I didn't grow up fishing. It wasnt until college that my now father-in-law taught me to bass fish. Twenty something years later, I'm pretty sure I could do it all the time. I still love the thrill of hooking a fish and seeing it dance across the water. Fishing is always on my mind

Your not the only one! Its an addiction. I didn't start bass fishing until my mid twenties (I'm 28) and I can't keep off the lake!

I've been in love since I was 4 years old. Didn't fish at all between age 15 to 23, but even during those years I thought about it all the time. The answer to why I love it so much is 90 percent nostalgia probably. Every time I hook a fish I think of my Pawpaw taking me fishing and how exciting it was to go out in the boat, sometimes getting to drive it, drink cold Cokes, smell the 2 stroke burning gas. Every single time. I get blurry-eyed about it. I chase that feeling like it is heroin.

its a disease ... common symptoms:

bait monkey always on your back (tackle warehouse, cabelas, academy and bass pro- all UPS and FED EX drivers know you by name and what your house and front door looks like)

staring at topo maps with glazed bloodshot eyes

sitting on TFF when you should be working

talking to your buddies about who where when and how we are going to catch fish/win the tournament this weekend

having a dvr full of fishing programs you can never possibly get enough time to watch and your wife wants to delete.

fiddling with fishing line in the dining room and trying to learn your 16th exotic knot, you'll never use.

the good news is there is no cure

Everything said here is scary accurate!

I'm 65, been bass fishing since I was 11, and still wake up way ahead of the alarm every fishing morning - 'nough said.

Me too. I find myself explaining why I love to fish so much and always referring back to the memories with my grandad. Cokes. Moon pies. Nabs. Crickets. Corks. Him reminding me to always pay attention when fishing. Chasing bass is unexplained ...except by you.

I totally agree that it is an addiction. My dad took me as a toddler up until I was in my teens. I love too fish, you always get a surprise. Being on the water is awesome then the bite and catch. It does not matter if it is a top water bite, jig bite, etc. it is just cool. I met my husband in my teens we did fish for striper, catfish and sand bass most of the time dating and earlier in our marriage. I guess we saved the best for later, we fish for black bass pretty much every weekend. We have been lucky enough to experience catching Yellow fin tuna, Marlin, Red fish, Shark, Goliath grouper,and many other. I guess I would say life is great and I am grateful that fishing is a huge part of mine.

I've been fishing ever since I could. I remember my dad taking me out to fork and he would catch a bass and try to let me reel it in. Sometimes, he would carry me on his back to some little fishing hole and we'd fish until I couldn't hold my eyes open. It's just something about the rush you get from not knowing what's on the end of your line. Even as a kid though, at the end of the day it was always a blast with my dad.

It's the memories I had with my dad growing up, and now it's the memories i'm making with with my two boys as their growing up. I hope they love fishing as mush as i do.

In college now, and just got hooked! Pun intended!

Learning as much as I possibly can, I'd like to teach my old man how to bass fish.

I started fishing at 12 , It's fun & addicting .. And I am 15 now

The smell of 2 stroke oil burning brings back a lot of good memories.

I've said it before and I'll say it again from the time I get home from a fishing day and put the boat away I never stop thinking about the next time I get to put it back in the water, and everytime I feel the tap and set the hook the rush is like the first time all over again. When I hook into a big one and get it to the boat my hands are shaking and my heart is pounding and that feeling among many other things (like being on the water at sunrise or sunset or on a full moon)is why I love fishing.