My father was from the midwest and a long haul trucker so all of my saltwater exp. when I was a kid came from an uncle who ran a stick boat out of Newburyport in the 70's. He would pick me up along with a friend of his and I would go out for the weekend with them. We would always troll for stripers / blues on the way back. He is the one who put the salt in my veins and started me down this slippery slope. I will be forever grateful.

good thread to walk down memory lane and pay respects to some peoples.

i used to fish casually with family down in the south shore. did some boat fishing with my dad and uncle on weekends in addition chunking from shore. i didn't really get serious until i hooked up with a high school friend. later recruited another buddy who preferred fried chicken and miller high life on the beach as opposed to fishing during his early years. :bl2: i have come a long way over the past 5- 10 years. owe most of my knowledge and skills of fishing plugs and night fishing to these guys.:btu:

My Dad and my 2 older brothers took me under their wing and really taught me the ropes of striper fishing. I never looked back. Remember going out in my Dad's boat when I was very young and also fishing for snappers off the docks and around bridges. We went to Cape Cod every year as family too, I was there when I was only 2 months old. Now I bring my family there every year. Always fished fresh water since I can remember. Once I got the salt running through my veins I never fished fresh water again. Something about the surf, the beach, the sunrise, that pole bending, I just can't explain the feeling, I just know I have to be on the water fishing. THANKS Dad....

Ice

:cheers:

My Uncle Dan intruduced me to it, but it was my old Man who took me out as often as he could, and he doesn't love fishing, but knew I did. THANK YOU DAD!!!!!!!!

My dad got me started. We used to drive to the cape with a car top rowboat and gear. We'd sleep in the back of the station wagon along with our dog, a German Shepard named Champ. We's all head out in the little rowboat for a day of freshwater trout fishing. Although my father never got into saltwater fishing, the spirit he instilled in me has driven me to expand my fishing horizens.
I have also taken it upon myself to be the driving influence that teaches my neices and nephews the joy of fishing. Nowadays, if I mention that I'm going fishing, all the kids want to come along.
Of course, they aren't reay for night fishing yet, but give them a couple of years and watch out!

My grandfather. He and his cousin would rent a skiff from Caldera's, get a flat of worms and chase bass. (most were small as the 16 to 18" fish paid better than the larger ones) This was back in the 60's.

If the wind wasn't honking too bad they would let me go with them occaissionally. I never realized that chasing fish with them back then would lead to such an obsession.

HAAAAAAAAAAAAAA :rotf2::rotf2: that line got me....

oh man, I grew up around the ocean, always going to the beach for vacation with the family, but we never fished once. It wasn't until a few years ago that I decided fishing would be fun to try....for me it was just more of an excuse to spend time by the sea. I had no idea how addicted I would become!! I do have to thank TattooBob for posting something on another site with a link to this site, as it was not even on my radar before and it has since opened up a whole new world for me!! an addicting, sleepless world!

i guess it was probably my dad that took me out first. parents got divorced when I was young and my earliest memories of fishing are with my mom. I was lucky enough to live by a lake that I could walk to and started fishing alot once I was old enough to go by myself. I started fishing the surf on vacations to Maine as a kid. My uncle and I would throw chunks from the beach and mostly catch skates. After a few years we started to figure some things out and get into some bass. I lost a big fish one morning and that event pretty much changed my life. I went out to buy a book to try to learn what I did wrong and ended up with "Striper Surf". Since then I've read everything I could find on surfcasting (including this site) and spent tons of time and money trying to get good at it.

My uncle got me into freshwatter at a yound adge, I fished every day fom about 5th grade on through HS after HS i got into saltwater

My father and grandfather used to take me out on our 18' Tripp Angler on Buzzards Bay when I was probably 3 years old. I still remember catching a bunch of small stripers and thinking they were huge. Now, it's my dad and me most of the time out on his boat, or I go from shore on my own. I'm looking forward to getting my son out with me and "gramps" next spring and passing on the hobby/addiction.

It was DadBomba who brought me fishing every chance he could get from age I really can't remember. We would fish for anything, anytime, anywhere (kind of like me now).
Funny, Mikey used to hate fishing, and it made him really mad when we'd bring him along.
I loved to fish for anything in the water, except for stripers.
#^&#^&#^&#^&y would perch me on a "safe" rock at Naps, then wade out deep and slay the fish.
I had crap waders that leaked, a pice of crap boat rod, rebuilt Mitchell reel (crap), crap line (#^&#^&#^&#^&y only changed his own, probably beacuse I never caught any fish), crap lures, and, because I had no faith, crap luck.
I gave up bass fishing in 1981 to study so I could throw my fishing prowess back in #^&#^&#^&#^&y's face...it took me 14 years; I was 11.
Anyhow, after lots of reading, I decided to take #^&#^&#^&#^&y's advice and start fishing for bass again; I was living at the Cape with Mikey, and I went out with all the same crap...with one exception.
This time I had faith.
I've been catching fish (maybe the Cutty guys don't believe me), with regularity (except for Cutty), ever since.
#^&#^&#^&#^&y asked me one day..."Why don't you bring your brother with you?"
I was 24 and Mikey just turned 21...not enough girls fishing, Mikey passed.
Two years later, Mikey and I are living in Cambridge...#^&#^&#^&#^&y asks the same question. This time it sticks. Mikey's all in and can't get enough. On that trip we couldn't find a bait shop and used supermarket bought mackeral and hooks that I stole from my neighbor's basement...1995 in Nahant...I still go there once a week.
Best news is this: the guy who initially got me so mad about fishing (DadBomba, who always took the time to get me to the really great spots) stopped fishing during the late 80's and 90's. Come 2002, he would borrow rods from Mikey and I just to fish for a few hours...we brought him back in, and yes, once again, #^&#^&#^&#^&y B. is a fishing machine.
Nothing, absolutely nothing, makes me feel better than when I walk down the beach...rods, surfbags shoulder-slung, and jokes flying with my father and my brother.
Hope they feel the same way.
Rick

After screening my posts I have come to the conclusion that all the fishing gear that we had in 1978 was crap...with the exception of #^&#^&#^&#^&y's 12' custom Fenwick that I have had in my posession sice 1992.
Still broken #^&#^&#^&#^&y...too bad for you Mr. Lamiglass.
I love you Dad (hope you read this, it's probably been 20 years since I called you that).
Rick

I still dont know how to fish . someone said go to the 19th hole . Im still trying to find it on maps