I started seriously bass fishing 40 years ago.
Hard to explain, I still love the pursuit.

Lot of friends and a lot of stories.
It has enriched my life tremendously.

I swear, I think at one point it kept me sane......being able to get out on the water, enjoy the serenity and peace of mind.

How about you?
How long and how has it changed you.

It really got serious back in the 60's and fishing quickly cost me a marriage by 1970. By 1982 I had the second marriage under my belt; so now it is getting really serious; like sleeping in my truck at the boat ramps. My life changed in 82 to complete my Masters Degree and take some time out of FISHING. Moved across the US. to get that done quickly and then to Odessa, TX. to finish out my Coaching career. Finally a marriage sticks in 82 as we move to Odessa to Coach. It didn't take me long to get out of that and back to fishing. She fished with me and went to Mexico with me until our daughter reached 16 years old and began to drive. Someone had to stay close to home; so guess who that was. Mama didn't care how long I was gone fishing as long as i was winning. Spent about 25K per year for 20 years Tournament Fishing which included trucks, boats, Tourn. Fees, Motels and other expenses.

Mexico has spoiled me. Wish I had all those Tournament Dollars back so i could have a house in Mexico to retreat to during this retirement. Going down there with friends would mean so much more. It has been a long and wonderful ride except for the fist part of loosing everything twice to wives that were not understanding.

Reeltexan, the same with me.....started bass fishing 45 years ago on the local Sabine River and Toledo Bend lake. Lots of great memories with friends and family. Still enjoy the serenity and peace of mind you speak of. Don't fish tournaments any more but just for fun now that I'm retired.

Atleast 27 years. Amen on the stories. And a few great ones with you! Fishing allows me to be alone with my thoughts. Its like therapy.

I have fished for bass since 1971 with a worm and minnows. LONG TIME, but it has been a GREAT adventure. LOTS of friends and even some friends lost, too. May GOD rest their souls. LOTS learned and LOTS of friends.

Tight lines, keep safe and good luck.

Thad Rains

Well I have been fishing for 47+ years and I am still learning.

Having been raised by dirt poor parents, we lived in a trailer in a KOA camp at Lavon. Fished to eat a lot of the times. The occasional bass, but mostly crappie and catfish.

Now days, it�s different. My parents have retired millionaires, and I get to fish for fun. Haven�t filleted a catch in many, many years. My wife says, �you ain�t right, if you don�t get to fish!� So, I get �right� 3-5 days a week.

I have fond memories of fishing with my dad. He wasn�t a bass guy though. So my memories were of Lewisville Fishing Barge twice a week as a really young kid in the 70�s. Followed by the occasional trinity river under Highway 121 (back when 121 was a two lane highway and The Colony was the middle of nowhere and around 200 houses with a StopNGo c store). My parents first new house was built there in 1975.

I miss those days of fishing with my dad.

You guys that still have living fathers need to cherish every trip.

Started in 1973 throwing a Heddon Hellbender in my grandfathers farm pond for smallmouth . I was lucky that I had an Uncle and a Grandfather that introduced me and helped me foster a passion for fishing.
Today , I fish to enjoy the time away from other things , kinda like my sanctuary . There is no chance I am the man that I am today without bass fishing.

My first memory�s of life are fishing. My grandfathers fished all the time .. crappie and cats. I�m 52 now. Caught a 5 bass on a cream pre rigged worm when I was 5. The bass bug bit me hard and I was hooked! I fished tournaments when I was in my early 20�s up to my 30�s but got tired of all that mess. I�ll fish a friendly one with a friend from time to time but that�s it. I find so much peace in fishing! I love being on the water. Teaching my daughter now. The friends I�ve made through the years mean the world to me. But watching your kids fall in love with fishing means everything. I love to bass fish but crappie and cats are awesome fish too. If it wasn�t for fishing I�m not sure where I would be today.

My Dad bless his old heart was and is a terrible fisherman, so I've had to teach myself. However he took me out there a few times, enough to get me hooked, and it stuck. Now I take him out and show him the ropes.

Point being just take your kids out there so what if you aren't good enough to teach them fishing, you are good enough to teach them to love the outdoors.

Have bass fished for the last 30 years. Previous to that played fastpitch softball tournaments all around Texas for 20 years after I got out of high school. Did do a lot of pond fishing and family had a place on Whitney so I go to play around but when I called it quits on playing ball I immediately went into learning to bass fish and followed the same lifestyle of tournament fishing. Spent all of the 90's and beyond pretty much on the lake almost every weekend. I don't do that anymore with 4 grown kids and 8 grandkids but still could not see myself not fishing at least a club tournament every month. Never thought about it much but have always rather be fishing a tournament or practicing for one than just fun fishing. That is changing a little as I now am purchasing a Fish & Ski boat so that I can still bass fish but am looking just as much into taking family and friends out and just chase other types of fish and have fun running around the lakes.
I am lagging behind on one goal I started when it finally hit me years ago that there is no age limit on how long you can tournament fish. When I first started tournament fishing I was 30 years old. Each decade 30-40-50 I was lucky enough to win a tournament. I am now 66 and have hit a drought at not winning one in my 60's. I am going to have to buckle down and get one so I can prepare myself for my 70's.
Of course there is one major thing as a result of being addicted to this sport and that being that there are no amount of winning tournaments that can replace the most important thing of all and that being the tons of awesome friends and people I have met. Some just being people in passing but some turning into lifelong friends.
RIP - Robert Hargrove!

Been at it 32 years. It never gets old dreaming about the possibilities that could be lurking just under the surface. One of my favorite quotes sums it up best: "Time is probably more generous to an angler than to any other individual. The wind, the sun, the open air, the colors and the smells, the loneliness of the seat or the solitude of the stream, work some kind of magic." - Zane Grey

I swear, I think at one point it kept me sane......being able to get out on the water, enjoy the serenity and peace of mind.

THIS!!!^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Great stories. I grew up water skiing like every weekend, every vacation was camping and skiing. Best job I ever had was pulling rich kids around Inks lake for Camp Longhorn. Fishing was just something you did to pass the time until the lake calmed down to get the best slalom runs in. Then had 4 kids and invested 30 years to them. Started fishing about 10 years ago when my back gave out and took water skiing off the table. Bass fishing about 4 years ago. So I have much to learn and I'm thankful for this forum. But bass fishing keeps me sane. I'd still rather ski but being on the water is the best of the best. Something about God's creation to ground you.

Thanks for all the help guys. You experts never realize how much your expertise means to people like me. I also fish guides about 4 times a year and try and learn from them as well.

Cool to read these stories.

I started fishing in East Texas 50 years ago as a kid on the newly formed Toledo Bend. My Grandfather had spent his life running the Sabine River so he knew where the structure on TB was. We caught huge for then LMB from a 12ft john boat with a 3 hp Johnson. My Grandmother caught crappie "white perch" on worms while my Grandfather and I fished with purple worms. Back then an 8lb LMB was a "Wall Hanger"

I caught a 2 1/2lb crappie on TB , took it to a little bait shop somewhere around Huxley where they weighed it and told me it might be a record. Don't know what record or if it was even close but I was a proud 12 year old boy.

Between hunting, fishing and Team Roping I would have to say fishing by myself is the most peaceful time possible for me to clear my head. 8 hours trolling a shoreline seems like 3 hours. I love my fishing buddies, but something about sitting in a tree stand bowhunting or being on the water at daybreak soothes me and makes me right in the head, and Lord knows I need a lot of getting right.

People think it is odd when they ask how my fishing trip went and I say FANTASTIC then they ask how many I caught and I say DIDN'T GET A BITE and they look at me like I have 3 eyes. When I bow hunt I may sit 15 times a season and sling 2 arrows.

gotta love it