Who Have You Passed The Sport On To?

[Captin Obvious]

Ok we all say that we help promote the sport but seeing is believing.

Post a picture right here of anyone you've taken fishing. Can be anyone doesn't matter who. And it doesn't have to be bass fishing ether.

I got this yesterday when I hit the lake for an hour. Of course my younger brothers wanted to come along so I took'em. 5 minutes in and they had a double.

[Fishing Cowgirl]

I've helped encourage my step-son to fish. We took him fishing to Lake O. He was "into video games only, now he's beginning to like fishing".

[SoFlaBassAddict]

My daughters. Although they'd much rather use shiners, they're starting to have a small collection of plastics.

Man, that second picture is an older one. Ole blondie sure had some snaggle-tooth going on for a while while her new teeth were coming in.

[ChiCityBasser]

My son with his first couple of fish on a shallow crankbait using one of my rods which was really to long for him but he wanted to do everything after he hooked them.

[Vance Jones]

my lil man. my 7 year old son. have got him on worms and the traditional bobber. next year he says he wants to go open face and fish how his dad fishes. so i'll get him doing that. he's been really working on his casting and it's improved drastically since last year. this pic was taken at a local boat dock here on tellico lake in eastern tn

[Fishing Rhino]

This question comes up from time to time. I'll ask this question in response. Why do you or I want to "promote", or "grow" the sport.

If someone is interested, I'll gladly help them. But I'm not about to go out recruiting for the sport of fishing. It's not everyone's cup of tea.

I'll tell you who wants us to promote the sport of fishing. Those who have a financial interest in the sport. It can be your local bait shop, the megastores like BPS and Cabelas, or, the pros, whose income is related to the popularity of the sport. If you are a weekend warrior, or an avid recreational fisherman, promoting/growing the sport increases fishing pressure, puts more people on the water, and thus is actually detrimental to the recreational fisherman.

Don't misunderstand, I do not resent folks who want to fish as though they are intruding into my domain. I'll share what knowledge I have with anyone. I'll also tell them places where I've done well, right down to the particular spots. If you want your kids to fish with you great, as long as they are genuinely interested. But if they'd rather play golf, go hiking, or maybe another watersport, then God bless 'em.

The only way I "promote" fishing is by feeding the bait monkey.

[SirSnookalot]

IMO the intent of the original post is trying to pass your love for fishing as a recreational activity to your kids, gr children, good friend, etc. I love talking fishing to anyone even the guy sitting on the edge of the road with a cane pole. I enjoy watching others catch fish as much as I enjoy catching them myself, I get more satisfaction of seeing a newbie catch a great fish. For the times I wish to fish with a more serious attitude I have plenty of places to go where I will be all alone.

[islandbass]

Very interesting and valid ways to look at perceiving the passing of the sport.

I "pass it on" or "share it with others" because it is a joy to share this passion with others. They might or might not like it and that is beside the point.

I've shared it with kids, starting with my own, and other family members and seniors.

For the last group, the seniors, some were fishing for the first time, and others were looking to rekindle the joy they once had fishing when they were younger.

Just today, I took two seniors fishing for smallmouth bass. They both had a blast. More would have come, but the weather forecast (rain) for the day changed their minds. Luckily, the weatherman was wrong. There was not a drop of rain. Sunny skies (but not warm) and fishing for Smallmouth Bass in the heart of Seattle, without the need for a boat? Now that is awesome.

NOTE: Pics of seniors are not from today's trip.

She caught 5 bass this day.

Seniors fishing off the dock. Perch, SM Bass and Blue Gill were caught in the same spot.

The kids targeting Blue Gills. I love this shot!

Daughter's first salmon.

My dad's first silver salmon. He caught two different species in one day.

[Captin Obvious]

Great pictures people keep'em coming.

And just so we are clear I realized I put "Past" instead of "Passed" total brain fart

Capt.O

[Hound_dog]

Every year my bass club helps out with the Georgia Firefighters Burn Foundation Camp Oo-U-La with an outdoors day for the kids at the camp. For some of these kids this is the first time they have ever been fishing. I do it because I like seeing the joy it brings these kids. Some of these kids will never go fishing again for one reason or another. For at least one day they were able to enjoy what we get to enjoy on a regular basis.

Another way to look at it is like this: Let say the person you introduce fishing to one day becomes a poltician. A different politician brings a bill to vote to ban fishing or some type of lure in the State or Federal Government. This person you introduced fishing to might be the person to stand up against this bill to have it defeated for those of use that love to fish. You never know who the person you introduce to fishing is going to become. The impression you make might have far greater impact in the future than you might could have ever guessed. This is all the more reason we all need to be good ambassadors for our sport.

[Bill Bessette]

I took my 3 sons fishing at a very early age and have continued to do so for the last 30 years. My son TJ took to the sport the most and became a very good bass fisherman, competing in a Vermont bass club every summer now for the past few years. Whenever he say dad taught me that, it pleases me to say the least.

A couple years ago I was fishing with him on Lake Champlain and he caught the largest Bass I had ever seen all the years we had been fishing. Maybe not that large for Florida but it was a trophy here in Vermont.

6lbs 8oz

[kms399]

My son loves fishing, it usually works for him to just play around in the boat and when I catch something I let him reel it in. My daughter went out for her first time 2 weeks ago and while we didn't catch many fish she had a blast playing with the worms you can see the dirt on her face, she and her brother decided to give the worms baths in a ziplock bag since we werent catching anything.

[RoLo]

Good topic, Captain:

I’ve had several first-timers on my boat, mostly coworkers and old friends.

Closer to home, I introduced my daughter Dawn to fishing as soon as she was able to walk.

During her early childhood Dawn was exposed mainly to freshwater fishing, but by the time she reached her teens

I took her on many offshore trips. My daughter married a non-fishing husband, but remarkably she convinced him

to take a fishing vacation in Canada at Rideau Lakes. Today she has two boys who also pursue fishing.

A good sport, Dawn poses with a slimy carp in her lap.

A little older, she's hoisting her doormat fluke (summer flounder)

A lot older, Dawn is holding a 7-lb weakfish she caught off Sandy Hook, New Jersey (northern seatrout)

Roger

[grimlin]

Great pictures everybody. I got my kid out there today. Really need to learn to bring a camera though.

[J Francho]

Here's Big Al at around 5 years old. He's 12 now, and was just out with me Saturday.

[ChiCityBasser]

Great pics and great posts.

[Nice_Bass]

Still working with her on her patience on the boat- but whenever we can I take her out.

She only lasts so long on the boat- and when the water is warm enough I can at least let her swim and play for a while in between fishing...for now, usually just take her to a local pond. Cant wait till shes old enough to stay on the boat for hours- she turns 4 this september and works soft plastics already (stickbaits)

edit- for some reason it will not allow me to upload picture, but- maybe someday i will figure it out.

Edited May 31, 2011 by nice_Bass

[J Francho]

Why do you or I want to "promote", or "grow" the sport.

For the most part, we "pass" this love of fishing on to our kids. That's why. It's not always corporate in nature.

[Captin Obvious]

I don't consider passing the sport on to people as forcing them into it.

I have created a monster with my two younger brothers, both of them love bass fishing as much as I do and one of them has a serious issue with the bait monkey already.

Great posted and pictures guys.

Capt.O

(Thanks for fixing my mistake grammar)