Who introduced you to fishing?

[Guest bigtex]

I would have to say that my step-father got me into bass fishing.  He might as well be called my real dad.  He didn't have to invest the time that he did, but I'm sure glad he did.  We still, to this day, bass and catfish together.  I sure LOVE this man and will never forget all the things he has taught me about fishing and LIFE.   These are the special moments that I will spend with my daughter.

[Basspastor]

I was a lucky kid who probably had a rod in hand round about the time I learned to walk.  My family had a cabin on Lake Sylvia/Twin in Central Minnesota and we would spend most of our spring and summer weekends there.  Sylvia/Twin is a great numbers bass lake and it may very well be that the first fish I ever caught was a bass, nobody remembers my first fish cause it was so long ago.

My fondest memories of childhood are those early mornings or lazy afternoons spent in the boat with dad fishing for Bass or Crappies in the Spring.  When I was young my mom would fish with us kids too, along with my Grandmother who owned the cabin.

For some reason as my dad has gotten older he just lost interest in fishing pretty much.  We were on the water once last year and that was the first time for him in many years.

[KYbass1276]

MY dad and mom introduced me to fishing we live on a farm and have a farm pond that we would fish alot I can remember catching  2 and 3 pounders on a rooster tail and thinking I was catching record fish. I use to think the rooster tail was the only bait to catch a bass with.  My dad liked to catfish alot would do a little bass fishing here and there but do to accident  when I was a baby that put Him in a wheel chair for over a year his legs hurt alot when standing so he preferred just casting out a line and sitting there waiting for a big ole cat to bite. Man this really brings back some memorys, my how the hands of the time just turn seems like yesterday So many memorys so little time to stop and reflect on them busy making new ones with my own daughter now. She is only two and casting her barbie pole really good ask's me all the time can I go fishing with you. That's the only thing that makes me not want to go is the fact that it's to cold for her to go with me. But when the warm weather rolls around you can bet I am going to fill up the ole memory bank with me and her fishing and my future children as well.  My only regret is I wish I had enough money that I could afford to buy  equipment for kids who have never had the enjoyment that we have I would love to be alble to give a bunch of kids fishing rods and reels and just take them fishing.  I used to work at a boys prison for juvenile boys who commited felony crimes. It was truly sad to hear alot of them say they have never been fishing in there life I always used to wonder if maybe they had the oppertunites that I have had would they even be here now. well I had better stop now once I get rambeling about something I just keep going sorry for the long post it just got me thinking

[Panamoka_Bassin]

Not to sound like a broken record, here, but it was my dad also who got me into fishing. I was, and am, lucky to be on Long Island growing up, so more than anything else we would salt water fish. I can remember being about 10 or so fishing for snappers (baby bluefish) on Shinnecock Canal when the fish were so thick you could practically walk across the water on them. A few years after that, dad got me a job as a "dock johnny" at a local marina, where I again was lucky to go out deep sea fishing. As my dad used to be a mate on a charter boat, he called in a favor with his former captain. Back in the day, around mid-August every year, there would be a HUGE migration of white marlin just a few miles off shore of the Shinnecock Inlet, and the whole fleet it seemed to be out there fishing.

One of those days, I can remember it so clearly, we were out there trying our luck, but after a few hours of sea-sickness, I had no desire but to get back onto dry land. As I lay on the hard top of the bridge, spotting fish as it were, we came into a set of about 5 or 6 marlins. The fish played around with the baits as we trolled, but never actually took a bait. I watched my dad pick up a rod with a Green Machine on it and essentially jig the lure. As soon as he did this, a big marlin came up and engulfed the bait. Dad handed me the rod, and about 20 minutes later, after several great jumps, I had my first marlin in the boat. We steamed back into port, the marina where I worked, and I brought my prize over to the weigh-in station. I was perhaps TOO excited about it, and must have messed up putting the tail rope on, because as I hoisted the fish on the block and tackle, she let loose and fell into the drink. Luckily for me, the water wasn't too deep and I was able to get the fish back, but now without a bill because it went into the dock and snapped off. Finally got the thing on the scale properlly and tipped out at 91 pounds, a very respectable weight for white marlin.

Since then, I have caught many fish much bigger than that (tuna, mako, thresher shark, blue marlin, and one swordfish), but I never would have gone on those trips if I hadn't caught that marlin with my dad.

Thanks, dad...Wish you were here