Question to all bass fisherman/women

[pondbassin101]

How did you guys start bass fishing?

 

I caught my first bass on an old spinning reel and rod and jerkbait that I found in the garage. I'd gone catfishing a few times before but fishing really started when my friend told me about the t-rig and thats where it all really began.

[N Florida Mike]

I knew nothing about bass fishing.I was catching a few bream and saw a longer fish swim by and I wanted to catch it. That " it " was a bass.

42 years later, I still want to. A friend taught me the basics,although my dad didn't bass fish,he taught me a lot about fishing in general.

If I had to choose one kind of fishing and not do the others anymore,Id choose bass.And I live near some great saltwater fishing!

[fishwizzard]

I got into fishing later in life and was out at a reservoir trying to catch panfish when this guy hit my lure;

I was like "oh man, this is lot more fun than catching panfish".  That isn't my first bass, but it was my first "decent" bass.   

[pondbassin101]

20 minutes ago, Bunnielab said:

I got into fishing later in life and was out at a reservoir trying to catch panfish when this guy hit my lure;

I was like "oh man, this is lot more fun than catching panfish".  That isn't my first bass, but it was my first "decent" bass.   

My first bass was caught on a random jerkbait with some random gear in a random pond with 0 experience, I fished that thing like a swimbait and somehow still caught fish

[Bassin' Brad]

Grew up pond fishing here and there but when I was 19 my boss took me out in his bass boat on a lake and I was forever changed. 

[fishwizzard]

Yea, it's hard to see, but there is, tied to like 6lb briad, a huge snap swivel hooked to a thick mono leader.  To that was tied a heavy wire 1/0 saltwater circle hook with a green gulp worm threaded on it. 

 

I wonder why I wasn't catching many panfish?  

[Bluebasser86]

I was 9 or 10, fishing an 1/8oz red roostertail catching panfish when I started catching bass. They hit harder, fought harder, and got bigger. After that I started trying to catch them on purpose instead of on accident. 

[th365thli]

I've always like fishing for as long as I can remeber, I was just too stupid or young to care about what kinds of fish. Freshwater I started with crappie fishing with my dad in North Carolina, 5th grade. We all knew squat about how to catch them, but a very nice gentleman at Falls Lake showed us exactly how to rig a bobber with a minnow. In hindsight, compared to all the bass crap in the market nowadays it's laughably simple, but to us it was the holy grail. Snagged 3 crappie that day. Every now and then we'd catch bass but it was always when we targeted crappie.

 

At a camping trip, a family friend showed me how to texas rig a weightless worm and catch bass. I caught 2 by myself afterwards and for a kid, the sense of accomplishment was immense. The very next day I bought a 2 dollar spinnerbait and proceeded to tear up the dinks in my neighborhood pond. Then came the 2lber at my friend's pond. Then came the six pounder at a lake......the rest is history. 

 

Bass fishing is addicting not just because catching them is fun, but because the sense of progress is palpable. There's just so much to learn. Nothing quite like putting a new technique to test and watching it produce. There's a lifetime of knowledge and skill out there.

[davecon]

Grandfather taught me. 30 plus years later I inadvertently caught a Snook. Changed my whole perspective. Don't get me wrong, bass fishing is still a passion, but Snook fishing is kinda like a young kid discovering sex. There ain't no turning back. And believe me, I am blessed to have been born and raised in west central Florida. Have caught literally hundreds of bass over 8 lbs. and several much larger, biggest being 14. They don't hold a candle to Snook. The Snook I learned on my own, but it was my Grandfather that got me started in this lifelong affliction.

[hstaple1979]

I have always fished. When I was about 8, I begged my Dad to take me to our neighbors pond for a week one summer. I guess he didn't want to dig worms to watch me stare at a bobber, so he gave me his old Abu Garcia 5000 and a Lew's Speed stick worm rod. Tied me on a Texas Rig worm, showed me how to do that. Stood on the pond bank and showed me one cast with a baitcasting, told me he wasn't going to pick back lashes out all night, so don't mess it up. Handed me the rod, made his own cast, showed me how to work the worm. And away he went. My first cast was terrible (barely went 3 feet off bank) but a 14 inch bass made off with my worm and managed to hook himself in the process. Wasn't my first bass, but first while using a bass lure, and the rest is history. My Dad was with me in our boat when I caught my PB 9 pounder. He has been gone for 6 years now. Stories like this one still make me want to cry ?

[JustJames]

It is bill dance and hank Parker fault.

[Kris2016]

It was my Mother who taught me how to fish after she was taught by a co-worker.  That was mostly for perch in rivers off the Chesapeake Bay.  As time went on I fished a local river, Patapsco, with Friends or by myself once in a while.  In those days we caught anything that would eat a nightcrawler.

Fast forward to after the Military and I started fishing for bass since I got a couple chances while on active duty.  A neighbor had a boat and fished local reservoirs, that lit the fire again.  From that point to now is ancient history.

[scaleface]

I always fished and   use to go to mom and pop tackle stores too look at all the cool bass lures . I wanted to catch fish on those lures .One summer I bought two. Forgot which one was first . A jointed Mirrollure and a Storm Thin Fin . 

[NHBull]

I grew up as a trout fisherman.  Fly rod, dry line, lead line, trolling, ect......

Took a 30 yr hiatus and joint my brother-in-law for some strippers....it has all been down hill from there

[crypt]

I was 8,started catching bream. then my dad took me to the golf course to fish while he hit balls and caught my first bass on a worm and that was it. nothing has been the same since. all for the better. even took up golf to hang with dad. he wasn't much of a fisherman but saw what it for me in a positive way. and for that am forever grateful.

[Airman4754]

I would watch it on TNN as a kid. I thought Ray Scott was cool and Bob Cobb's name and how seriously he said it made me laugh. 

 

We would go to the lake to troll around for trout (insanely boring) and I would see guys over on the bank standing up actually fishing which looked infinitely more appealing. 

[Pro Logcatcher]

My dad got tired of catching panfish with me

[CTBassin860]

Caught my 1st trout on a push button mickey mouse fishing pole.Stopped fishing for a long time.Got back into it about 6 years ago catching crappie.Then I caught a bass...I'm not sure if I hooked the bass or the bass hooked me.I've been broke ever since.

[pondbassin101]

11 minutes ago, MassBassin508 said:

I'm not sure if I hooked the bass or the bass hooked me.I've been broke ever since.

pretty sure thats everyone here

[Basseditor]

I don't remember ever not fishing. 

[A-Jay]

My Dad enjoyed it & he was generous enough to pass on the passion.

A-Jay

 

 

[ThePolkFolk]

My dad is a bass fisherman. One day I'll get a big boat and I can pay him back for all he taught me.

[Jtrout]

I went fishing without bait one day so i caught some baby frogs on the bank and used them as bait and caught like 7 bass i was like man this is fun! Hooked ever since.

[Hawkeye21]

My dad took me fishing and I loved it.  Didn't matter what we were fishing for, I just enjoyed it.  When I got a little older, like 10, my uncle would take me out on the river fishing wing dams.

[jimf]

Specifically bass?   I don't remember, it was sometime in my late teens/early 20's that I started targeting bass.   I have fished for as long as I can remember, my Dad was one of those that almost looked at fishing as a chore to get dinner.   Not that he didn't enjoy it, he did.   But, if you caught your limit in an hour, you went home because you were done.  There was no need to fish anymore.    When I started releasing fish and talking my Dad about that concept, I think he wondered what went wrong with me.  He's 82, and to this day he still can't quite get his head around that concept.

 

I actually spent about 15 years through my 40's doing most of my fishing for trout.  I have really recently come back to my roots so to speak, which is bass fishing about 2/3 of the time and spending the other 1/3 chasing a variety of species including carp, bluegill, walleye, and trout.