The Bass That Hooked YOU?

[Bass_Akwards]

Do you remember catching the bass that got you hooked on bass fishing? Well let's hear the story!

I have been hooked and re-hooked so to speak. I caught my first bass when I was 10 in a little lake near my house in the North Chicago Suberbs. I caught it on a live worm and a Zebco rod and reel. I thought it was the coolest thing ever. I was so jacked that it took me all of a week after that to get the BPS catalouge and ask my parents if I could order some stuff out of it. I kept that 10 inch bass in a bucket and showed it to all the kids in the neighborhood. The bass died and I felt like a complete ***. Perhaps that's why I'm so into catch and release now.

I stopped fishing at age 15 when I went into High School and didn't start fishing again until age 37, just a few years ago. I lived in Colorado for 8 years before learning there was bass here. I got re-hooked when I went fishing with a friend one night. I used a buzzbait for the first time ever. I absolutely never thought I'd catch anything on it. WRONG! I'll never forget that loud splash of my first buzzbait bass attacking that buzzer and the fight I had with it. It absolutely blew my mind and hooked me again, this time forever.

[Glenn]

Hmmmm....I've been fishing for bass and panfish since before I could walk, so it's hard to say which was THE one. I remember catching panfish on a flatfish lure while my dad caught largemouth, and although I enjoyed it very much....I was envious.

Then one day I hooked into something that was HUGE (in my mind). I remember I struggled to get it into the boat with my little spincast rod. It seemed it almost ripped the rod out of my hand. It ended up being a nice largemouth bass!

It probably weighed no more than 2 lbs, but it was a goliath to me! But it wasn't the size nor the fight that got me going...it was catching the same kind of fish that DAD caught that hooked me! It scared the crap out of me, but I was proud I could do something my dad did.

Fishing was a family thing back then. We fished together...went on summer trips together to fish, camp, and be kids. It was a wonderful childhood. Unfortunately, my parents divorced and my dad moved to Alaska.

I got away from fishing during my teen years, but memory of the years fishing with my family brought be back to it when I turned 21. I dove headfirst into it and have been living bass fishing ever since.

My dad moved back about 20 years ago, and we still go fishing together to this day. I also take my mom and sister out fishing every now and then.

Some things just can't break a family apart. And I blame it all on that little 2-pounder decades ago. 8-)

[fourbizz]

I have bass fished for as long as I can remember. We had bass in the pond behind my childhood home. But there most certainly was a fish that sent me over the edge.

After I got out of school and moved to California, I took a look at what my area had to offer fishing wise. A quick internet search told me that I was in big bass mecha. So that is where I focused my attention, bass fishing. One rainy April morning I went down to Folsom lake to bank fish with my buddy. I was fishing a t-rigged 7" Powerworm. I was casting to the base off a partially submerged tree about 30ft from shore when I got the slightest little tick. Set the hook and with seconds saw a "giant" mouth swinging back and forth with my gammy stuck in her lip. Having never encountered a bass of this magnitude, I freaked out and started yelling for my buddy to come and help me land her. He didnt make it in time for her surrender, and as he walked up, I was double fisting a mouth that could have fit around a kiddy size basketball. I weighed her on a rinky dink zebco spring scale and it said 7.5. I took some photos with a disposable, and unfortunately, they didnt turn out at all, just blank white. I was soo bummed.

That took me down a road which eventually lead to cathing many, many fish bigger than that one, some that were even more rewarding. But, as far as the fish that I will remember when I am 80, I am sure she will be one of just a handful of largemouth on the list.

[BassThumb]

Not a bass, I know... It was a 15 lb+ carp that I caught while bobber fishing for pumpkinseeds on my old Zebco spincast setup as an 8 y/o kid. I was alone on a small, plastic paddle boat at the old lakeside family "cabin"/trailer in Northern MN up near Canada. I remember just letting the fish pull that boat around for 15-20 minutes and having a blast with it. I think I had 20 lb mono on that thing, and if I wasn't fishing sunnies with it, I was tossing 1.5 oz Daredevils. lol

[Beastie Bass]

I really should thank my dad for introducing me to bass with a HulaPopper at about 8 yrs old. The 1st one I caught was right at dusk and I still replay every moment in my head. The fish was 2-3 lbs and my 5'6" Ace Hardware rod and Zebco 33 were singing!  ;D Nothing like a good topwater bite to hook you for life!

[TeenageFishAddict]

Well i went to enid lake for a camping trip with my friend and i caught a 2 pound bass accidently while fishing for panfish, ever since then i have been hooked. Imeani have always been addicted to fishing but not any particular part but now...bass fishing has taken a hold of me.

[bigfruits]

i was probably about 10 yrs old, my father rented a boat and trolling motor on the upper potomac. before that trip i had only used worms and cut bait.

caught a smallmouth after dozens of sunfish on an in-line spinner.

artificial baits actually work!

[SWH]

I dont have to go to far back. I have been loving fishing my whole life but i always went on someones boat in a bay or ocean for flounder and big game. Last year i decided i wanted to fish some of the ponds not knowing if i would know what i was doing if it would be any fun. I went at least 7 times before i caught anything and finally started catching some crappie but i knew their was bass and it became a mission to get one. I joined this site and got some good info on what to do and maybe my 10th or 12th time out i finally hooked a dink but it was still a bass and i was stoked! I couldnt get enough of it. A month or so before the season got to cold to fish i landed a personal best being about 4.75 to 5 lbs and that really set the fever to a new level. I love it!

[grimlin]

I was always into fishing growing up ...but never this hardcore like i am with Bass fishing now.

I just moved here from Texas(this was 6 1/2 years ago).Took out my wife's sister & her ex b/f fishing with me one day.I ended up catching a smallmouth bass just under 14".I'll embarrassingly admit,I turned into Ike that day fishing that fish.After the day was over i went home and checked online everything i could about Bass fishing.

And that's how i became seriously addicted to bass fishing.

[fishermantony]

Caught the one that hooked me when I was 11 in a Forrest Preserve pond in Chicago Il.  Actually took me 2 days to bring one in.  Saturday I casted my zebco rhino and beetle spin dozens of times before hooking one that got off, Sunday came back with the same approach and got one in.  I'll never forget that moment and how it felt, it will always mean alot to me.

[HuntFishAK]

I very vividly remember catching my first bass.  I was visiting family in Missouri and we were staying at my Grandma's house.  She had 3 ponds on her farm and for the longest time we could only go to the one closest to the house so the parents could see us.  Well, this trip I was set free to roam all the way back to the "big pond", which probably hadn't been fished in 20 years or so.  Armed with my spinning outfit and a pack of yellow grubs from Wallyworld, I was off.  After catching some massive bluegills and crappie, I got a hit that nearly ripped the rod out of my hands.  I fought the fish, having no idea what was on the other end.  When I got it to shore, I realized I had just caught my biggest fish ever.  I ran up to the house to weigh it on a bathroom scale.  2 1/2 lb largemouth bass.  I ran back to the pond to release it and pick up my gear.  I returned the next day and ended up catching the exact same fish.  I could tell by the tiny hole where I had hooked him the day before.

Well, Grandma ended up selling that farm and has since passed on.  Part of the sale agreement at the time was that any of the grandkids could fish those ponds as long as they asked permission first.  I'm not sure if those same people own the farm or if those ponds are even still there.  Next time I go back, I'll definintely be stopping by to ask if I can take my daughter to fish the "big pond".

[brushhoggin]

        Nice glenn. The one that hooked me was when i was around 9 years old. I knew nothing about bass fishing. I went up river with my dad to catch bass from a little boat he'd borrowed one day. We weren't really catching anything as I was used to brim or catfishin. We were just happy to be out there.

       Eventually i got the pops to tie on a crankbait cause i thought it looked cool, and I just started chunkin it right out in the middle. After a few casts, i had one on, and it was big. Given the mental image I still have i'd say it was at least 3 pounds, which is huge for a first bass. I'd give anything to see my face in that moment in time. Well given i knew nothing about properly settin a hook or steering a fish in, it came off. My rod fell out of my hands and i just stared where the bass had last jumped. As that spot slowly got closer with the boat drifting down the river towards it (insert surreal silence), i saw the crankbait, floating in two pieces. That beautiful, floating balsa cross section, instilled in me, a potent flavor of revenge so immensly desirable, that I knew from that point forward, it was on like donkey kong.

       20 years later. i've crossed so many eyes on that river, i feel like i've managed a decent revenge, but still have that burning desire to catch bass. 8-)

[Captain Obvious]

I remember the first fish I caught at age eight, a small 1/2 lb bass I caught on a worm while fishing with my dad. I think the real fish that got me started was a 4 lb I caught in my pond on my 12th birthday. I was fishing what you might call a drop shot rig with a live shiner on the hook. All of the sudden my rod fell into the water and when I picked it up I found I had hooked the fish. I ran the half mile back to my house with the fish in my minnow bucket just to show my dad. I haven't stopped after that.

[BigEbass]

Baitfishing primarily from the bank growing up which never "hooked" me into fishing - just a tad over 2 years ago my brother drug me on his canoe bass fishing - was using a floating jointed rapala - got my first topwater bass - then another, then another - since I have been ruined 

[eloo]

As a young teen I fished primarily for crappie on a lake in NW Ohio by trolling minnows on the outside edges of lilypads.One day I saw a big hog roll in the pads no more than 15ft. from the boat.40 yrs. later I can still see the enormous white belly and green sides of that bass which I believe was easily 7lbs. plus.I now live in NH and have recently began fishing again for LMB in ponds.Every time I go out I remember that bass that "hooked" me.

[santacruz]

Kinda of funny but i didnt even catch the fish.A buddy and I were fishing in a stipper pit we like to call the channel.We were both teenagers and not real serious bout bass fishing yet.But i remeber looking over and his rod was bent in half,I was like omg what do you have?When he got it to where I could see it was the biggest bass I had seen to date.Was only like 3-4lbs not a hog by no means but like I said was the biggest bass I had seen.From that day on bass fishing been big part of my life.They closed alot of our stipper pit fishing down around here,sure do miss it.

[MattyG]

Most of my childhood bass was a by catch from striper fishing. Never thought about it until devoting my fishing life to the plugs. Then bass was the main target. I still enjoy a fat striper pulling drag though! ...

[YNCBASSMAN]

my uncle has pics of me when i was 2 and i caught an 8lb mud fish on a snoopy rod and a casting plug.  i've been fishing ever since.  i think it was just bred into me.  i've always been a fisherman, always will be.

[fishermantony]

Baitfishing primarily from the bank growing up which never "hooked" me into fishing - just a tad over 2 years ago my brother drug me on his canoe bass fishing - was using a floating jointed rapala - got my first topwater bass - then another, then another - since I have been ruined

Ha Ha "Ruined" that's an interesting way to put it, I'll say I'm in that catagory with you! 

[SGT Rico]

I lived in Puerto Rico for 9 years and was an avid sea fisherman. My brother and I were avid free divers and spear fisherman, then a good friend of mine asked me if I had ever caught a peacock bass, I said no, so he took me to a lake and we started to fish with live minnows. Then it happened, a big peacock took my bait and snapped my line. I could not believe what had happened, so we fished that whole day and eventually caught my first peacock. It wieghed around 2 pounds and was hooked form that day on!!!

[Alex77]

Great stories!