How long have you been fishing?

Growing up we hardly fished and never got into it until 2008. In the last 4/5 years I have put in a ton of hrs learning how to catch whatever species I decided to target that year. Until a couple summers ago I rarely was able to fish with anyone that was passionate about fishing let alone fishing the river. The past few years of being able to fish with some very good river rats has taught me much more then what I would of learned on my own. Looking back it is pretty awesome what a guy can learn in a few years.

Mom had to shoe the Pterodactyls away from trying to steal our catch.

As long as I can remember, but became much better and more versatile after joining this web site. Dad taught me everything he knew but was just a drop in the bucket compared to the info I’ve acquired right here. Darn good people too!

Every year I like to reflect back, thinking about my “know it all” attitude I had each year.

Every year I realize how little I knew last year, both fishing and professionally.

It’s a fun activity that fills in braid voids waiting for a sturgeon to bite fishing alone.

… Even more fun to think about the person next to you who may be twice your age and have twice the experiences.

If your not in life to learn, your going backwards.

But i still can’t scratch that know it all attitude that accompanies this young guy… That must take some age… Or spam. I dunno

FishBlood&RiverMud wrote:

If your not in life to learn, your going backwards.

True dat!

Its been a couple years but I am pretty sure it was 1954 when I first got bit. As Brian has alluded to, this website has been a source of some pretty down to earth information.

I am convinced that “catching fish” is just the sum of everything else surrounding fishing as a sport. If you are fishing with the singular expectation of catching fish then you are most certainly in the wrong sport.

I think my Dad start teaching me how to fish when I was about 3. He loved to fish and was generous enough to pass that along to me. So basically I have been fishing as long ass I have been alive. I started my kids and granddaughter about that same age.

Tom nailed it when he said “If you are fishing with the singular expectation of catching fish then you are most certainly in the wrong sport.” There is so much more to fishing than catching.

I have been fishing since I could operate a zebco at 3 and am into fishing more now than ever before. I can say I am as fortunate as Dustin also and still think I learn something every time out. I owe a big thank you to sever people that I have learned form recently and thorough the years. What I learn may be of varying value, but I learned something on my last fishing tip on Saturday, the one before that, and the one before that. As important as learning is teaching others, or just passing on ideas also.

39 years ago I was born with a pole in my hand.

About 45-50,000 hrs. on the water fishing. Oh my…lots of waves over the bow since then.

Born in January of ’54–made the first trip on Lake Mille Lacs that following spring…

Born and raised on Lake WI, been fishing as long as I can remember (used to fish before the bus would pick me up for school). Got out of it for a few years after moving away, then realized I had to pick it back up again. Now the wife is hooked on it too (at least ice fishing)

I got out for quite a few years as well. Back in now and not leaving.

Went through some old homework and homemade pics of mine my mom saved for a rainy day when we got older, and funny how everything back when had fishing involved. Something special my Grandpa and Dad got me into right away.

I remember the first time I went fishing with my mom. Ya my mom in her early 20’s and myself. She took me to one of the local bridges here in town that was the first bridge down from the old dam. Dad was a big fishermen but was busy a lot with what he had going at the time.

She threw her pole out and then threw mine out. I was so small that this bridge had concrete railings and posts that held the railing up. She handed me my pole reaching over the handrail and putting the handle through the posts for me to hold until a fish bit. I remember catching a carp or something and she had to reel it in, my head was lower then the handrail. I must have been 4 or 5 maybe 6. I’ve been fishing every since and I’m 65 now, so about 60 too 62 years now, caught a lot of fish since then and a lot of good memories and great catches, and some days where the only thing biting were mosquitoes and some days they weren’t even biting.

Whats rewarding is we taught both of our kids to fish and they still do, plus my boy bowhunts every fall and winter. Daughter just fishes with our grandkids, but does it all by herself.

1967 I was 6.
Pool 2 with my Dad, canoed out to the island below the Ford dam. Caught some white bass and sheephead.

mplspug wrote:

39 years ago I was born with a pole in my hand.

No wonder your mom still frowns when she looks at you.

I can remember going when I was 4. Had to wear a life jacket and was tied to a bridge! That is 60 years ago. Don’t think I have ever went fishing too much in a year. My wife might disagree though!

55 years and still counting, and I have spent those years fishin the Wi. river but mostly the best river ( Mississippi). Sure I’ve fished numerous lakes, Canada, Chip Flowage, Madison chain, etc. But my love has always been and always will be the Big Muddy. So much so My spare time is spent at my lot (that has been past down to me) 3 miles north of PDC. Great fishin, eagles, turtles, ducks,deer, what more could a man ask for. Paradise didn’t come cheap though. Many days of hard work and upkeep. I don’t have a Skeeter or Ranger to fish out of, my needs are simple. 16 ft. Polarcraft extra wide and deep tiller 40 hp. but it’s a fishin machine. It also helps when the little lady ask ME when is the next time to get the boat wet. Yes you might say I’m a lucky man.

53 years.We were dirt poor, a man down the street bought me my first rod and reel, Johnson laker and a wonder rod. I sat on a culvert at Horse lake many day when I was 5, Clarence Domebrock was his name . He was a fishing fool. And one great guy. DK.

This was taken in 59.. Apparently I was doing more fishing than catching even back then..

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Not long enough, but somewhere in the mid to upper 30’s.

Brian Klawitter wrote:

No wonder your mom still frowns when she looks at you.

Because I lie about my age?

I started young. I am sure I was brought fishing at a very young age having older brothers and grandmas cabin.

I also can remember mom and dad tying a clothes pin to a stick and letting me fish in the gutter, in the rain. I had to be young enough to actually believe I could catch something, but old enough where my parents thought it was safe.

I also remember spending summers walking a few blocks to Moore Lake in Fridley. We had to have been around 8 when that started.

I grew up on a small private lake, Dad didn’t fish but I probably started before I was 7 years old. Since then I have become more passionate and addicted to it. That was 40 some odd years ago. I often wonder when my increased passion and addiction will peak

Not long enough… The old man would take me down the Rum River once, maybe twice a year if I was lucky as a kid. We were just to busy as a family when I was younger to get out much. As much as I think my old man enjoyed fishing, he is a motor head at heart. I didn’t really get into fishing till after high school. I still don’t have a boat of my own, but, I got a good friend that has taught me 90% of what I know now. It started with simple river bank fishing with lindy rigs laying on the bottom, too this last Sunday, pulling lead core for my first time on the Big Pond. I owe a huge part of my successes to him and his boats over the years. Thankful for what he’s taught me and what we’ve learned together over the last 15 years. I don’t plan on slowing down and hopefully one of these days a guy will be able to buy his own boat!

I’m 68. Started pan fishing at age of seven with an uncle and grandfather. Bobbers from the bank until high school days. Bought my first boat at 18. first foot control trolling motor was a add on kit made by Shakespear. First depth finder was a green box Lowrance when they first came out, cost over $300.00 which was a lot back then. I still think the best invention contributing to my fishing and hunting enjoyment is gortex. You young guys don’t know what wet and cold are.

I probably started fishing around the age of four (supervised of course). Cane pole in the summer with a willow stick for a stringer. I also remember holding the rod while rowing for northerns. I would reel to the boat and my dad would take it from there. In the winter you would set the hook and run until the fish popped out of the hole.

It was at a very young age that my dad and my uncle Snort taught me that when you go fishing…it’s not always about the fish

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For sure I was fishing regularly when I was 4 years old, and I have been ever since. So it has been 50+ years. The embarrassing part is that after all that time, I should be a whole lot better at it than I am…

I started fishing with my dad as far back as I can remember. When I was 7 or 8 I caught a 14 pound dogfish with him and my brother. That’s the last really prominent memory I have of fishing as a youth. He passed away when I was 12 and I didn’t fish much from then on.

Fast forward to about 6 years ago. I didn’t own a boat so I was limited to when,my one buddy would fish. I’d get out with him 2 or 3 times a year if I was lucky. Finally I bought a boat last year and was out multiple times weekly. I’m now about to upgrade to a bigger boat and hope to be out even more teaching my children to love it the way I do.

I would say about 3 or 4, I was on the ol pontoon wetting a line. So I say about 45 years. Growing up on the lake, it was EVERY day all summer long ! (when we weren’t fishing, we were water skiing)