What doors has bass fishing opened for you?

[flbassmaster]

Has bass fishing put you in contact with a new friend that ended up helping you land a job? or did you meet your wife? make a lifelong friend?

[Brew City Bass]

Definitely met some awesome people because of it. There were a of people I "knew" but never hungout or talked to. Once I found out a few of them fished, we became good friends. 

[DINK WHISPERER]

Yeah, anger management! 

[Glaucus]

Fishing has been the best form of therapy for my PTSD, anxiety (including the OCD form), and depression. 

 

Fishing has made me a best friend. A guy that I was only ever acquaintances with at best has developed into a brother to me through our shared passion. 

[Pro Logcatcher]

Well, it's certainly taken a bunch of my money ?

[NYWayfarer]

It has opened the door to the poor house for me.

[OCdockskipper]

Because of bass fishing, I now have a full head of hair, more energy and a 22 year old wife...and the side effects are minimal if you don't count this growth under my arm...

[padon]

44 minutes ago, NYWayfarer said:

It has opened the door to the poor house for me.

amen brother

 

[scaleface]

I have a lot of friends because of our shared passion for fishing in general . The best man at my wedding and me his  , we met while bass fishing . We were both camping out alone at a small lake , talked that night and fished together the next day .

[Gundog]

The door it opened for me was the front door. It gets me out of the house when otherwise I wouldn't. It also gives me something to look forward to during those cold, bitter winters we have in PA.

[islandbass]

None of my friends fish. For nearly 14 years no one really cared to join me of if they did couldn't on any regular basis.  It's almost always an inability to have schedules coincide to fish.

 

It has opened up other ways to think and improve. I made a device young kids or clumsy relatives could use to ensure they don't accidentally throw your curado into the drink, I created a multiple rod carrier that I call a rod quiver, and I figured out how to make a variety of artificial lures from poppers to inline spinners and crankbaits and jerkbaits.

 

Loving the entire fishing experience.

 

Only drawback? You unleash something that was always there but dormant.... the bait monkey and is myriad of cousins. boat monkey, bait ape, just to name a couple.

[Logan S]

All of my closest friends are people that I fish with/against locally.  Our families all know each other and we see each other outside of fishing events, all that good stuff.  Obviously wouldn't have these people in my life without fishing. 

 

The guys I talk to and/or hang with every day are people I know from fishing.  I have no idea what my life would be like if I didn't fish...Other than I'd be spending a ton of money on something else .  

[HeyCoach]

I’m new to this area, don’t know anybody, and don’t know where good parts of the lake are.

 

 

[Tracker22]

 No, but it sure helped me lose a wife!

[DogBone_384]

7 hours ago, Pro Logcatcher said:

Well, it's certainly taken a bunch of my money ?

AMEN to that !!!

[greentrout]

Some of the finest men I've met were/are LMB fishermen. Whether from a Bass fishing club or striking up a conversation in the fishing section of a BassPro or Academy. Benefits: a new friend and sometimes access to private lakes...and awesome fishing...

 

good fishing...

 

 

[flbassmaster]

I love these answers! 

[Oregon Native]

Many years ago I went to a local lake with friends perch fishing for filet's for the freezer.  There was a ton of noise early that morning on the lake that sounded like a boat race.  Went up to the marina's/campground office and asked what had gone on....oh....a bass tourney she says.....oh....I say.  Went back to my buddies and said .... I gotta do that.  During the many years that followed I joined a local bass club and traveled for the state team out west for BASS and it was truly an adventure for both me and my wife and opened so many doors to new adventures.  One of the best was getting my pic on the front of a BASS magazine.  It's a silhouette shot down in Florida of a sunrise and the cameraman came up to me at a later time and told me he had taken this shot and sent me a couple of the magazines.  We had become friends and I believe he is long since retired.  Still meeting people and am very thankful.  So many memories...gosh.

If it wasn't for BASS at that time I wouldn't have seen as many places that I had.  I traveled all over the states from coast to coast.  Those Wrangler Nationals were the best.

[Topwaterdude]

The door I think fishing has opened for all of us is becoming part of nature.

[Darren.]

I'm with everyone who says it opened the door to let our money out.

[DINK WHISPERER]

The door to divorce court for some.

[WRB]

Met lots of friends through bass fishing but nothing career enhancing.

Tom

[Russ E]

Mental health. 

Before retiring I had a long hour, high stress job.

Short fishing trips after work, would always put life back into perspective. 

Now that I am retired, my constant quest to catch a new personal best bass, keeps my mind working.

Retiring healthy and with the means to pursue my goals, also helps.

[Ksam1234]

I have met good people and good friends , something to relax and relieve stress and enjoy he outdoors and mostly open the doors to my bank .. ?. 

[Captain Phil]

Bass fishing has been an active part of my life since I can remember.  I met my wife when she was 15 years old. We are both 71 now.  We grew up in South Florida and fished together before and after school. We fished together our entire lives. When our son was born, we carried his play pen with us in the car and fished from the bank.   When bass tournaments first started in the sixties, I fished everyone I could enter.  I have great memories of those years.  We fished together as a family until my son got married and had his own kids.  He fishes to this day.  I can not think of a better family activity.  When you are on the lake, it's you, the fish and your troubles are far away.  I'm too old to fish now. Those years of bouncing around Lake Okeechobee have taken a toll on my back.   Take your family fishing.  Get your kids away from the computer and teach them to appreciate a day on the water with their Dad.  You won't regret it.