Who has inspired you?

I remember being picked up early from elementary school by my father and grandfather to go trout fishing and summer mornings when we were headed off to IBSP as the sun was just over the horizon. My father had a canvas bag of tins or would throw killies/squid in the surf. Who inspired you early on to become a fisherman? What memories do you hold?

my father and grandfather too.....i remember going trout fishing and catching my limit and pops limit too....he was happy with me catching and not worring about himself...we also fluke fished on his boat every week in the summer...i was part of the crew and went everytime the boat went out...i always had a to catch more than everyone even if i had to fish twice aslong...lol i am still that way......those were the days i miss them alot..... :lol:

I didn't have a personal fishing mentor,however, as a young kid there was a tv fishing program called, " The Flying Fisherman" hosted by Gadabout Gaddis who would fly into remote areas and fly fish.He was my mentor. It was an amazing show that had me mesmorized, unlike todays well scripted shows this was the real deal.
I had my fondest memories of fishing in local farm irrigation ponds happy with all the crappies,catfish,pickeral and an occasional bass that took my worms. Leaving the house with buddies and riding our bikes down dirt roads,fishing and returning home for dinner,it was another world.
Here is a link on Gadabout Gaddis you may find interesting.
He offered a set of lures on his show that I got my mom to buy for me, wish I had them now!
There are some neat pictures on this link about the man,, and you'll see my first set of lures.


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I guess it started with my father when the family had a boat on the upper Chesapeake bay. We would fish for perch off the boat. But then when I was about 14 my brother in law started taking me surf fishing with him in Brigantine. I was hooked. I remember catching more flounder and weakfish from the beach in those years. In 1973 I got my first sand sled, a GMC Jimmy. I would have to say it was my brother in law that really inspired me tho, in fishing and hunting.

My father, grandfather, and uncle. When I was about three they would take me to a local pond stocked with trout. I remember always trying to catch the palaminos and to date have never caught one. I also remember my first fish on a flyrod, my first striper on my own, and my first keeper striper

I would have to say my father also being its the only time that ass would spend time with me.....

Wow can't narrow it down to just one??? I guess my step grand dad.We would spend at least a month every summer in Bradford PA Way up NW PA!!We'd fish the Allegany river and the Kinzua Damn!!!!!!!He taught me things I still share with new fisherman.I had a neighbor who was a die hard fisherman I looked up to.My Dad wow he took us when ever we wanted to go!!!He didn't seem to care for it so much but because my brother and I love it so much he took us!!!!!!!Too many more to count!!

THANKS JON GREAT THREAD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!





FC

My ex...

I needed a reason to get out of the house, and fishing seemed good at the time.

-- my grandfather is my inspiration to fish... but a few members here on this forum got me inspired to build and paint plugs... you know who you are...

i would say my grandmother thats right my grandmother for freshwater she would take me to Tachonic state park for 2 to 3 weeks at a
time and that was all i had to do when i was 6 yrs old what great memories...
for saltwater for sure would be my father he would bring me to the surf in jan and feb in the snow and boy he would complain when it was
snowing/raining and hot but he still hung in with me he new than fishing was my passion what great memories with both wish they
were still here

"Lefty" :study: I grew up on a tough jetty, all the kings were there... :.............. :king: the suscessful were all using the same plug, year after year, :study: not that tough to figure out which plug I wanted in my bag

My grandfather started me fishing for blowfish at 3 yrs. old and I was hooked. No pun intended, by the time I was 8 my cousin was taking me shark and tuna fishing kept up with the boat fishing with family and friends I met along the way then slowly but surely I turned into a surf junkie I still do some boat fishing but mainly I am a surfrat theres just some kind of peacefulness about it.

skippy wrote:"Lefty" :study: I grew up on a tough jetty, all the kings were there... :.............. :king: the suscessful were all using the same plug, year after year, :study: not that tough to figure out which plug I wanted in my bag

what was their choice skippy?

I would have to say my entire family, father,mother,aunts, uncles,grandfather; they all fish and have taught me what I know today. My family has owned home in Surf City NJ since the 1950's, spending my summers there was a huge advantage. My grandfather passed in 78, but his 6 children carried on his fishing prowess which was instilled in us (I have 2 brothers) My father is responsible for my knowledge of the NH fresh water fishery, he spent a lot of time fishing on the Delaware River before our family moved to NH in 1980. When I moved to Florida where I reside now, I was told that Snook grew to be large beasts, but were not easily caught, a very cunning species. My first year I had a 39" Snook under my belt, friends who have lived down here all their lives had never taken a Snook this large, by 2002 I had my largest to date 46" a true trophy. I owe all of my fishing knowledge to my family and their passion for this sport. Now it is my turn to instill the dreams of large fish in my son, he is just 3 now but already he has that surf casters crazed eye.

rebelmusicnp wrote:

skippy wrote:"Lefty" :study: I grew up on a tough jetty, all the kings were there... :.............. :king: the suscessful were all using the same plug, year after year, :study: not that tough to figure out which plug I wanted in my bag

what was their choice skippy?

white lefty....... the large size casted like crap, caught like no other

Boy Scouts taught me how to fish. I took it from there. Self taught surfcaster.

oh mini that's a labrador and a half. my biggest was probably 30" on a live pinfish but i have seen some hanging in the current under the sanibel pier that would make you shake. glad to see you guys are keeping this post going. i think we are all very lucky to have been introduced to such a fine craft.

My father and my uncle. My uncle has passed on and my father does not get out much. He enjoys the pics I take and some lures that I have turned. He has never fished for stripers but has many years of redfish and southern warm water fish.

My grandfather and then my cousin started taking me offshore with him.

i was introduced to surf fishing by my uncle stevie (my dads best friend) taught me a lot. he always fished LBI. so i would go with him from time to time. always for stripers. last fall he had a place rented near the lighthouse. dad and i went down and cought lots of blues, including the first ones on plugs i made. it was a great time. did some night fishing at that time too, and had a great time. nothing beats the surf at night. unfortunately this past spring he passed away at 55. i havent been surf fishing since the last time i was out with him, but i plan to get out this fall. but if it werent for him, id know nothing bout surf fishing.

WELL FOR ME IT WAS DEFFINATLEY MY DAD........ I REMEMBER AS A KID HIM TAKING ME TO ROOSEVELT PARK TO FISH THE LAKE W/ MY UNCLE AND COUSIN CATCHING SUNNIES AND CATFISH ON MARSHMELLOWS AND BREAD AND WORMS IN JERSEY....... THE FIRST TIME HE TOOK ME SALT WATER FISHING I WAS IN 5TH GRADE....... WE JUST MOVED TO FLA..... HE PICKED ME UP AFTER SCHOOL AND TOOK ME TO THE BELLAIRE CAUSEWAY, WE WERE USING SHRIMP AND AN OLD MAN WAS THROWING A CAST NET AND GAVE US SOME GREENBACKS TO THROW ON.......... A HUGE SCHOOL OF JACK CREVALLE CAME THROUGH AND I HOOKED UP W/ WHAT I THOUGHT WAS A WHALE AT THE TIME BEEN HOOKED ON AND ADDICTED TO FISHING EVER SINCE! MY DAD PAST AWAY IN 2006..... I REMEMBER THE LAST TIME HE WENT FISHING W/ ME, WE HAD SUCH A BLAST..... HE NAILED A 28 INCH GAG GROUPER IN ONE OF MY SECRET HOLE FROM SHORE! RIP POP! I LOVE YA MISS YA!

my grandfather McEnerney (mom's dad) and my Uncle Kevin inspired me to fish and make my own lures. My grandfather used to make dowel poppers, use butter knifes to make metals.. He didn't have alot of money but it didn't matter he had ingenuity and skill. He must be smiling to see one of his grandkids doing woodwork. When he retired he picked up a hobby he had stopped enjoying for years - bird carving. He was AMAZING - the guys in the Hampton's would pay hundreds for a duck of his or whatever bird.