Who introduced you to fishing?

[Solemate]

My father

[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....

[crewchief2]

My Dad too, started me and my brothers off around 4-5 yrs old catching sunnies in the D & R Canal, some saltwater here and there. Greatest part is we still fish together to this day, Pop is 78, i'm 57. Pic is off Pop and me and two brothers Salmon and Steelhead at Lake Ontario

[jlrotary]

Grew up living next to freshwater creek. My uncle introduced me to fishing at a young age. I was hooked but lost interest in my teenage years. After a bad motorcycle accident I got back into the addiction full blast since 2007. Have been taking my daughter fishing from shore since 4 yrs old. Next weekend she turns 7 and hoping for her 1st saltwater boat fishing experience.

[Inishmore3]

My father never had much interest in doing anything with me. Let alone fishing. Took me once or twice to the pond only because my Mom told him to.

I learned freshwater fishing at the North Branch of the Raritan River by learning from the old guys. I know they are all gone now but I thank them.

We used to spend two weeks in Beach Haven most summers when I was a kid. I'd go to Morrison's with my fishing pole and some squid. The old baymen that hung out there would teach me. And I would catch some fish. They tought me how to crab. My Mom took me to Fisherman's Headquarters and bought me my first crab trap and we picked up some bunker. Went back to the dock and it made my day. Catching crabs and short fluke or oyster crackers. The baymen told me about oyster crackers and what to do with them. Most of the baymen are gone. I thank them.

As far as party boats go the folks on the CA III and Whitestar in Barnegat Light is where I started. I learned from them as a child.

Once I started working and driving a car I would just fish the rivers for trout. Did not saltwater fish for a number of years. Then in the early 2000's started to bluefish on the MBL in Barnegat Light. Then switched to fluke on the CAIII in Barnegat Light. Then they told me how much fun sea bass fishing is. I was hooked. Then I would stop until the next spring. Until the fine folks on the CAIII told me about these little creatures called Blackfish........ That was it. They taught me how to blackfish and the rest is history.

Then I found this site and learned that the Atlantic Highlands past was indeed its past. Some pretty tough customers would hang out there. So I only when once when I was younger. After reading the captains and Gerry on his site I gave Atlantic Highlands a try. Glad I did. I learned from the most experienced fluke fisherman. I went from the lucky keeper to being on the board almost every trip.

The bottom line is unlike most of you learning from family. I learned from people like you. And I thank you for that.

[Gerry Zagorski]

Originally Posted by Inishmore3

My father never had much interest in doing anything with me. Let alone fishing. Took me once or twice to the pond only because my Mom told him to.

I learned freshwater fishing at the North Branch of the Raritan River by learning from the old guys. I know they are all gone now but I thank them.

We used to spend two weeks in Beach Haven most summers when I was a kid. I'd go to Morrison's with my fishing pole and some squid. The old baymen that hung out there would teach me. And I would catch some fish. They tought me how to crab. My Mom took me to Fisherman's Headquarters and bought me my first crab trap and we picked up some bunker. Went back to the dock and it made my day. Catching crabs and short fluke or oyster crackers. The baymen told me about oyster crackers and what to do with them. Most of the baymen are gone. I thank them.

As far as party boats go the folks on the CA III and Whitestar in Barnegat Light is where I started. I learned from them as a child.

Once I started working and driving a car I would just fish the rivers for trout. Did not saltwater fish for a number of years. Then in the early 2000's started to bluefish on the MBL in Barnegat Light. Then switched to fluke on the CAIII in Barnegat Light. Then they told me how much fun sea bass fishing is. I was hooked. Then I would stop until the next spring. Until the fine folks on the CAIII told me about these little creatures called Blackfish........ That was it. They taught me how to blackfish and the rest is history.

Then I found this site and learned that the Atlantic Highlands past was indeed its past. Some pretty tough customers would hang out there. So I only when once when I was younger. After reading the captains and Gerry on his site I gave Atlantic Highlands a try. Glad I did. I learned from the most experienced fluke fisherman. I went from the lucky keeper to being on the board almost every trip.

The bottom line is unlike most of you learning from family. I learned from people like you. And I thank you for that.

Inish - great story. Mine is very similar... Dad worked a lot but luckily I had an Uncle and the Grandfather of a childhood friend who would take us. Made my first trip on a party boat in my late teens. A night Bluefish trip on the Cock Robin and I was hooked. Got my first boat in my early 30s and learned a lot from the old salts down at the dock.

This reminds me that people like you and I need to do our part to pass on the love of this great sport to kids. This sport of ours is something that stays with you for life.. It helps put smiles on faces, takes your mind off of the daily grind and affords us all an opportunity to catch up with old friends and make some new ones too.

Love my time out on the water and would not trade it for anything. It's threapy for me and certainly beats spending money laying on a couch talking to a Shrink.

I also met a lot of great people here, in fact some life long friends. I learned a lot too and that my friend is what this site was intended for.

It's posts like this that make me proud to be associated with the great community of people we have here. NJ's finest!

[bigdc]

My dad.

[dfish28]

My earliest memories I have I was holding a fishing rod of some sorts at my grandparents. My early years were tough and I basically stayed with my grandparents in Neptune, went to school there till 2nd grade got dropped off by "Da" grandfather who would be heading to the beach and I was already jealous as he would fish the Washington ave jetty in Avon all beach season long and I always did it with him, but when school was still in... I was pissed then I couldn't be fishing... Lol and this memory is 1st grade! Lol ... Story goes on since , got older , Da taught me the basics, and I got better, Gam(grandmother) and Da brought me down to Long Boat Key in Florida every Easter vacation from school when I was young, Guess what we did down there,yup.. Fish more, stayed at a condo like place; think it was called Holiday Lodge owned by Wynn Cook- he and Da wound up being friends for fishing reasons to start , they went fishing a lot and I started out boating down in Florida on the reefs with them, down there is where I remember getting seasick, really young but man!... I remember fishing a reef for bottom fish and hooking up with a hammerhead before I lost my two front teeth- awesome !! - fished up here with Da at the shark river - all over all fish possible- flounder fluke blackfish eel weaks snappers ... Got my first doormat from the first ave bulkhead in Avon when they were nice enough to let you fish there! But years before that as well- I was 10...at this age every summer staying at my grandparents that go to the Avon beach every day, I'm in, go to Washington ave with Da every morning at 8:00, he will leave at 2 to get dinner ready, but Gam will come at 12 and stay till 4 or sometimes later- that basically depended on how the fishing was or bodyboarding was. God Bless my grandparents Anthony and Anita. They had a lot to do in making me who I am now .