My Brother- My teacher

[Mobasser]

My big brother was eight years older than me. He taught me the basics of bass fishing, while fishing farm ponds on our grandfather's farm in Chillicothe Mo.                                                           We would row a flat bottom boat to the middle of the pond, and cast to the shoreline, which was rimmed with moss. Back then, everyone called me Junior.                                   Now, over fifty years later, I can still remember his words.               " Slow down Junior, remember, bass won't always chase your lure. " Don't cast too hard, you'll always overshoot your target".                                            " Don't bang the oars in the boat, you'll spook them away".              " Let the surface bait sit a minute before you move it. Let them get a good look at it".                    " Always remember, fishing should be fun. Try to keep it that way."                                  Just reminiscing about my brother who was my first real teacher. He introduced me to this sport, and my enthusiasm is still there every day, even more so now.                                                       When your starting out in bass fishing, it really helps to have a good, patient teacher. I was lucky.                                                 Some things you remember for a lifetime.

[Mike L]

Yes you were and yes you do!

By the way, he was exactly right

 

 

 

 

Mike

[scaleface]

My cousin got me started into serious bass fishing and I had to remind him to quit banging the boat . LOL 

[MN Fisher]

It's great you had that learning experience.

 

Myself - I'm pretty much self-taught. My uncle would occasionally take the group of us (me, his 3 sons) out ice-fishing for pickerel in MA growing up - but open water fishing I was completely on my own as Dad wasn't a fisherman. Oh he had a rod/reel and would take me to Wachusett Reservoir...but basically tossed his line out and let it sit forever while I tried different things.

 

Other than magazines, my only learning experiences were

1: A weekend in the late 70s when we had the Lindner brothers, Babe Winkelman, and Duane Peterson give a seminar on Saturday with an informal tournament on Sunday.

 

2: My next door neighbor living in Bemidji was John Peterson - founder of Northland Tackle. I actually helped make lures in the mid-late 70s...so if you have any from that era, they might have been assembled by me. We'd chat while working about all sorts of techniques and how to find them. And we'd occasionally go out in his boat for more 'on the water' lessons.

 

Good times.

[volzfan59]

When I lived in Nashville, my next door neighbor was a tournament angler and a bass fishing guide. I have been a fisherman all my life, but I just fished for bluegills. When I quit racing stock cars, Charlie started taking me bass fishing and got me started the right way. Like your brother, the man had the patience of Job! He taught me how to use a baitcaster, even gave me three of his Ryobi reels. Even taught me how to operate a boat. RIP Charlie, I miss you

[islandbass]

Truly a blessing. I come from the school of, “Want to learn? You have to teach yourself .” 
 

I will wonder on occasion how much faster and easier it would have been if I had a fishing mentor at the beginning stage. It would have prevented me from going in hook line and sinker for those flying lures. I did like that concept though. Lol. 

[GRiver]

19 hours ago, Mobasser said:

   When your starting out in bass fishing, it really helps to have a good, patient teacher. I was lucky.                                                 Some things you remember for a lifetime.

 

19 hours ago, Mobasser said:

Always remember, fishing should be fun. Try to keep it that way."

Amen, now somebody pass the taters.
Just kidding.

I look back at the patients my grandparents had when they got me into fishing. I’m so thankful for them

[detroit1]

Northland tackle sure loved them some exclamation points in their catalog, (!!!!!!!) seemed every sentence ended with one. Use to drive me CRAZY!!!