What was the force that drove you to Bass Fishing?

[Durand Dan]

Tell me what prompted you to take on Bass Fishing. My story is this.
About 15 years ago my wife asked this question, "Don't you think you need a hobby?" Up until that point all I did was work at my revenue job and garden. Growing up I had been introduced to fishing by my father who took the family ice fishing on Saginaw Bay and several summer trips to the Bayport area. When I got married I focused on raising a family and working 60-70 hours a week. Well the guy who lived across the street, Larry, asked me if I wanted to go out to Lobdell to go Bass fishing one day. I inquired as to what I would need to bring to catch some fish. He took me over to Meijer's where I bought an Ugly Stick and a cheap Shiamono reel. Well the trip was awesome! I ended up catching about twice the amount of Bass as Larry on the only bait I had. A Slugo! The rest is history. I've invested thousands of dollars in a boat and equipment and ever since year my ability to boat keeper bass declines

[Skulley]

I had fished quite a bit when I was a kid with my Uncle.  When I had met my wife, I hadn't been fishing in quite a few years here in Michigan.  My Uncle had since retired to Florida so I fished every year after that but only down there.  My wife had come over to my house where I was living and saw a bunch of rods and tackle along with my 12 foot inflatable boat.  She said that that gear does no one any good collecting dust and leaning against a wall.  So we planned to take the boat and gear and go out to Island Lake State Park.  We went all the way to the back of the park which was where Island Lake was.  We inflated the boat and rowed out on the lake and fished for the whole day.  Of course we had a cooler and spent the day eating, drinking, and fishing.  After that the rest is history.  Now we are married with children and fishing for bass has become a way of life for our family.  It keeps us together and in touch with our children.  Both my kids have fished tournaments with me and this year my wife will more than likely join me for the Division 53 Tournaments in NBAA on Friday Nites. 


BD           

[billy8878]

When I was a kid fishing St. Clair in fishers bay. I was throwing topwater and had A LOT of action, all largemouth bass. Now I just have to start concentrating on the smallies.

[Manxfishing]

Well,
This is my 2nd year really targeting Bass and my first year fishing tournaments for them
I think I did all right, 12 tournaments, 2 wins, 2 big bass a few 4th and 5th and far to many skunks.
Hoping to do much better next year


Grew up fishing as a kid
But we fished the creeks or the city park in Farmington, any place there might be a fish or chub. And fishing with my Dad was a treat.
We had a small boat and fished for any thing, (Bass, Pike or pan fish)
Then my dad bought a bigger boat and we all ways walleyed fished after that
So I'd really say I'm a walleye fisherman.. Love trolling but I can jig
Started targeting bass because a few friends fished for them and when we went walleye fishing they would get sick. So we went bass fishing
But I do enjoy the inland lakes for bass, there calm, the water is clear and there close


UAWBigDog
I'm planning on fishing a few of the Div. 53 tournaments as well
Looks like a nice choice of lakes.

[Hooksetter]

My dad started taking me fishing with my uncles and older cousins when I was 4. All we ever fished for were panfish, with the occasional night fishing trip for catfish. We went just about every weekend if weather permitted.

One summer while we were camping at Bruin Lake my dad runs into a guy he works with at GM and he invites us to go fishing with him the next day. We motor over to Highland Lake and he starts chuckin' a Mepps spinner around. I had never seen one before so I asked what he was doing. He explained about bass fishing but I was not really interested in it, he was not catching anything and we were filling the boat with bluegills. All of a sudden he gives a yell for the net and my dad boats a big bass for him. I sat there and watched him catch 3 more in 4 or 5 casts and I was hooked.

My dad got me a Mitchell 300 spinning reel paired with an Abu Garcia Conolon rod and a few Mepps for my next birthday, I was 11. I've been chasing 'em ever since.

Willie

[Mike S.]

My dad started taking me fishing when I was 3.  When I was 10, we moved back to Louisiana, and had awesome bass fishing.  We were only 17 miles from Toledo Bend.  So, I grew up in the southern states, and got to catch big bass as a kid.  Needless to say, that thrill stuck with me.  It took a backseat to many different motor sports for a while, but I have come back to my senses, and now want to fish more than anything.

[LGMOUTH]

 Like many, my dad was the biggest influence for me to bass fish. Ive been doing it all my life. When I was 8 years old I caught my biggest bass in Michigan (7 1\2lbs). Ive been trying to beat that for the past 31 years and havent done it yet, but I sure am having fun trying.

[motocross269]

My Grandpa lived on a lake up north...Back then you could go from dock to dock pan fishing and no one would say a word...We used to run up to Canada Pike and Walleye fishing every year...
In my Adult years I was too busy racing motorcycles and with the Army....I Fished a few Redman/Operation Bass tournaments in the late 80s early 90s but that was about it...3 years ago I retired from the Army and had more time..My first year out I started racing some Motocross again..The competition was super tough and I either had to spend more money, train and race more or be happy finishing mid pack...I couldn't handle that so I started looking for something else competitive to do as a hobby...
I started searching around for the old Redman circuit and found out it was now called the FLW Oudoors BFL circuit..I joined that organization and got registered for that series as a Co Angler...A month or so after that I joined Team Bass and have been fishing with them for the last few years....
I still have alot to learn, and I pick up something new in every tournament....It is a struggle to balance the Family, finances, work and time, so I have had to go at a somewhat leisurely pace,  but so far I have had a blast and have made some good friends....

See you on the water,
B

[Flippin222]

The moment I became hooked on bass fishing is clear as day (even if it did happen 28 years ago). I was fishing with my Grandpa on a small lake near Battle Creek. He loved trolling original silver Rapala's behind his little aluminum boat with the tiller steer johnson outboard. We would go out for hours, talk, eat lunch, and have a blast. Generally you could catch 40-50 bass in 1/2 a day (most were 10-12 inches).

However on this particular day, I decided to throw out a Mann's Black Jelly worm that had been rigged on a crawler harness complete with a single orange spinner in the front. Shortly after the bait had settled, the rod loaded up with an unusual amount of weight. I told my Grandpa I had one and he said "looks like weeds to me" and continued on his way with the motor. I argued with him for a few seconds that it was indeed a fish, but he was convinced it was weeds. Just as he turned around to look behind the boat, a "massive" largemouth cleared the water by what seemed like 4 feet (more like a foot).

I eventually got the fish in and after a few "Son of a Gun's" we decided to weigh the fish. His old rusty scale groaned with the weight of the fish as we placed it on the hook. Finally it settled on a mind boggling 3 lbs even (not bad for a 7 year old). We let the fish go as Grandpa said "when they get that big, there is no sense in keeping 'em - they taste like #$#%! We spent the rest of the day on that lake trolling these jelly worms around the lake; talking about that one fish.

That was the day I fell in love with bass fishing.

Now my Grandpa has passed and I have caught several bass over 7 lbs out of the same lake. However, for me, none of them will ever compare to that one bass.

Today I fish tournaments with my wife and kids. The only thing that has come close to that one bass, I caught with my Grandpa 28 years ago, has been watching the joy on my children's face as they catch a bass (regardless of the size).

[McCarter]

I dont know if he would be considered a "force" but Jimmy Houston is the one who got me into fishing.  When i was 5 or 6, i used to wake up extra early so i could beat my sister to the TV on saturday mornings so i could watch the cartoons i wanted to instead of Rainbow Brite and My little Pony or whatever cartoons she watched back in the day.  Anyway, I was surfing through the channels looking for He-Man or Transformers when i caught a short glimpse of a chubby face, pumpkin pie haircutted freak holding a big fish and giggling like an escaped lunatic.  I changed the channel back to see what his problem was and ended up watching for a couple minutes.  Pretty soon i was fascinated watching him catch fish after fish on a spinnerbait.  I watched until the show was over and into the next show which was either Bill Dance or Orlando Wilson, either way, again fascinated by the fish they were catching.  Well, needless to say, next saturday i was up and at em early again and out watching more fishing.  Eventually, my parents caught on and asked me what was up with the fishing shows.  No one in my immediate family fished, tho i did learn later in life that my grandfather ( he passed away when i was 8 ) was a finatic when it came to fishing of any kind, so it seemed odd to them that i was starting to become obsessed with watching it on television.  Not long after discovering this great sport on the tele, i was spending my allowance on fishing poles and tackle boxes and lures.  Again, very strange since i lived in Garden City and quite a ways from anywhere i could actually use this stuff.  So i spent a lot of my spare time standing atop the slide on our swing set and casting across the fence into our nextdoor neighbors swimming pool.  Now, it wasnt just my parents who thought i was weird, the neighborhood was starting to catch onto me as well.

Fast forward 5 years and I am now 10 years old and moving from Garden City to Highland.  Not happy about it either.  I didnt want anything to do with leaving my school and friends to move out to what i thought at the time was cowboy country.  That all changed when we pulled into the driveway of our new home and i seen the glimmering of open water across the street.  A fully stocked pond almost right in our front yard.  Needless to say, the first thing I unpacked was my Zebco 404 and tackle box.  The next 5 years on that pond are where i really cut my teeth on bass fishing.  I fished everyday before and after school, all weekend long, in the rain, in the snow, in the dark, it didnt matter.  While most kids were playing video games and getting into trouble, i was catching bass.  When i was 14 i got my first job so i could afford to buy new fishing gear.  By 17, i bought my first boat.  And by 21 my first bass boat.  Im 31 now and cant imagine how different my life would be had i not caught a glimpse of Jimmy 26 years earlier.

McCarter himself

[dartag]

I got a late start.  I never really bass fished until I was 45.  My brother came over one day with a bag of Senkos.  Some rubber worm a guy out west was selling.  Having never bass fished on my lake we gave it a try.  I remember telling my bro that a fish would never eat a rubber worm.  Boy was I wrong.  The smallmouth were spawning and we caught fish all day.   One of the guys I worked with was fishing the BFL's and convinced me to fish as a co-angler.  My first bass tournament was the St-Clair BFL in 2003.  I drew Scott Emery as my boater.  We each had a nice limit when his lower unit blew,  so we spent the rest of the day drifting and talking.   We made it back to the weigh-in but were late and got DQ'd.  I did weigh my fish and would have had enough to get a check. My FLW profile shows 5 fish 0 weight for my first event.   After that I was hooked.  I fished a few more years as a co-angler in the BFL's and Everstarts which really taught me a lot.  I finally got my own boat in 2005. I like fishing the weeknight NBAA events. Kind of missed a lot of fishing last year, but am looking forward to 2010.

Steve Smith
Commerce, Mi




PS  one thing i learned from this thread.  Mc Carter is 31.   I have socks that old.  They even smell like him.

[Waterfoul]

For me it was the creek next to the house (deeper holes held blue gills and some small bass) and the neighbors pond across the street.  It didn't have many bass in it so we would would bike our way around the southern end of Kent County to every pond we could get on... stocking our neighbors pond!  We had home made rod racks for our bikes and a bucket that ho0ked on the handlebars.

[thedude]

my grampa got me into fishing when i was young by taking me to canada for walleye and pike (and the occasional smallie). we'd get back in indiana and all we had were a few ponds so i fished those...


since i was fishing farm ponds i guess bill dance must've been the driving force...

[bosshawg]

 i quess this is a good topic to get back into. its been a while since i've last posted anything let alone once in a while to visit.
but i'll have to give credit to two of my uncle's. one lived on pontiac lake and the other on saginaw bay. of course all started w/bobber fishing for bluegills and perch. i was the only one from family that took a big interest into wetting a line and took to it every time i went to visit. and after my first 6lb bass i guessed it got me "hooked" forever. back in the 80's i joined my first bass club, started to fish some local tournaments, etc. etc. out of a 12' alum. w/a 10hp motor and a homemade livewell out of a cooler. must've looked funny up against all these fiberglass bigger boats. but you had to start somewhere....
2008 wasn't a good year due to medical and did not fish that whole summer and kept a low profile this year as still unemployed and $$ issues. only did club events and a open or so. want to get back into weekly NBAA for this coming year and looking forward to alot more fishing.

here's wishing all a Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays.

as always our club is doing the trout pond again at the fishing show, so bring your kids and stop to say hello.

dave l.

[mikesmiph]

It was my grandfather. Fished with him my whole childhood. Used to get the whole family out for days at the lake, with a picnic. Mostly bluesgills. Always with a bobber. When I was in my early teens, I got ahold of some magazine or other, and read some articles about bass fishing. I bought a couple lures, and started throwing them when I was out with my grandpa. He had a fit the first couple times, till I started catching more and bigger fish then him. Got him a little interested, but then time caught up with him. I sure do miss him. Now I take my granddaughter with me every chance I get. She loves to fish. Some of you met Veronica on Halloween. More of you will meet her in Novi. I'll never forget going out in my first bass boat, thinking what my grandpa would have thought of it. He wouldnt have liked the speed, but they sure are a lot nicer to fish out of then a rowboat.

[capt charlie's charters]

Dad got me hooked on fishing, first big fish I ever caught was a huge (in my eyes) carp that I talked my dad into taking home and keeping alive in a dish pan of water for a short time, was around 5.  Then old enough for the Det River perch runs, over to the steel mill in Canada...Dad would say "darn American waters, fish taste like crap".  Dad had some old jitter bugs in his box that he never threw, since he was a walleye fanatic and meat eater and on our annual summer trip north I caught my first bass ever one of those bugs and I was hooked!  He'd wake me up in the morning to go trolling and I'd beg off with some excuse, soon as I heard the old 7 1/2 Evinrude fire up and putt away from the dock I'd fly out of bed, grab one of the rowboats and row
to the nearest lilly pad bed I could find. I remember watching Challenge match fishing, two guys at each end of the boat with a refer and dotted line across the middle to make sure casts were legal.  Cracks me up now to think of what a big deal they made over 10-12" bass that they caught, but it got my competitive juices flowing.  Buddy at work use to host a plant bass fishing tournament and thats how I found my way into the world of tournament fishing! Now if I could just find my way into the world of winning...   





 

[Jmcfarland]

When I was 12 my brother and I fished everyday for walleye out of a 12' starcraft rowboat with a 10 horse Johnson on it. We were camped out on Pickeral Lake building our new house with our dad. Our dad was a walleye and perch fisherman but never really got into bass fishing. One day he brought home a package of rubber worms and some weedless hooks. He told us all you had to do is "cast up in the reeds and twitch it back to the boat". The next day my brother and I tried them out. With no fish caught in the first 2 hours we went walleye fishing instead. It was probably the next summer in the first part of June when I caught my first smallmouth bass on one of the worms. I'll never forget that fish. I had fished hard with those worms the summer before with no success and when I finally caught that one fish you would have thought I won the bassmaster classic. I brought him back to the dock and weighed him and took a picture then released him. I cant remember what he weighed (about 2 pounds)but I still have the picture. So i guess in the end it is my dad that drove me to bass fishing. He probably kicks him self for it being he likes to eat walleye so much, but I have been a bass guy ever since.

[brownie]

I fished alot as a kid but never was a serious bass fisherman until my early 30's.  Before then I would travel from Indiana to Wisconsin or Minn. and Muskie fish.  One day I read there was a bass club being formed and they were looking for members so a friend and I attended a meeting.  At first, I thought these guys were nuts.  They were talking about national tournaments run by some guy named Ray Scott that had a 75.00 entry fee and traveling to lakes in Alabama, Georgia and Texas to fish.  Then the subject changed to spinner baits, Bomber lures and Texas rigged worms and I was lost; however, I learned quickly and two years later owned a Ranger, was winning some club tounaments and was the clubs Mr Bass one year.  To show how long ago this happened, the Ranger was purchased new in 1973.  I  still own and fish out of this boat. Its on its third outboard, fourth tolling motor and is the best piece of fishing equipment I ever bought. 

Brownie

[djkimmel]

I like that story!

[Got Fish??]

I started out fishing with my father at a vary yung age. We fished a lot of big water. My father then started to guide and charter on St Clair and Erie, witch I worked on for many years. I met UAWBig Dog a few years back. He took me bass fishing.I have been hooked ever since. UAWBigDog is a vary good angler. Any time I get to out fish him out of the back of his boat, I am there!