What got you hooked?

[hjerk24]

I second that teh_bass!!!!

[farmpond1]

My dad used to take me and my siblings to a pay lake when I was very young. After he died, there wasn't anybody to take me so I rode my bike (or walked) by myself down to a bridge about 2 miles from home on a dusty country road. Little more than a creek that widened and deepened at the bridge, it offered up some feisty little bullheads and the occasional bluegill. At that time I had in my possession probably only one or two lures. One was a creme plastic worm with a propeller harness. I have no idea where I got it. I had never used it before (at least not with any luck) but on this particular Saturday I tied it on and cast it as far as my zebco 33 would allow. It landed in a weedy area where the creek narrowed. After a few cranks of the reel, something grabbled my bait. I really don't remember the fight but when I pulled it up, it was a grass pike about 12 inches long. I was afraid to touch it (something that had pointy teeth and shaped like a snake couldn't be safe). I was simultaneousy afraid and intrigued. It wasn't a bass, of course, but it was my first introduction to a "gamefish" and I haven't looked back (except with nostalgia) since.

[Minuteman]

I grew up near the Schuylkill river and fished my whole childhood for catfish and other junk fish. One day while fishing in a farmpond(!) at the age of 24 I caught a 7lb 8oz largemouth.

Since that day, May 5th 1983, I've been a Bass Man.

[South FLA]

I can remember to this day.

My older brother bought me a Pfleuger Blue Sky with a Cardinal fishing reel and took me down to the local park.  I had him tie on a Mepp's minnow with a spinner and on my third cast I caught about a 3-4lbs bass,  what at the time seemed huge.  Anyway, I was so excited I ran all the way home with it to show mom.  Been addicted every since.

[Scorcher214]

My grandpa always took me fishing when i went over his house, catching panfish and such and it was really fun. then i just didn't go anymore, i don't know why, i just didn't. 3 Years ago i went on vacation to traverse city Michigan, and we stayed on lake intermediate, i had just a zebco 222 and i mostly fished worms, i saw my cousin tony using a spinning reel and fake worms, we didn't catch anything though(because me or him really had no idea of what we were doing lol). the next year i got a spinning rod and me and him fished that lake top to bottom, still didn't catch anything, but we sure had fun. That's what got me started. I got cemented in fishing just last year...I was fishing with a zoom trick worm, watermelon seed. with a 1/4oz tungsten weight, throwing it to shallow as heck water, it was late, i was ready to go, and then i got a hit, i didn't really know what to do so i just started reeling, no hook setting or anything. I had reeled in my first bass on a artificial lure, i was so proud of my self that i called my mom right after i took a picture and released it. The next day i was at the same spot, don the same thing, not getting crapola! A guy walked my and started watching me i guess i didn't really care, i was bent on catching my second bass. He stood next to me and said "here i gotta a better idea, lemme put something on your line that i know will work!" He gave me a 4/0 offset gamakatsu hook, a 1/16oz weight, and a 7 inch Berkly power worm in motor oil. By the end of the day, i had 17 fish. To this day, that is my favorite setup ever, and me and that guy are good fishing buds, even though we don't know each others names after fishing with him a whole summer lol.

[Catt]

It was some where around 1956 when this little Cajun boy with a hand cut cane pole, a length of braided cotton line, a cork made of real cork, a hook with an earth worm was standing on a wharf on the Calcasieu River. After watching his cork go under and without setting hook that little boy took off running up the 25 stair steps cut into the river back to the camp with a palm sized bream bouncing along behind.

[Sam]

Growing up in South Louisiana we always fished the Audubon Park Lagoon in New Orleans and the Biloxi Marsh, Lake Pontchartrain and the Rigolets.

My cousins and I caught mainly bluegills and crappie other than the redfish, drum, sheepshead, croakers and speckled trout in saltwater.

One day, we visited a friend on the north shore of Lake Pontchartrain and after my cousin and I went paddling around the swamp area behind the house in a pirogue, I decided to take a spinning rig that was just sitting around and try my luck.

I caught a beautiful "green trout" as we called them back then, and I was amazed.

First, I was amazed that I caught the fish.

Second, I was amazed at how it fought and jumped when coming to the shore.

Third, I was amazed at its beauty.

I let it go and just stared at the water, pads and weeds in the swamp and from that day on, I was fascinated by the largemouth bass.

Only after getting the kid through college and my wife saying I was a pain in the behind when I was home with her did I take up bass fishing once again.

I can still see that bass fighting as I reeled her in and holding her up to admire her. And that was about 50 years ago.  

[Hannons Hound]

My dad took my brother and I when we were about 7 years old. He suprised us both with matching Eagle Claw spinning outfits. Two years later he purchased a piece of property on the water, which is still in the family to this day. The rest is history.

[T-Bone]

When I was little no one in my immediate family fished at all.  It always seemed to be a real treat whenever I would get to go fishing with my uncle and cousin.

I would normally just fish for perch with a cork and worm/cricket.

Everyday during the week while my parents were working I would stay at my grandparents.  There was a pond right by there house, so my cousin and I would spend most days over there fishing, at that time I had a zebco 33 on a pistol grip fishing pole which I got for my birthday one year.

One day when we were having trouble finding bait for perch my grandpa suggested that we take some artificial lures and us them.  He had some old beetle spins and gave them to us.  We went out to the pond and caught tons of bass, but the one that go me completely hooked on bass was the 4lb. bass that I caught.  Or atleast it was 4lbs according to my grandpa.

I got into fishing saltwater for a little while and caught more redfish, speckled trout, and drum than I could count.  Then I began fishing for bass with a friend in high school, the tournament fishing has had me hooked on bass ever since.

[Micro]

What drew you into this wacky, wonderful obsession we call fishing?

Chicks.

[CFFF 1.5]

I vaguely remember going Bass fishing with my dad when I was probably around 8 or 10 years old but we didn't go very often. Then in the 90's here in central florida the thing to do was go red fishing. My dad and I started red fishing every weekend and it was a blast. We fished every weekend rain or shine, hot or cold for probably 5 years until I was about 16. The red fishing started to get old and my dad and I quit fishing as much and I was getting more serious about playing sports, baseball year round, so we didn't have much time to fish anymore. Then me and a good friend started bank fishing in this  awesome pond down the street from our house. Since then I have been hooked except for a couple years while I was in college. Now I bass fish  probably  3 or 4 times a month.

[rippin_lips]

I fished with my dad when I was younger, but we never went very often.  During high school I would fish with some of my friends out of boredom, but never had much luck.  Last year, I split a boat with one of my friends and that is what got me hooked.  Fishing from shore on small ponds in NH was never very productive for us.  Owning a boat allowed us to access much more water and many more fish which got me hooked.  

[Jake.]

Catching my first Flounder at Holden Beach, NC when I was about 7 years old. That was the first decent sized fish that I had caught all by myself, and it really got me hooked. I had always liked fishing, but that Flounder really got me interested for some reason. When we went home I wanted to fish more, but we live a few hours from the beach so I started fishing for Bass in freshwater instead.

[Paul Roberts]

Lots of stories. I was hooked many times.

I guess it all started here:

I remember my Dad cutting that sapling, and the distinct 'tug, tug' of the bites. "There's SOMETHING down there!" is the feeling I remember.

I also remember Dad returning to the cabin near dark with two "bass". They seemed so big, and mysterious. He caught them on a Jitterbug his father gave him. My Dad gave it to me 30 years ago and I still have it, hanging over my desk as I sit here typing. It's not retired, just waiting for my own son to be old enough to use it -likely this year.

[MitchIsFishin]

Lost my 6 figure job and could no longer afford high end acoustic guitars, and spending 10K+/yr on photographic gear. Needed to find something else that would satisfy my search for a challenge. That, and the wild girls, like Micro said. Young women, body piercings and crankbait lures, hmmm.............

[Red]

when i was in high school i got in trouble with the law.  i was given a court ordered curfew...8pm school nights, 10pm weekends.  my folks made me stick to this very much so.  they also had a cabin on cayuga lake (finger lakes) and would go there every weekend except in the winter months.  i usually didnt go cuz i was partying!!  but now i had this curfew so that put an end to that.  what else was i going to do?  went to the lake, started fishing from the dock, first big smallie and the rest is history!!  i went every weekend from then till i joined the army.  my dad got me a boat so i could go whenever i wanted. it was a 14 foot v-hull with a 7.5 hp merc.  i caught a ton of smallies in that thing!!  so i guess what got me into fishing was being a stupid idiot when i was young!!

Cliff

[drmnbig]

I grew up fishing the little river in front of my grandads place.  We never caught much of anything but it was fun.  I didn't fish from about 8 years old till I was 16.  I remember the trip like it was yesterday.  I had an older 2nd cousin who fished a lot but I never really talked to him as our family had it's issues.  One day he just showed up at the house with an extra rod and reel and said lets go fishing.  I hopped in the truck with him and we headed to a little lake down the road from the house.  The used to draw this lake down in the winter and would refill it in about April.  The upper end of the lake is fairly shallow so with the lake drained it turned into basically a river.  I remember using a little 4" Renegade purple bubble gum colored worm.  When you open the worms in the pack it smells just like grape bubble gum. (to this day it still smells the same and I enjoy the memory everytime I dip into them)  We ended up catching literally dozens of small bass that day on these worms and needless to say....I was hooked.

I fished with my cousin for about 10 years after that until he went nuts.  His dad (my great uncle who I thought of as a grandfather) died from diabetes at 56 years old.  He went into some depression, quit his job and just had no get up and go.  It got to the point he wouldn't even shower.  He finally quit fishing and we basically parted ways.  I sure miss fishing with him.  He and I made quite the team for several years.  We placed in many tournaments and caught some huge bags.  Every now and then I try to talk myself into stopping by his house but I can tell by the condition of his place that he hasn't changed.  Sad situation but I still enjoy the memories and I'm still very thankful he stopped by the house that day.   Maybe one day I'll make that stop.  :'(

[crappiekid24]

My dad likes to fish so that helped get me started. My first fish was a nice little 14" bass. Which was a huge fish to me at the time. I think I must have been 4 or 5. I didnt really catch the fishing bug until I was old enough to go out fishing on Lake Michigan. As I got older I spent more time on Lake Michigan with my grandpa. I would go up to his boat with him every weekend in the summer and sometimes for a couple days. When we were not out on the lake trolling for salmon or perch fishing I would roam the harbor catching bluegills and nice bass. My largest smallie and largemouth both came from Lake Michigan. 12 or 13 years later from my first fish here I am addicted more then ever.

[SirSnookalot]

I go back to around 1950, I was 5 or so.  My dad was an avid fisherman, also was in the fish biz as well.  We went nearly every Sat & Sun, even in the winter on the ice.  For a city boy it boggled my mind how he knew so much, but he did, he even drop shotted using live minnows more than 50 years ago, but he had no name for it then.

We had a cottage on an inland lake and my dad rented me a rowboat for the season with an old elgin 6.5 horse motor and I fished every day.  On the weekends we went to the great lakes.  He gave me a Masters Degree in bait fishing and P.H.D. in casting.

[Crestliner2008]

I'm 64. When I was about 10 or 11, I found a beat up issue of Outdoor Life Magazine near a dumpster in the old apartment block I lived in (and the one my folks had lived in for 40 years). I read it and instantly got hooked on the outdoors. Shortly thereafter, the building attendant gave me a tubular steel fly rod, in 6 sections, which colapsed into one another, & a reel. Since I lived close to the CT River here in MA, I fished there with friends quite often. By the time I was 12, my Dad got interested in fishing and both he & I fished from then on.

I've seen all the trends and techniques come & go. It's all been good!

[noway]

Back in the day, while fishing an inland lake with some co-workers,  this bronze football sized smallie cleared the water several times. I was literally hooked.

[Tom H.]

Oh this is an easy one .

My Great-Uncle Don (R.I.P) used to fish the mid-west bass assoc. tourneys . One weekend he came down and asked if I would like to go fishing with him , and I said sure . He proceded to teach me how to flip a rubber worm and I caught about a 2 1/2 - 3 lbs bass . Well after that it was hook , line , and sinker .  I could tell more stories about him and taking me fishing , but that is what really started it all for me .

Tom

[BassChump]

I grew up in the guts of Southern California, just down the road from Disneyland. Obviously no lakes or rivers anywhere close.

My father took me to Huntington Beach pier a few times and we caught some fish but I didn't like it.

When I was about 3 or 4, my family went on a vacation to the Kern River near Bakersfield and I loved river fishing for trout.

When I was 6 years old, my folks bought into a private club called Quale Valley. It's next to what is currently Canyon Lake California, not for from Riverside. It was a poor mans country club but they had a pool, clubhouse and out on the backside, far away from everything they had a small lake.

Being a private club, a private city if you will, I could legally ride my gas engined mini-bike on the streets. I rode out every morning at sun up to the lake and fished for bluegill every day we were there and I'll remember that to my dying day. The lake and the country club is no longer there but I can still remember my Zebco rod and reel combo, the rock I sat on every day, the reeds in the water, sitting there enjoying gods creations and never wanting to leave, those many years ago.

As an adult, I moved to Oregon. I've fished for salmon but I really kind of let the kids do all the fishing. I just didn't get back into it until last year. My wife passed away a couple of years ago so I've just been working and taking care of my daughter. I sort of let the fun go out of my life for a while but in August of 07, a woman I had been seeing asked me to look at a boat she was interested in buying. I liked it but she passed on it. I bought that bass boat on a whim. (She regrets passing it up to this day). I got it cheap and I figured I would clean it up, sell it and make a few bucks on it. I took it out on the lake once and I fell in love with the boat but I had never caught a bass in my life. EVER. So I found this site, bought a cheap rod and reel, a few Senko's and hit the lakes. It took me a solid 8 months, fishing several times a week to catch my first bass but I was going to catch one if it was the last thing I ever did. I was getting discouraged but after I caught  the first one, I was hooked.

Interesting story is that the first bass I  ever caught is also the biggest bass I ever caught. That's the bass pictured in my avatar. A 5.3

With just me and my daughter and not much money, the boat and fishing together has brought us so much closer together as a family. I can't think of anything else we like to do together more than going fishing. It's what has kept us sane thru some very hard times. I've passed on my love for fishing to my daughter and I'm thinking that fishing will be one of the most important lessons in her life. Conservation, patience, knowledge, creativity, luck, and decisiveness. All qualities of fishing that can be carried thru to every part of her life and she learned those things while fishing with dear old dad. Stuff she can tell her grandkids. I'm truly blessed.

I'm now planning a move to the Phoenix area. I picked Phoenix for many reasons but one of the deciding factors was all the lakes around there so my daughter and I can go fishing year round. Whoda thunk.

[jax]

I have a buddy that takes competitiveness to a whole new level. He talks more crap than anybody I know. He keeps track of his stats in everything he does. He takes the fun out of a lot of things because everything is a competition. He makes alot of things more fun for this same reason. He loves to trash talk.

He talked me into going fishing with him. We fished from the bank of a couple of ponds. As soon as we threw out first cast out he became a different person. He was calm. Very calm. I mean really really calm. He is not a calm person by nature. He cast a few times and then came over and watched me fish. He watched my technique and patiently explained to me how to do better. He was more excited than I was when I caught fish. We hit a dry spell and he was more worried about me getting bored than anything.

It is amazing how much fishing transforms him. He becomes one of the best and most patient teachers I know. Anything else and he gets super competitive and can't teach. Fish with him and all he is concerned with is helping you catch fish. He makes fishing so much fun. He doesn't get upset at all not matter what you do. Most of the time at the beginning he didn't even fish. He just calmly watched me fish then threw a party every time I caught one. If he ever had a calling it is to teach people to fish. I have never met anyone that can teach as well as he can. I cannot wait until my daughter is old enough for him to teach her.

If you spent the weekend with him you would completely understand and be as awed as I am. It is amazing watching the change that over comes him when it comes to fishing.

How can you not love a hobby that can have that good of an effect on people?

[Bubba_Bruiser]

MY dad was never much of a fisherman, but he would take me about twice a year as a small child, but I still remember the trips and loving it. But when we visited my grandparent's, my grandpa always had me in a pond bream fishing. When I was 10, my dad took the opprotunity to join my grandpa's business and we moved to south MS. I got to fish all the time with my grandpa and he broke me in with bream fishing. When I was about 12 he gave me 50 bucks and told me to go to TG&Y and get a baitcaster and rod, and to get one of Momma aluminum pie plates and get in the yard and start practicing. I think the accumalation of letting crickets and catalpa worms loose in his car finally did it in. He told me if I wanted to fish with him, it was time to big boy fish. So I did that, and I have been bass fishing for over 20 years. Now I have 2 little boys, 3 & 6, and I am breaking them in on the bream and catfish ponds, and they are loving it. My wife has also taking interest since going with my boys. She is wanting me to take her bass fishing now. Uh-oh, I might have just lost my solace if she hooks up.