Your Family Fishing History

[Jerkbate]

The topic about remembering your first bass got me to thinking. My family on my dad's side have always been fishermen; especially bass fishermen.  The love of the sport has been past down to me from my dad and to him from his dad and so on.  I found these pictures and thought it would be interesting to see some pics of everyone's family fishing history.  

This is me about 4 years ago.

This is my dad & me.

This is my grandfather (Dad's dad).

[Raul]

My family fishing story is short, it starts with me, none of my ancesters were fishermen and my dad less than anybody else, he was not the "outdoorsy" kind of guy.

[Matt Fly]

My dad was a high school teacher and coach in Tx.    I had been cane pole fishing for a while, and even grabbed an old zebco a few times.

My first bass outing was in the summer when i was fixing to be a second grader.   My dad took me to Amistad about 20 miles from where I lived.    He gave me a rod and a Heddon Lucky 13, top water.   All I can remember was casting that thing out all day and winding it in without catching nothing.    But, as i walked the cleared banks, I never got hung or lost that plug as my dad called it, "pluggin" the whole day.    

My dad told that story to many of his friends later in life, he bragged about me not every mentioning leaving, or not catching nothing.

Dad said I had patience, the most he had seen from any body that young, and patience with bass is the biggest key.    Casting wasn't too bad either.    My dad not only taught me about fishing, but the enviromental aspect of it also.    More or less, a lesson on the food chain, cleaning others peoples trash that would be around if camping.    

My dad gave me something that channeled my energy into, the outdoors.    I do say, I would rather put 3.50 cents in my tacklebox rather than a mixed drink, not to say I don't drink, but just don't hit bars very often.

On the same note.    Glenn has done the samething on this forum, it is an outlet to the youth and some of us older guys to.   Thanks Glenn.

My Dad always made time to take other kids fishing and hunting.    So do I.

One story, I could out bass fish my dad not too many years after I learned the art.    But when it was heads up, my dad usually bested me.    He said I was trying so hard, I was squeezing cork dust out of the handle, he said "fish with your head, not your heart".

I miss my Dad.

[ThomasL]

I got it honest,both grandparents fished heavily,my late dad fished

just as much,i don't fish as much as i use too since his death,everyone

that still has there fathers,grandfathers,spend time fishing with them

you never know when it will end...Have reels from my granddad and

fathers that doesn't get used anymore,are in shadowboxes,old

zebco 44's,a 66 spincaster,a old #1 of granddads,garcia 5000's

of dads.

[roadwarrior]

Matt Fly,

Whoa...Man, that brought a tear to my eyes.

That's a great post

[Captain Underpants]

I am the odd ball in my family. My dad didn't even know what the baitmonkey or senko was.  ;D

The only one in my family who ever fished was my great great grandad. If only he was still alive. If you spoke when he was fishing, he would get mad. When he fished, he put his whole life into it.

[BassKing813]

My family has always like fishing. I think it started with my grandmother, who used to and still does go bass fishing. She and my grandfather lived in Florida and loved to fish. Then my dad and his brothers came along and they like to fish too, but aren't nearly as into it as I am. My dad mainly likes saltwater but goes bass fishing with me. One of my uncle's fishes a little bit, and the other one didn't really get into it until I started showing him a few things and got him hooked. Now he fishes everyday on a private lake that he lives on. Then on my mom's side of the family fishing goes back a lot further and everyone loves bass fishing.

[alhuff]

my family comes from KY so they all fished, but i would guess more for food than pleasure.

my dad always took us fishing, either saltwater or fresh.....

we all could crab and fish by the time we could walk or shortly there after....

at 5 years old i was helping him on a shrimp boat, culling out what needed to be kept and throwing back what was too small....

even now when we get together fishing is involved some how, father's day weekend was a weekend of fishing.

i have three kids and they all were fishing as soon as they could hold a ploe and all have fishing ploes....

some of the best memories i have are of fishing with my family,

Jerkbate, thanks for such a great post.......

Alfred

[Guest bigtex]

Matt Fly,

Whoa...Man, that brought a tear to my eyes.

That's a great post

That was a great post.  

[Jerkbate]

On the same note. Glenn has done the samething on this forum, it is an outlet to the youth and some of us older guys to. Thanks Glenn.

Your exactly right. Glenn has done an excellent job.

My Dad always made time to take other kids fishing and hunting. So do I.

I commend you for taking the time and effort to take the kids fishing. I know it can wear thin on the nerves occasionally. My wife and I teach the youth at our church. We don't have kids of our own, but I take the older youth, ages 13 to 18, fishing a good bit. It's amazing to see the joy that catching a fish can bring them.

One story, I could out bass fish my dad not too many years after I learned the art. But when it was heads up, my dad usually bested me. He said I was trying so hard, I was squeezing cork dust out of the handle, he said "fish with your head, not your heart".

It's funny that no matter how good we seem to become at something, our dads can usually still out do us at it. My dad can still out fish me 90% of the time.

I'm lucky that he is still around. When I was a teenager we fought a lot. Now that I'm older we get along great, and we hunt and fish together again like we did when I was a child. I cherish every minute that we spend together. I was fortunate enough to fish with my grandfather a couple of times. He was a man of few words but when he did speak it was wise to listen.

"some of the best memories i have are of fishing with my family,

Jerkbate, thanks for such a great post.......

Alfred"

Your welcome! I have some very fond memories of being on the water with family. One that comes to mind. I caught my first catfish hand grabbing when I was about 8 years old. My mom, dad, aunt, and brother were there. I reached in the box and grabbed about a 2 pound channel cat, or maybe it grabbed me. Either way I got him in the boat. I'll never forget that.

[Valascus]

I got into fishing in general from my dad. When I was knee high to a grasshopper, about 4 years old, he took me fishing on my grandparents property for catfish and bluegill. Taught me the patience I have for fishing now through tightlining for catfish...lots of hours of doing lots of nothing but waiting for the bite.

When I got a little older and could do it on my own, one day while fishing the same place, I tied on the good 'ole hook and nightcrawler and put a bobber on it to where the bait was sitting a couple inches off the bottom. I disliked jus sitting there watching the line at that age...the bobber kept my attention better. It wasn't to long and the bobber went completely under and zipped back towards the bushes on the bank. I thought it was a catfish, but was amazed to see a green and white fish I had never seen before go airbourne. After a couple of runs away from me (my Mickey Mouse pole's drag system wasn't set properly) I got him in. I frantically ran to my dad and asked him what kind of fish it was. "Largemouth Bass," he says. The fish probably only weighed about a pound, but it was the most exciting fish I had ever caught a the time. I was hooked on them.  

I challenged dear 'ole Dad the other day to a fish off targeting bass on a lake of his choice the other day. I told him he could use his live bait (he doesn't believe in artificials of any type) and I would use my arsenal. he said as soon as I was healed it was a deal.

[basspro48]

My family has a rich history of fishing, mostly on my dad's side. My dad grew up on Long Island, NY and my grandfather would take him and my uncle saltwater fishing from the shore all the time. My dad then moved to Denver, CO and got into trout fishing. He then moved to Cleveland, OH and was BIG into walleye fishing out on Lake Erie. I think he actually took my brother out there a couple times when he was only like 9 months old. But then he moved to Mechanicsville, VA and got into crappie and catfishing. I have fond memories of my dad and me sittin on the dock down on the lake, tossing slip bobber rigs for crappie and going ngiht fishing for channel cats. It was actually me that got my dad into bass fishing, I subscribed to Bassmaster a couple years ago and got very into bass fishing. So he bought a jonboat so I could go bass fishing and he eventually started going with me and started catching bass, now he's almost as obsessed with it as me. However, there is a problem, I never see my dad nowadays. He works as an aircraft mechanic at the airport and ever since 9/11 he's been getting paycut after paycut, he is now forced to work 2 jobs at the airport, he pulls 36 and 48 hour shifts. I haven't even seen him since last Sunday, let alone go fishing with him...

[abelfisher]

As far as I know, fishing in my family starts with me.  With 4 brothers, 5 sisters, I am the only that has taken the sport as a passion.  I am passing the passion on to my son, Jacob, 23.  He comes home form college about once every 3 weeks (drives 2 1/2 hrs each way) to fish with the old man!  Hopefully he'll pass it on to his son as well.  I rememebr the first fish I caught when I was about 8.  Been hooked ever since.  I rememebr the first rod and reel my mom bought for me. It was a $13 Bronson.  I still have it and cherish it.  The rod is about 3 1'2 feet fiberglass.  

I cherish Saturdays as they are the only day I get out and fish.  This weekend Jake is coming and we are fishing all day Saturday and maybe part of the day Sunday.  He is driving home tomorrw night when he gets off work.  Another 2 1/2 hr drive.  Can't wait.  Just hope my boat is ready.