Author Topic: How long have you been bass fishing? (Read 589 times)

Skipper · « **on:** September 25, 2003, 01:49:35 PM »

I'm 35 now, and I fished my first tournament at 7. Yeah, I know, It was a father son deal the bass club had, but I had fun doing it. I've fished tournaments since about 1988. Now that I'm married and have too many responsibilities, I don't fish as many as I once did, but I still fish about 14 a year. The more irons you get in the fire the less time you have to do it right, but right or wrong, I love to bass fish.

Skipper

broken arrow · « **Reply #1 on:** September 25, 2003, 11:20:07 PM »

When I was 9 in 1973 I hooked my first largemouth with a "red-devil" spoon. (Or did he hook me??) in any case, I've done it avidly since then. I only now am able to afford it though. TAKE A KID FISHING!!!!!

1911crazy · « **Reply #2 on:** September 26, 2003, 02:45:53 PM »

I'm 53 been fishing since 6 been trout/ panfishing my whole life very little bass fishing until 5 years ago my youngest son broke his leg doing motocross he was so bored me and his girlfreind(tomboy) took him fishing cast and all. We started catching bass and i was hooked the hell with trout what was I thinking?? There is nothing like having a LM bass on the line even the 1 and 2 lbers are tough fighters. Then comes the small mouths even better fighters. I'm hooked for sure if my health didn't go bad so quick I'd have my 25k bass boat in the garage right now. But I manage from shore and do pretty good since no one is really serious fishing from shore about it. You have to have the tackle to really do it and i learned all this stuff does really work!!!!! Picking the right pattern along with the right presentation catches fish!!!! Its SKILL not luck in fishing!!!!!!! While we will never be experts or know everything there is to know we are always still learning on every trip we take its a never ending story!! I have missed many years of great bass fishing now that I'm retired early I will make up for it. BigBill

my first lure experience was with a mepps inline spinner one night just before a front came in. I was reeling in nightcrawler and had a strike so I figured they wanted something moving well after I caught a few bass I gave one(mepps) to my son we caught so many bass that night I lost count we had many doubles!!!!! So my quest for lures began and I bought stuff just to test and see if it really works and have learned how to use it too. My next hottest lures was a Rapala 2 3/4". My next story during the winter involves Hank Parker he was on TV fishing lake Wini in new hampshire in the fall(taped) and he was killing smallmouths and was using Manns crankbait baby 1 in crawdadbrown I went down to walmart in a snow storm to get some so I would have them when spring came. And guess what they do work I caught so many bass on the manns crankbaits too. It seems everytime I interduce a new bait to local fishing spots it works for that season then it seems to slow up then its time for something new again and it starts all over again. The fish learn my baits!!!!!! But I do get to fool them many times before they do. Last month I caught a bass on a senko type bait the following day I caught the same bass on a new rapala jointed shad rap he had the scars from the hook from my senko from the day before now thats fooling them!!!!! I may not be a pro but I'm as serious as one its me against the fish thats my competition. I get into my own zone block out everything around me and focus on what I'm doing. I want to be the best i can be and punish myself when I'm not and when I make mistakes if I do bad. Then i go home and review in my mind what i did wrong then plan my next trip for the following day. Its a regroup and attack again!! And i do correct my mistakes and do better. But i do find myself not having the patience sometimes to sit and throw my ritual of baits till something hits. I don't change baits enough and stay with one too long. I know the bass are there its just finding what bait they will hit on. Somedays I can just focus and do it right picture perfect just like a pro and somedays maybe I'm just mentally burn't from fishing everyday. Thats my story somedays I do great and somedays not so great but i still try and have the same drive and motivation to keep going thats what bass fishing is to me. The success isn't anything but releasing the bass to spawn again and keep this great sport going for many years to come thats the feeling I get!!! I'm going to keep on doing this till my circle of life is complete!!!

Lawdog · « **Reply #3 on:** September 27, 2003, 11:26:22 AM »

I caught my first bass at the age of 7 in the spring of 1954. My father and grandfather had us kids out fishing for catfish when this bass took my baited hook(had a small live crawdad on) and headed for another part of the lake. Scared and excited me at the same time. Landed that monster(all of maybe 2 lbs.) and have been hooked on bass ever since. My dream is to catch a large mouth over 20 lbs. before I head off to the next fishing hole. This kind of dream is what keeps you in there casting. Lawdog

Skipper · « **Reply #4 on:** September 27, 2003, 02:00:30 PM »

I'd settle for one of them Ole Brown fish in the 9 pound range.

I had a freind some years ago who happened to hold the lake record at the time for Kissemmi Lake in Fla, a 17+ pound lm. He always said his dream was to die on Norris Lake with the world record smallmouth on the end of the line.

Some 12 years ago, he had a heart attack on Norris Lake. There were 3 smallies in the livewell, and nobody knows what was on the end of his line. He was out in front of a shoreline development and just slumped over in the seat dead. Construction workers swam out to him.

Skipper