Who introduced you to bass fishing?

[CM-fisher]

Just curious, I was wondering when you all were introduced to fishing and who introduced and taught you the basics? My biggest mentors so far have been my dad, my neighbor, and various people on youtube and here on bass resource. I first started fishing around the age of 14

[Skunkmaster-k]

My grandad was a bass fisherman  and an all around good man. I would love to have a chance to fish with him more. Great question 

[gunsinger]

A fellow soldier, Lee Marshall if memory serves, taught me how to bass fish while we were stationed together at Ft. Devens, MA in ‘84-‘85.  I would have been in my mid-twenties.  Prior to that the only fishing I did was cat fishing.  I fished out of a canoe when I wasn’t fishing with Lee until I PCS’d.  My duty stations after that didn’t afford me the opportunity to fish.  I couldn’t wait to try my new skills back home in MS only to have all my gear stolen from the back of my truck the week I ETS’d out.  I was too poor to rebuild so I didn’t start fishing again till a couple of years ago.  My mentors since then have been online resources, none finer that the folks here at BassResource.com. 

[the reel ess]

My dad introduced me to fishing. One of his friends, a coworker, introduced us both to bass fishing. He took me fishing a few times when my dad was working. He recently passed away. 

[A-Jay]

My Dad ~ 

Fish Hard

A-Jay

 

[scaleface]

I took it on myself . Dad and grandpa were cat-fishermen and crappie in the spring . Then my cousin got me involved in  a bass club and it escalated from there .

[cheezyridr]

i think it was my dad who got me hooked on fishing, although not in a straightforward way.  he wasn't so much a bass fisherman, but he liked to fly fish for whatever. he and i might have gone fishing together maybe once or twice, i don't remember. i remember asking to go all the time, but it never happened.  my older sister started dating a guy who was a regional pro, about the time i turned 12 or 13. he started taking me, and i loved it.  we went fishing in between tournaments, or when he was practicing.  he must have really loved my sister, cause he took me fishing alot. 

[slonezp]

This guy...my dad

 

[MGF]

My father. My first bass fishing was traversing the wooded banks of some local Forest Preserve lakes throwing unweighted Creme worms that my father pre-rigged himself...when I was 5 or 6 years old.

 

In those early years I remember spending a lot of time "learning line management" as I worked to keep up tromping through the brush. LOL

 

Later my dad took up musky fishing so we took a couple trips to Northern Wisconsin every year. We also had the annual trips to the Wolf River and Illinois River for white bass and sauger.

 

Our boat was a 14 ft car-top with a 6 hp Johnson. I still have the boat and motor. Later my father got a 15 1/2' Lund glass tri-hull with a 25 hp Evinrude.

[Mike L]

Growing up in the inner city of Chicago in the 1950’s, fishing wasn’t even a thought. 
Then in the 60’s survival was the main concern with a war raging in the streets and overseas. 
Fishing and many other things we take for granted today wasn’t even an afterthought. 
 

I really didn’t get serious about it until I got out and moved my young family to an entirely different world which was the State of Florida. 
 

I met a few guys at a bowing alley who mostly salt water fished which got me interested. 
After a few years of just tossing a shrimp overboard or off a bridge, I tried fishing for bass and was hooked. 
 

So I guess you can say I’m kind of a self made Bass angler. 
 

 

 

 

 

Mike

[volzfan59]

My dad got me hooked on fishing when I was six and I mainly bluegill fished off and on ever since. Fast forward to 28, I had just sold my race car, trailer, etc and was bored. My next door neighbor fished regional bass tournaments and guided. The first time Charlie took me, I caught one on a buzzbait and I've been hooked ever since! I do still enjoy chasing bluegill from time to time.

[slonezp]

11 minutes ago, Mike L said:

Growing up in the inner city of Chicago in the 1950’s, fishing wasn’t even a thought. 
Then in the 60’s survival was the main concern with a war raging in the streets and overseas. 
Fishing and many other things we take for granted today wasn’t even an afterthought. 
 

I really didn’t get serious about it until I got out and moved my young family to an entirely different world which was the State of Florida. 
 

I met a few guys at a bowing alley who mostly salt water fished which got me interested. 
After a few years of just tossing a shrimp overboard or off a bridge, I tried fishing for bass and was hooked. 
 

So I guess you can say I’m kind of a self made Bass angler. 
 

 

 

 

 

Mike

Never went to the lakefront to fish for perch or smelt?

[FishinBuck07]

My father introduced me to bass fishing!  But a buddy and I immersed ourselves in it together and still at it today,  25 years later!  Both our fathers were fishermen, but they both would rather catch walleye.  

[CrankFate]

I spent every summer sent away to travel through the Midwest and mid south. The only hobby I was always into since forever, was fishing. Everywhere I’d go, I’d be fishing. No, I did not catch many bass. But if you are near water in places where there are no oceans, the #1 or #2 thing you are going to be talking about with every other kid you talk to near water is bass. Besides dirtbikes all any boy between 6 and 16 is going to be talking about is bass. I would put girls up there at #1, but that’s just me. Bass was definitely #2.

[gim]

1 hour ago, scaleface said:

I took it on myself . Dad and grandpa were cat-fishermen and crappie in the spring

I have a similar path. I initially learned to walleye, pike, and muskie fish from both my parents and my grandfather when I was in grade school.

 

But bass fishing I picked up completely on my own. One summer I was an intern for the DNR and in between surveys they allowed me to fish as long as it didn’t interfere with my job. All of the lakes I surveyed that summer were small weedy lakes. It was basically trial and error for 4 months.

 

I’ve since hooked several other people specifically on bass fishing including my own Father, a couple friends, and a co worker. I hope to take my son someday too (he’s 2.5 yrs old).

[Big Hands]

I introduced myself to fishing. Probably after seeing pictures of men jack-poling tuna in the middle of the ocean when I was young. Fishing fascinated me, but my family were primarily water-skiers. Even my mother could do a shore start.

 

A neighbor took my older brother ocean fishing when he was eight. I wanted to go so bad, but he said I was too young (I was six), but he would take me when I turned eight. I began saving all of my money to buy a rod and reel in preparation for that trip. I bought a Daiwa 7700 reel and an 8' fiberglass rod at the swap meet for the princely sum of $13 just before I turned eight. And then I waited. . . and I waited. . . and I waited, but the invite never came. I guess he forgot. . . . but I didn't.

 

Around that time I would check out books from the library about fishing, and happened to check one about bass fishing, and that one drew my interest more than any other type of fishing. Tales of using wooden plugs and bass attacking them through the lily pads just spoke to me.

 

The rest of my family ridiculed me mercilessly about fishing and the type of boats that fisherman typically ran. They were nothing like the speedboats I was used to being around. Every time we would see a janky old Glaspar being towed down the highway someone would quip "Look, there's Jeff's boat!" Hilarity ensued. Lather, rinse, repeat. Endlessly. I was the late bloomer, not getting up on doubles until I was five and a single ski at ten, and my father had to force me to water ski.

 

"Where's Jeff?"

 

"He's down there fishing."

 

"Get over here and put the skis on."

 

I didn't care, I just wanted to fish. Some things never change.

[Bird]

Something I'll never forget. 

Was at the county fair as a teenager and was talking to an older gentleman behind a booth and he had a Jimmy houston logo on his shirt. 

I quickly pointed out that I loved Jimmy and fishing and that I was actually planning on fishing the farm pond later.

 

He asked if he could join me and how's the fishing in the pond ?

I replied that the pond had nothing but small bass and bluegill. 

 

He arrived at dusk and threw a large Zara spook and caught two 5lb bass on consecutive casts.

From that day forward, I've been fishing with this guy for over 40 years and learned the art of bass fishing. 

[Kenny Yi]

my dad, he would always bring me with him to the community pond on the golf course since I was little, we fished 1/4 ounce spinnerbaits on MF spinning rods and 12# Big Game, some of my best memories were about us seeing who could catch the most fish, we once accumulated 60+ fish in a day

 

 

 

RIP Dad

[LrgmouthShad]

Nobody. I was introduced to fishing by a family friend and a couple fishing trips with family for whatever wanted to bite but I saw these bass fishing videos on YouTube and thought bass fishing looked really fun. The family friend kept encouraging me to go for different species but all I wanted to go for was bass. He didn’t know too much about bass fishing either. 
 

I have learned lots of hard lessons. Now I have a couple mentors to help me along. Bass fishing is just an awesome sport

[Mike L]

41 minutes ago, slonezp said:

Never went to the lakefront to fish for perch or smelt?

Nope

Never did! 
The only time I even went to the beach (Rainbow off 55th I think) was for a prom picnic in ‘68 or ‘69. 
 

Growing up my whole world was..

63rd to 71st / Ashland to Damen. 

Still have the scars to prove it. 
 

It was a different time

 

 

 

 

 

Mike

[LrgmouthShad]

5 minutes ago, Kenny Yi said:

my dad, he would always bring me with him to the community pond on the golf course since I was little, we fished 1/4 ounce spinnerbaits on MF spinning rods and 12# Big Game, some of my best memories were about us seeing who could catch the most fish, we once accumulated 60+ fish in a day

 

 

 

RIP Dad

Brother I’m so sorry for your loss. 

[DINK WHISPERER]

My uncle, who basically tried his best to play a father figure role in my life. I never had a dad so he did his best. I must have been around 4yrs old. I've seen pictures of me holding catfish and bass. When I was around 10 or so he got his first boat. It was a 12ft jon boat with a trolling motor. Something unexplainable happened to me after that first trip on an actual boat! It's all been downhill from there, haha. We try to plan a trip together at least every few years but sometimes time just gets away from you. Him living in CA and me in FL now it's even more difficult. 

[slonezp]

8 minutes ago, Mike L said:

Nope

Never did! 
The only time I even went to the beach (Rainbow off 55th I think) was for a prom picnic in ‘68 or ‘69. 
 

Growing up my whole world was..

63rd to 71st / Ashland to Damen. 

Still have the scars to prove it. 
 

It was a different time

 

 

 

 

 

Mike

You wouldn't last 1 minute in that neighborhood nowadays. I did plenty of work down there 20-30 years ago. Wouldn't step foot down there now. When I was a teenager we would cruise Marquette Park(just west of you) looking for girls. Marquette Park is a craphole now.

[Darth-Baiter]

True story.  The Mepps catalog.  Reading it as a tiny kid hooked me. 

[N Florida Mike]

My dad got me started with mostly saltwater pier, bridge, and surf fishing. My whole family would go. Dad, mom, 2 aunts , an uncle , and my brother and me. 
I started fishing the lake I now live on when I was 14. Learned how to catch bream/catfish. One day I caught a 4 lb bass while fishing with a handline for bream and whatever with doughballs . I was head over heels bass fishing after that. My friend bobby lived on the lake and he taught me the basics. Later, another friend (,Billy) would  take me fishing in a creek off the st Johns and taught me more.That was when I was late teens , early 20s. Since then I have mainly learned on my own.