If You Could Go Back

[KP Duty]

I wouldn't have eaten a big greasy breakfast that fateful tournament back in '94.  My boater had to drop me off on the bank so I could use the bathroom.  Total sweat-inducing blowout.

[MassBass]

Leaving my jonboat chained at the river and having it vanish... and in a similar time and place, I decided to take up carp fishing. Basically learning how to catch carp consistently. It wasnt easy. There were many failures and skunks with a few high points, enough to keep me in it and not throw my rod in a bush. I could have angled for pike and bass during those years, but having skill with carp has made me a more well rounded angler.

[crypt]

if I could change something it would be fish more............

other than that nothing......

[Bird]

I would have changed my dry rotted Stren more often and would have thrown beetle spins less often.

The fun factor remains the same.

 

[Columbia Craw]

I didn’t capitalize on the opportunity to fish for smallmouth when the fishery was more in reach than I realized.  I was willing to travel three hours to fish largemouth but not smallmouth.  It’s like never trying Switzerland chocolate when it’s been in front of me the whole time.

[Dirtyeggroll]

My dad was always my hero and fishing was a bond between us that lives on in me eternally. Literally my first memory at 2 years old is of fishing with him. He made some poor choices early in my life and we were separated when I was 10 years old.
 

As soon as I was able to drive, I would have called up my dad and told him I was picking him up and we were going fishing. Unfortunately, that never happened and not much time after I was able to drive, circumstances became that it never could happen. The things I would trade to have that chance again.

 

Looking forward I hope to build such a bond with my own son.

[Koz]

[The Bassman]

Like a lot of us my success these days is much better than it was in my youth. That said, I wouldn't change a thing. My childhood memories with my dad and even my times alone wading creeks are priceless whether they were productive or not. I do wish that I would have found this site sooner than just six years ago.

[IcatchDinks]

I've only been seriously fishing for 2 years now. Not even. My only regret is not getting into it sooner. I'm young compared to most of you: 26 years old. Wish I'd spent more of the past few years out on the water instead of in front of a computer screen playing games. I still enjoy my computer games. But fishing is so much better. I used to see bumper stickers and Tshirts with the slogan "I'd rather be fishing." And I never got it. Now I do. There are very few activities I'd rather be doing. 

[El jefe]

Health... I wish I took my health more seriously when I was younger. I am now 43 with half a pancreas and digestion/malabsorption problems likely for the rest of my days. All due to chronic hereditary high triglycerides .... I shrugged it off from 20-40.... should have took the pills and eaten better.

[clh121787]

Wish I would have been born about 25 years earlier so I could have been a young man when lake fork opened and had its glory years. Maybe  bois de ark will give me that chance 

[DaubsNU1]

Most of my "if I could go back" are centered around hunting:

 

I would duck hunt a great marsh in south central Nebraska more, before the Game and Parks teamed up with the Feds to completely ruin a great waterfowl location! (oh, they referred to it as "renovation"...).  I miss days like this, and I miss this old yellow lab...should have hunted with him more.

 

 

I would have stopped hunting public for deer many years ago, and cultivated some lasting relationships with Ranchers. I'm stubborn, and kept thinking I could find success if I only worked harder, walked further, hunted more. I did put a tag on this bruiser, on public land, in Nebraska. But most years, I saw more hunters than deer. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[throttleplate]

I dont think of going back, there is so much ahead of me to work with.

[Masaccio]

If I could go back, I would want to spend so much more time doing it with family members who also loved it.   

[MIbassyaker]

On 8/25/2022 at 7:01 AM, Mobasser said:

Many of us have been fishing a long time. 50yrs and longer. If you could go back, is there anything you would change?                                              Are there any techniques you wish you would have focused on more?                             Looking back, is there anything you would do differently with your fishing?

 

I wish I had been into bass fishing during the 6 years I lived in Northern CA, within 1-1.5 hours each of Clear Lake, the Delta, and Berryessa.

[schplurg]

On 8/25/2022 at 4:01 AM, Mobasser said:

Many of us have been fishing a long time. 50yrs and longer. If you could go back, is there anything you would change?                                              Are there any techniques you wish you would have focused on more?                             Looking back, is there anything you would do differently with your fishing?

 

No. If I could "go back" and change things fishing would be far down on that list. I have enough regrets without adding fishing to the mix. Fishing is fun.

[king fisher]

If I could go back, I would take more pictures. Not just of the fish I caught, but the friends I caught them with, the places I caught them,  and my dog, who didn't care if we caught a fish, but always was happy to go fishing.

[IcatchDinks]

10 hours ago, king fisher said:

If I could go back, I would take more pictures. Not just of the fish I caught, but the friends I caught them with, the places I caught them,  and my dog, who didn't care if we caught a fish, but always was happy to go fishing.

I've never put much stock in photos other than to document my fish. But now that I'm married, my wife is always snapping photos of people, scenery, and funny little things we may happen across (i.e. a road with a funny name or something.) And when I look back on them it really makes me appreciate the memories that much more. 

[Zcoker]

Going back is just reliving the same thing over again. The past is what it was, which is what shaped us to be what we are today. If anything, I am glad I got out of freshwater fishing  years ago and hit the beaches! I only hit the beaches because I moved to Florida. Surf fishing opened up many doors. I tag sharks for NOAA, which keeps me very busy. When I get tired of one fishery, I just move to another. This back and forth has certainly shaped my progression to be a better fisherman and to respect what I have today and where I’m going tomorrow, all thanks to a past that got me this far!