Who introduced you to fishing?

[BCinerie]

My dad and I would go snapper and fluke fishing in
A 14 ft Starcraft with a 25 evinrude. We used to
Hammer them near mantoloking bridge. And our anual
Greenwood lake trip, I think we caught 1 bass a year !

Good times

[dfish28]

Great topic Max, this is sure to be a best of, somewhat of a tear jerker at first for me ,but thanks for asking! This brought up some real good memories: great question,topic, I bet this will be here for a while!! Tear jerkin Biatch!!!

[Pennsy Guy]

My Dad...took me on a PB out of AC in 1944, I think...some of the guys asked the capt if we weren't going out too far..afraid that a u-boat might blow us up...it got rough in the PM as the wind picked up and one guy got seasick, every time he'd throw up, he'd pull up a fish..someone said he was chumming--after a couple of fish, I asked my dad if he thought it'd be a good idea if we chummed---that got a big laugh...what did I know, I was 7. Still remember that trip as if it was yesterday...
Later on, we went fishing off the bulkead in Ventnor's bay with hand lines..caught my first fish, a small fluke..we didn't have a cooler(box) so it went under a bush out of the sun. Went to get it at the end only to find the SOB who also was fishing there had taken it and was long gone...that was one of "life's lessons" learned....

[Max@Pride Fishing Tackle]

DFish, I agree and I love reading everyone's post. As we can all see and most of us already know, fishing for the most part is a family tradition and part of our heritage. Introduce a kid to fishing and if they stick with it, they'll remember you forever. Happy Holidays

[dfish28]

totally agree Max. growing up in Neptune its sad to see what many of these kids have to deal with I couldnt believe the gang thing had such a hold on so many in so few years of not being around there every day. we need to step up to the plate and change some mindset. it is truly upsetting to hear the road that many of our next generation are taking. If I had the money I would run a free "inner cities" party boat just to show more of our youth the light. Try to change the downhill to an uphill.

[fishinanalyst]

Wow, this is all really precious. Love reading every one.

For me, no one around me fished but I just had an innate desire to fish. My father or mother would drive me to the lake and let me do my thing which I'd read up on in books and magazines. Once I started driving, I would go and learn from folks at the water. This is all freshwater fishing around Chicago.

Here in jersey, I did a lot of Internet recon and just learned from folks on the party boats, surf, and wherever I came across friendly knowledgeable people to get proficient in saltwater fishing.

Good thread.

[FishNDoc]

For me it was my Dad. He took me and my brothers to Sandy Hook at an early age to learn how to surf fish. We did not catch much, but we learned how to use our thumbs casting or undo a birds nest. The best part was stopping at Stewart's on the way home!!!!

[Dollar Bill]

My Dad. Grew up in Garfield and back then it was OK for dads to bring their kids to the bar to hang out. Everyone either hunted,fished or both. Used to go on bus trips with him to Point Judith cod fishing. One trip at 12 years old I got so sick but caught a 21 lb cod, which for me was huge, so it made up for being sick. That was the last time I ever got sick on a boat and got me addicted to saltwater fishing.

Growing up we fished on friends boats either bluefishing or flukin off Sandy Hook. We had our own and used to crab in Barnegat all the time.

Finally in 93 I got my own boat and returned the favor by taking him and his friends fishing. He fished for a few more years until his legs started giving out on him and it was too much to be on a rockin boat. After that he always wanted a fishing report as soon as I got home (pre cell phone days). Miss him much!

[njadam]

My dad. Started fishing in 1986 on Lake Hopatcong with a 1969 Glastron (dad bought the boat 2 weeks after I was born - no idea how he pulled that one off) and then bought an ocean going boat in 1994 which we still have today. Fish just about every weekend in the Raritan bay during the summer.

[Detour66]

My Grandfather. He got me started when I was about 7. We would go out to the east end of L.I almost every weekend to fish for Flounder,Fluke and Codfish. Damn do I miss him!