, when I started you ad maybe two combos and relied on the advice of a few old timers and the 1" thick BPS master catalog. Now there is so much info at your finger tips as well as decades of research and experience. 

1 hour ago, .ghoti. said:

Been fishing for 60+ years. I think I got my first bass around twelve years of age; so 50+ years of bass fishing. With a decade+ off while I was on the road. So 40 years, or so. I should be better at it than I am. LOL

I have to pass on an early, indelible memory of fishing with my grandad. He was a carp fisherman, catch and release only. One place he liked to go had an interesting old gent, who came on Sundays. He was at least a foot taller than grandad, who was about 5'4". The old gent was tall, slim, walked and sat ramrod straight, wearing a tailcoat, cumberbund, spats, tophat and gloves. And shoes you could see your reflection in. Looked like he was going to a wedding. This was Illinois, in the summer. He had a lawn chair with a pipe welded to it for a big umbrella.

What was more interesting was he always had a bottle of whisky, and a big box of chocolates. He kept those in a wood box, with a block of ice in the bottom. He would stay until the whisky and chocolates were gone. 

Even more interesting was he would talk to me like an adult. I was six or seven years old, and this was the first time an adult spoke to me like I was an equal. He was very polite, soft spoken, and I realized a long time later, spoke like English professor.  He talked about books, and mostly about Shalespeare, quoting large sections. At that age, I had very little idea what he talking about, but I loved to hear him. I saw him, and sat and listened to him, every now then for a couple of years, and then never saw him again. His name was Tuck.

That's a great memory. People have always told us our daughter talked to them on an adult level.I think it's because she was cared for a lot by my mother and father before she was kindergarten age. We were talking politics  and world events when she was 5. Having someone around to give you some culture is irreplaceable. 

[the reel ess]

WOW! Some of you guys have been fishing a long time. I;m still young by comparison! I might still get into the 10 lb club before I expire.

[N Florida Mike]

Started fishing at 4.Started bass fishing when I was 14-15. So around 41 years now for bass.

This is one of the earliest pics with a bass I have.

[Mumbly]

35ish years now.

[geo g]

I have been fishing since I was a teen, I'm now 67.  The last 35 years from both the boat and the bank.  I still fish at least 5 days a week.

[Bluebasser86]

First time I was in a boat, I was a week old in my dad's old tri-hull going across a mile wide section of one of the most dangerous reservoirs in KS. First time I went fishing, I was about a month short of my first birthday in the spring of 1987.

First time I really targeted bass? Probably when I was about 9 when we moved to Kansas City and I met a friend whose parents took us fishing often at a lake loaded with bass and bluegills. The magic bait of choice was an 1/8 oz red Roostertail and it caught everything in there. I can remember fishing for bass earlier than that, using an 1/8oz RoadRunner in my grandparents pond, but I would have been just as happy with a bluegill or catfish then, because we ate everything we caught then.

[MindofZalla]

I graduated high school this hear, and I have been bas fishing for six years. It wasn't until about 3 years ago when I became interested in the tournament fishing scene.

[Will Wetline]

 About 45 years.

[scaleface]

As far as I know , I had the first fiberglass bass boat in Hannibal Missouri . a 15 foot Skeeter tri hull . That would have been in "78 or "79" The nearest lake I could take it too was 90 mile away but the Mississippi river was only a mile away. I usually made the 90 mile drive  .

[Ohio Archer]

Been fishing since the late 60's.  Fished for bass exclusively starting in the early 80's.  While not my current target species I still go after them.  I keep a couple of bass rods in the boat so I can switch up when I want to. 

Fishing for bass up here in OH in the reservoirs is not like south FL or LA.  To me, the deeper lakes are much harder to fish, harder to find the bass and harder to get them to strike.  The numbers aren't here so I imagine they are more selective in what they will eat.

[crypt]

40 years fishing 39 for bass. caught my first bass on a 7" jakes producer paddle tail worm,purple. never forget your first one.

[Jeff H]

After linesides for 44 yrs now.  Fishing for 51, started on the dock when I was 3.

[Bankbeater]

My Dad use to take me fishing when I was about 4 or 5, about 48 or 49 years ago.  Dad would fish for catfish and I would go after panfish. My first reel was a Johnson Century 100A, but I started with a cane pole.  I started targeting bass back in the mid 80's, but then my fishing really slowed down due to college, work, and family.  Since 2002 I have been going out after bass as long as the water is not frozen.

[Ray K]

I started in my 20s in the late 1960s.  This pic is circa 1970, I'm on the left.  Lake Kissimmee, Florida.

 

 

[CrustyMono]

18 hours ago, Alan Reed said:

I started this year. I have really tried to be a student of the sport and it has definitely paid off.

Same! I have fished all 15 years of my life, but never really,y enjoyed it until I was training for soccer last summer, and would train at the park then fish until dark...

[Spankey]

I started fishing as a very young kid. Sort of fished for anything that would bite. Was seriously fishing for trout by 10 years old. Still love to trout fish wild, stock and for natives. Winter and early spring past time to keep me casting. My addiction to smallies came at about 16/17 yrs. old in 1976/77. The addiction for smallies came on a trout fishing outing with some school buddies that were trying to get into trout fishing themselves back then.  

[Jaderose]

3 hours ago, Bankbeater said:

My Dad use to take me fishing when I was about 4 or 5, about 48 or 49 years ago.  Dad would fish for catfish and I would go after panfish. My first reel was a Johnson Century 100A, but I started with a cane pole.  I started targeting bass back in the mid 80's, but then my fishing really slowed down due to college, work, and family.  Since 2002 I have been going out after bass as long as the water is not frozen.

cut just a couple of years off this and this is my story.  Cane pole..Johnson Century  (still got, btw).  Didn't fish for a long time due to starting family, etc.  Started back up around 2002 or so.

[MassYak85]

Since about 3 years old I think. Fishing didn't become my primary hobby until probably 4 or 5 years ago though. 

[Further North]

Complicated answer...fished from the time I was 5, until the year after my Dad passed away back in 1987...so that was 21 years.

Was away from it until about 6 years ago.  Been at it hard ever since.

[lo n slo]

45 yrs give or take