Growing up outside of Azle in the early 70's, my brother and I spent every summer walking through our neighbors pasture to Walnut creek. We had our ol dependable Zebco 33 on whatever rod we could find. Caught perch, bass, crappie, drum, carp, gar, and catfish. We were always accompanied by our trusty Border Collie. She always watched out for snakes.

Fast forward 35+ years and uprgrade to a bass boat with electronics and $100+ rods with $100+ reels. Although I really enjoy my time on the lakes, where I find myself having the most fun is on a creek with an ultralight catching perch, bass and catfish. I will turn 50 in a couple of years but still wade fish the creeks around Justin every summer with my fishing partner, my Beagle. She has gotten pretty good at grabing the fish after I release them.

Tied up under a bridge on Raybob in may-june all night with my brother and my best friend. Crappie, sandies, and Cats galore. Doubles, Triples, and shootin the breeze. Lots of fun nights last year.

That, or twitching a frog on top at dawn and watching it get clobbered. Thats pretty darn exciting.

Sight fishing

I think the most fun for me has to be anchored up on Fairfield, fishing for reds while drinking a red(tecate). Then feeling the reel go crazy when you've hooked one, and having to make one of the hardest decision of your life...do you put down the cigar, beer, or just let the rod go!

My dream right now is sight-fishing reds in the Venice flats. I have plenty of experience with reds and have been told it is the only way to do it. Nothing is ever the same any more after that they say. I'm going this summer no matter what.

As far as what I have done, a whole day at Rollover Pass in November-December. Flounder in the morning, eat some lunch, trout and reds fishing one rod on the bottom and one on a popping cork until after the tide rolls out at night.

Any kind of top water fishing.

Sight fishing.. I love to see the fish take the lure, fly, or bait.

After reading the responses I believe we are all much more alike then different.. I've been very fortunate to have fished all my life and have so many good memories that is hard to begin writing about them. Fishing with my Dad raises to the top when I was young and then through the adolescent teenage years fishing with my best friend Bobby. So many adventures to many places but mostly it's not the fishing I remember it's the good times we had doing it. As an adult and father of two my priorities shifted and even though I often fish alone now to clear my head in the solitude of nature I have vivid visions of past outings with my children and nephews fishing along with me as the years rolled along. My baby girl will be leaving the nest in the near future and my nephews are all grown and making lives for themselves and so begins the final chapter.. I've begun fishing with friends again and really enjoy the social aspect more then the actual fishing but there is still something inside me that seeks the unbeaten path and the call of the river far upstream from the crowds.. fishing in the stream of consciousness

I love catching anything on topwater baits out of my kayak. Great topic btw.

Chasing hybrids under the birds is hard to beat.


MO

Sight Fishing is the best to me. Cant beat watching Bass in their own domain, doing what they do best. You can really get a feel for the attitude that these fish have, and how aggressive they really are.

Running a couple Trotlines/Throwlines up in the rivers for big cats, Set the lines, go back to camp, throw some more wood on the campfire, enjoy some adult beverages, go back later to pick up your rewards.

Pulling up to a tree that your Throwline is tied off & watching it shake/jiggle like that big 'ol cat is trying to rip it off the riverbank! Grabbing your Trotline and feeling the *Whump *Whump down the line & watching the water boil as you try to get to your fish....

Chasing Juglines is a blast also, coming around the bend in the river & seein your Jugs all out of whack from how you set them, creaping up on 1 that is out of position, just as you reach for it, *Plunk* it goes under & shoots off, waiting for it to pop up again & chasing it down... that's fun...

Wow. Tough call to make, but ultimately I'd have to say bottom jigging. Whether its jigging a 1/2oz slab in 15' of water for sandbass, a 2lb 'norwegian' jig in 800' of water, or any number of possiblities in between. There's always the anticipation of what will bite next - you never know for sure what you'll get.

taking my kids bream/bass fishing with slip bobbers and night crawlers. i get way more out of it when they catch fish than when i catch fish

Throwing ultralight panfish jigs on smaller rivers. My dad taught me how to fish in this setting and it is still my favorite to this day. Second would be night fishing for crappie near dock lights. Moving from dock to dock tossing jigs into the light anticipating the classic crappie thump. I don't know what it is about that thump but it gets my adrenaline pumping.