How Did You Get Into Fishing?

[Gerry Zagorski]

All these sweet water reports got me thinking of how I got into fishing.... Thought it would make an interesting topic for the board. Brought back some great memories and am hoping it will do the same for others....

Please share your story....Here is mine:

I got the fishing bug from my Uncle Al in PA.... He was an outdoorsmen and loved to fish and hunt. Whenever he'd come out and visit our family he always found time to take me and my brother Joe fishing or crabbing. He was also a very colorful guy and like most hunters and fisherman, he could weave a tale a mile long. It was a gift he had. He could make a story about going to go to the grocery store a NY Times best seller and he also had a heart for kids. I could sit around listening to him for hours, hanging on every word as he'd reaccount his " adventures in the bush". He was quite a guy and one of those people you meet as a kid that has a profound effect on your life.

I also have some great memories of opening day of trout season in my youth..... It was like the days leading up to Christmas.... We'd sleep over my cousin's house in Clark and fish the Rahway River. During the summer we'd ride our Stingray bikes to Roosevelt Park and fish for sunnies and catfish with worms we dug up in Mom's garden. I remember the days leading up to opening day. I'd find myself in places like Herman's Sporting Goods for hours eyeing up all the stuff I needed and would buy with the money I earned doing chores or got for a birthday... I still find myself in tackle stores for hours checking everything out. Some things never change.

Like most everyone else, life got very busy for me in my late teens and early twenties and I only got to fish occationally. Work, school and a new family were the priorities then. However, every Spring I'd set up a fishing trip with the guys, usually up to the Thousand Islands. Been doing it for 20 years now and we've traveled to a number of different places. I'm always greatful to have this opportunity since many of us only manage to get together this one time a year. Always a good time and more materials for fishing stories.

I got into salt water fishing a bit later in life.... I was invited to go out on a night Bluefish trip and was instanly hooked..... A few years later I got a nice tax refund and came home and announced to my wife Ruth that we bought a boat. $4000 with a slip in Morgan Marina paid for the season. I had a lot of fun but dumped more money into that old tub (the boat that is :rolleyes: ) then I care to recount. Turned out that Ruth gets sea sick so I thought it only fitting to name the boat Ruthless :D .

I've been fishing and boating in the Raritan Bay and Sandy Hook areas since the late 80s, when a Striper was big news at the dock. My brother Joe and I still fish together often. It's a great chance for us to get away from the daily grind and spend time quality time together with our friends and family. It's also a great opportunity to follow along in Uncle Al's foot steps and pass along the love and enjoyment of this great sport to others.

Up until ten years ago, Uncle Al would still come to visit and I'd gladly clear my calendar for the chance to spend more time with him and to take him out fishing. The last time we fished together was with his son in law and grandson Timmy. We went out on our boat and he and I just sat back and beamed from ear to ear watching his grandson Tim catch his first ever salt water fish. It was only fitting that we slammed the Weakfish that day and all the while he was sharing his stories. I'd heard them all a thousand times but they never got old. Unlce Al has since passed on. I think about him often and still miss him very much. If there is a stream or field in heaven he's all over it, or telling stories about it.

Make it a priority to take kid fishing this season, yours or someone elses.... Leave the Gameboy at the dock and give them your undivided attention. You never know, you might just change a kids life. It certainly changed mine.

[msgold]

I am one of three girls, but I was the only one that wanted to hang with dad every chance I got. So at five years old he stated waking me up in the wee hours of the morning and we would go fishing. I miss those days with my dad he was one in a million. We went out to Montauk and did allot of fishing on the very first Miss Belmar, but do not remember the name. It was Alan Shins great grandfather's boat. That went on for many years. Then dad got involved with Alvin Shin and they built the first new SS Miss Belmar with heated guard rails and that was in the l974. The rest is really history, I guess my dad made a monster out of me. In those days we caught allot of whiting, and ling, Went threw a divorce and took up fishing again but then I was fishing for blues. Each time I went fishing I ending up throwing away my cloths after each trip since the smell was so bad. Caught my biggest fluke on the SS Miss Belmar. Thought I was stuck on the bottom and they told me to keep on reeling that I had a fish on. That fluke weighed 13.8lbs. That was the start of my love of the sport. My dad then purchased the Ranger Five out of Sheepshead Bay and took it to Madeira Beach Florida where he did long off shore trips. As most people that know me will agree, I love and live to fish. I rather fish then play my slots in Atlantic City. Forgot one little story, when I was twenty my dad had a 310 Cessna and we flew to Bimini where Adam Clayton Powell was spending all his time. I caught my first Trigger fish and had it mounted. Will always remember all those good times I spent with my dad.

[fishingmortgageman]

My first memories of fishing were at Stokes State Forest. My Dad was an avid fisherman and our family as well as my Dad's brothers family and his cousin's family rented cabins on a lake in Stokes. As kids we were always swimming and playing around the lake edge as well as exploring the flatbrook. I was a little different from my other cousins though because they split the day into ball games, hide and seek, and other activities while I was always drawn to the water. When I was old enough I always had a rod in my hand and I remember with pride the day I graduated from the sunnies and bullheads to a BASS. I carried that thing all around showing everyone but my father made sure that I did not injure the fish and it was released unharmed. As I got older I started to wade the flatbrook catching native brookies and browns in the little feeder streams. I then graduated up to the Delaware where my Dad introduced me to my favorite fish, the smallmouth. Those first acrobatic jumpers that almost pulled the rod out of my hands started the love affair that hasn't ended yet. By this time I was diversifying. I lived in Cranford and the Rahway river wound its way through the town. After schools were spent fishing,trapping, hunting and exploring the woods and river. That continued until I graduated from high school. I still have buddies that I fished with then that I still fish with now. Every year we would have a "King of the River" contest and keep a running total of the number of trout caught in a season. I l remember winning one year with a total of 274 trout from the Rahway. We stopped going to Stokes about the time I was 8 and started spending two weeks in Cape May. That started a whole new obsession. Everyone else was swimming and I was out on the Jetty. I had a long cane pole that I would use to drag taug right of the rocks in the jetty. On a really good day schools of blues would surround the jetty and I would have a blast. On the days that my Dad would fish he would take me to the Delaware bay and we would catch weakies and kingfish off the beach. In those days there were alot of weakies. Once a summer he would give me a real treat and take me out fluke fishing on a party boat. I fished constantly until I got married and had kids. Then the demands of working 70 hours and going to the games and activities of three kids pretty much put an end to fishing except for a couple of times a year that I would keep my Dad company. Now that the kids are big and there is not much work for me to do I am back fishing hard. I thank my Dad for giving me a passion that has brought me such joy and so many great memories.

[Chris_JC]

I am not sure the first time I went fishing but I definitely remember when my father took my brother and I to the town pier in Bar Harbor, Maine when we were 4 years old (1982). It was August but cool and rainy. We got a paper bag full of spoons from a hardware store in town. Over the next few hours we enjoyed periods of intense jubilation of mackerel catching, periods of inactivity, a broken rod tip, and many tangles. It was pretty much symbolic of a lifetime of fishing.

My grandfather also took us fishing many times when we were very young. I remember climbing through prickers at the Rockaway Creek and waiting for bites at Best Lake in Watchung.

My older cousins in Pt. Pleasant Beach also took my brother and I on night blues trips on party boats. My mother even took us on a cod party boat in California when we were 8 and we reeled in countless cod for dinner and probably filled the freezer of the family we were staying with.

When were about 11 or 12 my brother and I took our bikes and went fishing all over Tewksbury and Lebanon, PA where our other grandparents lived. Trips to Vermont were also fishathons from shore and on a 16” boat from the 50s that we saved our allowances/etc for 2 years to get for $850.

From about 17 – 26 somehow I went fishing a handful of times. There were several occasions when I almost started again. At 19, I filled in for my uncle on a great fluke trip from Brielle. At 21 I almost went to Exchange Place to fish for stripers but it never happened. At 22 I out of the blue bought an inexpensive rod/reel at the old Laneco in Whitehouse only to misplace the top half. At 25 I almost went on a day fishing trip in Ecuador but the guide was not available.

Finally, Christmas 2004 my brother bought me a rod/reel and starting opening day 2005 we were back at it!

[Tin Squid]

I got my start in fishing at age 5. I asked my dad for a fishing pole becuase I'd seen people catch fish and my uncle Jack was always talking about fishing as he had a boat berthed at Sheepshead bay. My dad bought me an inexpensive rod with black linen or dacron line with three bobbers a box of split shot a two packs of hooks. I dug some worms and proceeded to go out onto the dock where we vacationed every year in upstate NY. I looked down at about 6 or so sunfish finning around lazily. I lowered the worm down. One sunny grabbed the worm and ate it and when I set the hook, I was more hooked than the fish was. :D

By age 7, I was taught by my uncle how to fish a rebel/rapala on top for largemouth. I got a copy of McClanes Standard Fishing Encyclopedia the next Xmas and I inhaled that monstrous book. By age ten I was bucktailing schoolie stripers in the shadows of the Throgs Neck Bridge.

I took up fly tying and fishing at age 14 and can say that the first trout I ever caught on a fly was a fly I tied myself. I had taken 4 two-hour sessions on fly tying at Len Codela's Anglers Den in Linden (Thanks Len). My friends could not understand why I'd rather go fishing than play baseball but, "to each his own".

Catching an 18 inch brown trout followed by a 16 inch brown at Cairns pool on the Beaverkill when nobody else could get a touch at age 16 was probably my crowning achievement as a youth.

There's nothing like the feel of a big strike when fishing and I will hang my hat on that from now until the day I wade away.

[Flukinator]

I wish I had a great story, but my very earliest memories are of fishing on Lake Hopatcong when I was like 2 or 3 years old. I've literally been doing it as long as I can remember, and don't ever plan on stopping. My dad took me as a kid, and his dad did the same for him. It's been an obsession from birth.

[jmurr711]

my dad took me down to a local pond in philly when i was 3 to catch a bluegill that was my first fish. my first saltwater fish was a snapper blue off the bow of the mary m 3 when i was 4 while my dad was down in bl working as a mate on the boat. then later on when i was 5 i went out to sea for the first time. I've loved fishing ever since i was that age and am 23 now and have so many memories and have witnessed things at sea very few people can say they saw.

[AviD]

It's funny, I was just responding to my trout thread telling Doug to check out Spring Lake. As far back as I can remember...that is where my fishing started with my dad and grandfather...maybe when I was around 4 years old or so...I wasn't in school yet for anything, so it had to be before kindergarden. Vague and distant memories of my grandfather teasing me saying I never sit still and constantly feed the fish! :D

I did A LOT of fishing growing up...but that is where it started. From there it was on to lake and reservoir fishing in central NJ...riding my bike to local farm and company ponds for sunfish, bass, and catfish. Then by probably 9 or 10, I was fishing with my dad pretty regularly on the Manasquan for trout...and I think around 12 or 13 I got my first pair of hipboots...and eventually waders...then I was fishing with my dad pretty much 7 days a week through grade and highschool. When we weren't fishing, we were hunting or hiking/scouting. Occassional bluefishing trips to the shore, but not much saltwater until I started working on the boats in college. Now I try to get out as much as I can...just to ease the pain of working for a living! :D

Wow, just looking back on life, how fast time goes by, how much has changed over the years...how much hasn't...kind of a sweet sorrow...wish I could go back and do it all over again!

[technologist]

I grew up in Newark and no one in my family was a fisherman. We had a summer home in Staten Island where we would spend the summers.This was before the Varanzano Bridge was built and Staten Island was mostly wooded, except along the bayshore. The local kids taught me to fish! I used to go to the local library to read all the outdoor magazines.My uncle was a designer for Airex reels and since he knew I was interested fishing he would not only take me fishing at Echo Lake , but gave me all the reels I needed. Myself and a few friends would walk down to Penn Station in Newark and take the subway to Orange Street and walk down to Branch Brook Park to trout fish. So it was a combination of fresh and salt water fishing Been doing it ever since. Over 50 years!!!!!! Been almost everywhere,tie flies,build plugs you name it I do it!:)

Hi Ms Gold, Rich's brother

[Sharkyispy]

My fishing passion started when I was about 5. In fact I still have the reel from the combo my grandfather bought me when I went on my first trip with him. I grew up near Buffalo NY. We fished many creeks, streams and rivers and would eventually move up to lake fishing on Lake Ontario or Lake Erie as I grew up and became more experienced. My grandfather gave me a valuable gift, the gift of appreciation of spending that precious time together and enjoying the outdoors( catching fish was really a bonus then) one I grew away from for a while when I moved to PA and found fishing just wasn't what it was like when I was growing up. My grandfather came for a visit before he passed and I was able to go fishing with him one more time. That trip to a small lake helped to rekindle the fishing fever. I remember when I went to Cape Cod when I was 12 and had a great ocean trip that always stuck with me. I caught my first shark there and a nice size cod that I was proud of for a 12 year old without a clue to what he was doing. When I finally went back to the ocean a few years later to fish here in NJ, I was hooked again. Starting on a blue fish trip that I took my younger brother out on where we caught a bag full of fish. Several years later and many $$$ more spent on the latest and greatest equipment, lures, two boats later, etc, etc it's a form of "therapy" just to get out on the water and spend the day dropping the lines in the water, my wife calls it an addiction - I guess it really is now. I'm looking to retire and run a charter business when it's my time(if not sooner). My true hope is that I can pass along the passion I have for fishing to my two young daughters. We're off to a good start, I hope that I can keep them interested the same way my grandfather did for me.

[redbraid]

When I was about 7, my grandfather and four friends built a boat in his backyard. I was always underfoot. Once done the "Surf Queen" was docked in Liberty Harbor in Waretown. I started fishing in the bay. And have never stopped. Thank you Grandpa Dickson for giving me such a great gift.

[jakesdad]

My family had a house in Belmar, started fishing the jetty's when I was 5 with an older brother, than started fishing with an uncle in his 16 foot Winner w/a 35 johnson, boy could he catch fluke. His only problem was he didn't like eating fish, problem solved he took the fish home put them on his front lawn and all the neighbors enjoyed, but they would all bring him Fresh Italian from their kitchens.
During the summer of 1961 neighbors invited me to go 1/2 day fluking on the Sea Sawn from Belmar, I have been hooked ever since. The captain and his brothers continue to fish with me 40+ years later on my boat. I did spend the next 9 summers mating on the party and charter boats from Belmar.
Sea Swan, Capt. Bill Van, Ranger, Bluefin, Ol'Salty II (Bob Pisano), Shy Poke, Gertrude H, and then bought my first boat, now 8 boats later I continue to enjoy the sports. Both the boating and fishing,
When I finished college, I had a decision get my ticket and fish for a living or go into the family business, and relax and enjoy my hobby. To this day I'm happy with my decision.

[crabcake]

My dad and grandfather were into surf fishing for blackfish, stripers, and porgies from a LI Sound Beach close to family's summer home. As a very young child they used to take me and my brothers with them and when the bite was slow they taught us how to fish and we loved it. The first fish I caught "all by myself" was a frisky sand shark in that was quite a battle at age 5. Since that day in 1979 I've been hooked and will be for my entire life. The thrill was instantaneous as from that day foward, fishing was a passion. I even forced my mom and grandmother to take me fishing when dad and grandpa had to work. Even my parents' friends took me fishing, especially "Uncle Artie". Thank you Dad, Papou, Yaiya, Mom, Artie and everyone else who took me fishing when I was a child. Moral of this post is simple, TAKE A KID FISHING!!!

[Life's A Beach]

Started fishing for sunnys at Beachwood Swim Club (lake) in Boonton; age 4. We used hotdog skins and caterpillers.

My father took me fishing on Lake Hopatcong renting wooden rowboats from Art Bush @ Woodport. We troll CP Swings for bass and pickerel, set up shiners for same then end up for perch and catfish on worms to finish the day. Taylor ham sandwiches and chocolate milk for lunch and stopping to eat always got us a bite. Dad bought a 3hp motor and we were all over the lake. When he graduated to a 14' Larson with a 40hp, we hit spots we'd never made it to before. age 5-13

My Grandfather lived in Neptune so we fished alot in Shark River and on the jettys. Caught some fluke, many blowfish and a TON of flounder; age 5-13 Dad spent endless nights surf fishing for stripers back then and catching a 15#er was his best. MANY nights on the Coast Guard Jetty by Avon or on IBSP working bucktails or sandworms with no fish. Biggest bass he saw was a 40# that he gaffed for a guy who had foul hooked it on a fluke rig!

In Boy Scouts (Troop 78 Pine Brook), we went camping (another word for fishing) every month and fished all over the state: Sandy Hook, Camp Allamuchy, Bear Pond. age 14-17

Moved to Lake Hopatcong and fished almost every day. Snagging perch during their spawn run to lunker catfish "jug fishing" at night. Spent many days and nights camping on Pete's Island, staying up all night fishing. age 13-18

Gotta get back up there and try for some hybrids and walleye......non-existant when we lived up north in the lake.

Started my kids fishing on Lakes Mohawk and Hopatcong. Took my son to Gouin Reservoir on fly-in walleye/pike trips for a couple years when he was 12-14. Outpost cabin in pic!

[technologist]

My family had a house in Belmar, started fishing the jetty's when I was 5 with an older brother, than started fishing with an uncle in his 16 foot Winner w/a 35 johnson, boy could he catch fluke. His only problem was he didn't like eating fish, problem solved he took the fish home put them on his front lawn and all the neighbors enjoyed, but they would all bring him Fresh Italian from their kitchens.
During the summer of 1961 neighbors invited me to go 1/2 day fluking on the Sea Sawn from Belmar, I have been hooked ever since. The captain and his brothers continue to fish with me 40+ years later on my boat. I did spend the next 9 summers mating on the party and charter boats from Belmar.
Sea Swan, Capt. Bill Van, Ranger, Bluefin, Ol'Salty II (Bob Pisano), Shy Poke, Gertrude H, and then bought my first boat, now 8 boats later I continue to enjoy the sports. Both the boating and fishing,
When I finished college, I had a decision get my ticket and fish for a living or go into the family business, and relax and enjoy my hobby. To this day I'm happy with my decision.


Did you know that capt. bill van weatering(sp) who owned the"Bill Van" was the bellboy in the Philip Morris Commercials? He would walk around the lobby of the hotel saying "Call for Philip Morris" You have to be an old fart to remember that!

[beach21]

At a young age my parents left me on a deserted island, with only a bottle of water and a fishing pole!! It was fish or die!!! Well I'm still here and still eating fish!!!!

[regulator 29]

my grandpa got me into fishing when i was about a year and half old. i have pictures of me standing on the beach with an 8 foot surf caster resting in the sand and my hands barely around the thing. i have no idea when my first time on a boat was probably around the same time. ill never forget the things and memories of me and my grandpa on the water. he sparked the fishing fire in me that will never go out. he had a stroke a few years ago and he hasnt been able to fish with me since im hoping i can get him out this season even if its in the bay i just want to fish with him one more time. even at 17 i have seen and learned things people dont see or learn in a life time.

[HBKFishing]

My father is not a big outdoors fan. When I was about 5 or 6 I wanted to go fishing becase the other neighborhood kids did. So, my mom made my dad get a rod and reel from Efingers and take me fishing. We went a couple of times. But I continued on my own. Pretty much teaching myself and getting tips from the old timers who fished the North Branch. I'm sure they are all gone now, but they showed me how to fish and tie knotts. Once I was a little older my mom bought me my first waders for trout fishing. When i worked for AT&T we had two personal days that we could split up into two hour increments. So, every Wednesday during trout season I would leave work at 2pm and get ready to fish the North Branch. I'd do to the South Branch on Tuesday. The Musconetcong on Sunday. Love the Musconetcong. Haven't fished in freshwater in about 4 years.

Saltwater is a different story. The old timers at Morrison's in Beach Haven used to teach me. As before, I am sure all of them are gone as is Morrison's. We would rent in Haven Beach on the bayside. I would fish and crab from the bulkhead on Colorado Avenue. I would go to M&M's Steambar and get fish heads for free. And get squid from Fisherman's Headquarters. All of my saltwater stuff is from there. Except for a couple of things. Fished on the White Star as kid. Its also gone. Most of my time back then as it is now has been on the Carolyn Ann. When I was a kid, we would have crabs with dinner every night. I had a big yellow basket and my dad would go to the beach and get sea weed to line it. We aslo had tongs to get the crabs out of the traps. It was so funny, my mom would be so amazed that we had all these crabs. Some of the larger snapper blues would be kept. The oyster crackers would be used for bait in the traps. My parents loved it there in Haven Beach. The bay and that bulk head were the baby sitters. My sisters and myself would spend all day there. When I was 21 I blew my knee out. Out of work for 4 months. My mom brought me to LBI and I went back to my youth. Morrison's. Cought some small blues and hooked a sea gull. Luckily some of the old times were around and helped me out. I was on crutches and could not do a thing about.

My Mom's Aunt Mae lived in Point Beach on the Bay Head border. So, we would spend some time there. Of course there was the treck to the wall to drop me off to go fishing. Small fluke. Nothing ever really to write home about. But I loved it.

With the job I have now, I work 3-11 and a lot of overtime. Sunday is normally the only day i do not work. And Monday in the summer. So, I go to Point Beach for the Sunday afternoon fluke trip. Then I discovered the Highlands again and I fished there on Monday's. Shorter driving trip for me. And this year I discovered the offshore sea bass trip. I am so hooked. Can't wait to do it again in December, January, February and March. I'll work the overtime to fund it but I want to go again.

I was on the very first Mi Jo trip back in 1987 or 1988. He was new and the mailroom crew chartered it and we had a blast.

I'm 42 and i have only won 3 pools in my life. One on the old Miss LBI. A fluke that was maybe 4 pounds. I won a wopping 26 bucks. Won a blue fish pool on the Miss Barnegat Light. There were 10 people and we were waiting for some folks from PA to show, they called the boat and said to the crew there were coming. Well, they showed up at about 830am and it was 27 Quakers. They do not gamble. The pool was 20. Two bluefish caught on the boat that day. One of the Quakers had a small blue and I caught a 8 pound blue to take all the loot. My third pool was on the Miss Norma K. It was a Monday fluke trip. I was on the Sunday trip and the pool was like over 120 or something. The guy who won did not leave Amanda one red cent. This was in 2006. The next day was Monday. I had a coupon so the trip only cost me like 10. And we all were talking about the guy who did not leave a tips and won that huge pool. I told Amanda that if I ever won a pool I would just want my Money back and give the rest to the mates. Well, I won the pool that day, it was like 60 or 70. Amanda said to me, remember waht you said............... I said, yea, can I have my 10 dollars please. I gave the rest to the mates plus the money I normally bring for a tip. The bottom line is I really could care less about the pool. I just love being on the ocean and meeting new people and hope to have a few fish in the box. But, you'd think with all the tons and tons of miles I have logged, I would have had more than 3 pools in my entire life......... HAHAHA

My favorite type of fishing is the inshore sea bass. I live for that. But now, the offshore bug has bitten me.

Except for the times at my Aunt's place we were on Long Beach Island. Vacations and long weekends. I'd go with my mom and she'd be at the beach and I'd go fishing. Been going to LBI all my life. Long Beach Island is God's country to me. I used to travel a lot for AT&T and I've seen a lot of this country. When asked what my favorite place is, my answer has been the same all my life. Long Beach Island, NJ. So many great fishing memories from there.

As i said, I havw been al over this great country of ours and met a lot of folks. I ahve to say this witha lot of pride. Some of the best people in the world I have met are on the boats. Either other patrons or the captains, the crews and so on. And of course the folks on this board. If you have a question or something is new to you, someone on the boat will assist you. The same goes for this board. I can speak first hand, the folks on here will go out of their way to give advise or assistance when someone is trying a different kind of fishing for the first time. That means a lot and shows a lot of charactor.

Been all over the map here but its after work for me and its very late. Thanks for reading.

[Sharkyispy]

HBK- you're lucky I guess. I'm 44 now and 20 some years of fishing on the ocean now I've won 1 pool and it was last year on a winter flounder trip!

[Kup]

I started fishing when I was 2. Uncle Frank (Pop's best friend at the time). Had a 15 hp outboard. They would rent a row boat from Sunset Beach in Cape May. I vaguely remember the crane on the beach pulling the row boats up and the cement ship. There was much more too it then.

From there it was fresh water in Royce's Brook in Hillsborough that ran through our property. Catfish, sunnys, crayfish, polywogs and even a decent size bass once. An occational trip on the Miss Jamaca.

My older brother got hold of a old 16' ply-wood boat with a 40 horse Scott-at-Water on it. He moved to Cape May and we would fish the Delaware Bay for tons of weak fish.

Other storries include renting row boats and fishing Sandy Hook Bay. Rowing out and standing a paddle up for a tow back to the dock.

[Salmo Trutta II]

It started 32 yrs ago, when my father said to my mother " now is the perfect time we have a Child, and that child will be made a trout fisherman, during those 9 months in the womb, i was making false casts and roll casts with my mini-2wt fly rod just waiting for the day when i can hurl nymphs into pocket water":D

All seriousness, I come from a long Lineage of fisherman. My dad and grandfather used to take me and my meatheaded brother to our families lake in west milford, which is where I reside now. We used to use a Bobber and shiners purchased from franks tackle on the abundent largemouths that inhabit my lake.

Growing up in Parsippany (Before it got overrun) we used to fish the Rockaway river from the "Lawyers Pool" down to the Golf Course after St. Claires.

As I got older I became friends with people that lived in Mountain Lakes/Rainbow lakes area and we used to pound those lakes without regard for life or limb. Even caught a few stripers in one of the lakes (not Dropping Names);)

Now,that I have a son on the way. I can do the same things that my dad and grandfather taught..its funny how things are passed down....

[ReelErIn]

I grew up in Clifton my dad fished and hunted with his uncle Frank who
moved to Hardwick Twp/Blairstown in 1929. From the day I could walk
I started to fish as I grew up I loved it more as each year went by.
In 1962 I took NJ Hunter in the baserment of a gun smith in Clifton still
have the passing card. I will never be the fisherman my Father was but I know he's looking down a saying to me WHAT ARE YOU DOING I would say nothing he would say GOOD GET IN HERE WHERE I CAN SEE YOU DOING NOTHING:)

[skipper.ll]

as a kid living in hoboken i fished the piers behind the lipton tea building and maxwell house and off of the palace ll dock, we went almost everyday in the summer we caught snapper blues,stripe bass, blue claw crabs,eels,perch on the cooler days we would catch dozens of tommy cod and an occasianal catfish, when i was older i use to work on the palace.ll as a deck hand fishing for ling everyday we made the trip to the mudhole a 2 1/2 hour boat ride we use to catch more ling and whiting than than you could ever need i remember one trip a school of tuna moved in and ten boat rods got stripped clean of line it was one of the most amazing things i have ever seen the people that came fishing every weekend were like family and to this day i still fish with a few guys captain andy who has a charter boat in jersey city,brian another deck hand,kenny from hoboken just to name a few. i guess thats what got me hooked on fishing "THE OLD DAY'S"

[snafu313]

Like most of you folks, my father got me started fishing. I grew up in North Jersey and we were pretty much your typical bennies. My first trip was when I was 5 years old. A half day fluke trip out of Belmar on what I think I remember as the Big Marie-S. As soon as the boat started sailing, I started crying my eyes out and eventually fell asleep in the cabin. By the end of the afternoon, I woke up and got over my fear in a hurry. We always fished on party boats, like your typical tourist. After that, I remember my first night bluefish trip with my father when I was 9, it was the first time that I was allowed to stay up all night. I remember the school of whiting that decided to show up at the Long Branch Fishing Pier. I remember my father losing his rod and reel to a bonito because he wasn’t paying attention and getting it back 10 minutes later when the same fish came up with the rod and reel still attached. I also remember the stories of tuna and tilefish trips he told and he’d tell me that he’d take me tuna or tilefishing if the tilefish ever came back.
Unfortunately, as my father got older, he fished less and less and if he didn’t go, I didn’t bother going either. When I was in college I met a friend that owned a boat and I would go with him. There I got the bug again. From there it was back to fishing the party boats. I don’t own my own boat and I don’t have the time or the patience for it either.
My father passed away a few years ago and every time I go out, I think of those times and it’s nice to have that connection with him again. Especially when I went on my first tilefish trip this past year. Lets hope that the next generation will be able to enjoy what we love so much.

[Carol Ann]

When I was 12 my Grandpa, had me row across the lagoon in townsend inlet(Avalon) and put stakes with traps and wonderbread in the swail, and of course marked it with the bread bag to trap killeys for morning fishing. At 5 am my first trap had eels in it I thought "I don't think so"...and of course he saved them and cooked them up later....Well anyhow, we opened the other ones and we had plenty of bait,there was no going to a bait shop. And lo and behold we set out to fish, drift and drift....well when I finally hooked my first Fluke it was 3 lbs....as day went on we ended up with just 6 fish...and it was then when the prop broke and we were towed in..then I ran down the street and jumped in the ocean..to celebrate my catch..THATS HOW I GOT HOOKED, AND THE DINNER NEVER TASTED SOOOO...GOOOD!

[TheLefthander]

Grew up in Michigan a mile from Lake Michigan and started out with my Dad and my brothers with cane poles and bobbers and big perch off the breakwater. They introduced coho salmon into the Lake in the late 60's, when I was in my early 20's. When I was 8 or 9 my older brother and I took a small shovel and dug up nightcrawlers to fish for bass and trout and catfish and suckers in the rivers. We would ride our bikes to the Pere Marquette River with fishing poles and shovel and if we were lucky, a Nehi Grape or Orange soda. Good memories.

[SHAMROCK EDDIE]

WOW this topic brings back some great memories many years ago, In1965 we move to the Jersey Shore across from the original Port Monmouth Marina owned by Capt John Ketchow before it became Gateway Marina. I got to hang out in the shop and watch the guys work on and repair all the boats in the yard. I was about 5 when I start fishing with George Philips he was in his late 70s at the time and was well known throughout NJ as an accomplished fisherman. Mr. Philips as I would call him was Dick Ketchow’s grandfather Dick owns Gateway marina so I was learning from some of the best.

We would fish from shoreline to shoreline digging our own baits and tying our rigs he was always teaching me something even if I didn’t know it at the time. We fished together every chance we got it was always a great time and always ended stopping for an ice cream cone! After a few Mr. Philips passed away but I’ll always be thankful to him for teaching me this great pass time I should have been a better student (lol) Now that we I’m running charters and in position to help young kids it’s always nice to give a little something back to the game.

One of the biggest things he taught me is if your gonna kill it you better be going to eat it! Or let it go so we can catch it tomorrow.

[Sam3]

Growing up on a lake in Northern NJ, I remember fishing off the docks at an early age with my father and grandfather. Our lake would stock trout and that would always be alot of fun for all us kids to catch our limit, go to the Yacht Club to have the fish weighed and measured and hopefully come home with a nice prize. Man, that was fun.
We also ice fished our lake too. My grandfather and father were in construction and would invite their friends up on the weekends to hang out, eat, drink and fish out on the ice. My mom has a pic of my when I was 8 years old when I was on the ice after I caught my first pickerel. My grandfather insisted that we cook it and eat it being that I caught it myself. I remember the bones were horrible but grandpa didn't mind. It was alot of fun catching and cooking the fish with him.
Great memories....

[Ol Pedro]

I was born in the Norfolk Navy Yard in 1955 . My father was in the Navy for 24 years . My first memory of fishing was with my father on a dock on Sugarloaf Key . The first thing I caught was a Spiny Lobster . I was three years old . My Dad had a trailer and owned a lot on Key West where we lived . Mom ,Dad , Grandma , one brother, and two sisters in that little trailer . Our backyard was on the water . There was a channel and mudflats . My dad and his friends built a seawall/patio and brick BBQ . At night when the tide was high it sometimes came up on the patio . We could see the reflective eyes of Shrimp attracted to the light . Every day Grandma and I would catch lunch . Grunts and Snappers were the main fair . A handline or cane pole was all we used . My Brother Raymond would throw rocks at Balyhoo and stun one once in a while then jump in the water and get them for bait . I was only three or four but it stuck . We moved to San Francisco and lived on Hunters Point . I continued to fish almost everyday with the other Navy Brats . We were like a Mongrel Pack and had the run of the base . Stripers ,Perch ,croakers , Rockfish ,and Jack Smelt were our targets from the piers and coves . Dad got Stationed in San Diego and I continued to fish for anything that swam in fresh and salt water . when I was 11 I went on the New Seaforth on my first Albacore trip . It cost 12 dollers and that was one months wages on my paper route . I caught 2 Longfin and a couple of Jack Mackerel but I was hooked on Offshore Fishing . To this day If given the choice I would fish Tuna over everything else . It's still a long story how I ended up in New Jersey . Thats just 8 years of a 50 year run . I guess that the bug bit bad .

[Reelron]

I remember my dad taking my brothers and I freshwater fishing, in north Jersey. Catching little Sunnies with worms on a cain pole.

First salt-water trip, at 10, on the Black Pearl out of Keansburg. I got sick as a dog but quickly got over it. It must have been a whiting & Ling trip, because I remember my dad telling me it was the fumes from the karosene heater that made me sick. We moved to Keansburg shortly after that trip. My dad wanted to be closer to the water. He used to come home from work on Friday, change clothes and head for Belmar. Once there he would mate on the Sea Jet or Miss Belmar Friday night. Then Saturday he would mate on a 6-pack called the Johnny R. Miss Belmar or Sea Jet Saturday night & the Johnny R on Sunday.

My brother and I sent our time seining bait on the Keansburg beaches and getting chased off the Keansburg pier for selling that bait. When we had a quater we fished on the pier for Fluke, Kingfish, Snapper Blues, and the occasional Striper. If we didn't have the quater we fished at the mouth of the Keansburg creek for snappers or we dug worms to make some extra money.

As we got a little older my brother lost interest but I kept on fishing and Dad started taking me on various party boats. My dad belonged to two fishing clubs in North Jersey, Kostacks Fishing Club & The Schyular Ave. Tuna Club. The Tuna Club only had 48 members and you had to be 21 to even get on the waiting list. Dad put my name on the list and I was 25 before I got in and then we actually cheated because I went in under my brother's name as dad had signed him up the year before me and he didn't want to join.

What a club, two trip to Quincy every year, various trips out of Atl. Highlands and Sheepshead Bay. Trips to Mass., Main, and Va. The guys signed up under various elected "Captains" for a Tuna Charter. Plus a Banquet every year! All this for dues of $.50 a week. Of course we also sold 50/50 tickets to cover some of the expense. I left the club when my dad got sick and lost interest, just wasn't the same fishing without him.

After my Dad passed away my brother got back into fishing and we did quite a bite of fluking in Raritan bay until he passed away. After putting up with my brother I can pretty much fish with anybody and I do. Just call me and I will be there to share the costs and the trip.

I miss that club and I miss fishing with my dad and brother but I will keep on fishing as long as I can hold a fishing rod and lean against a rail.

[Jerzfishermen]

I started fishing at age eight. My parents had a beach house at LBI. My father used to take me to the docks in Barnagat Light. The blowfish were plentiful at that time. I used to sit on the dock and catch bucket fulls of fish. My very first catch was a green eel. What a thrill that was. At age fourteen, I started to work the party boats. Did that until about I was twenty-three or so. Back than the regs were diffrent, whiting was all over and fishing was fun and enjoyable. I still find fishing my favorite past time and is still fun and enjoyable. It is just ashame that the powers to be have put such a squeeze on myself and others who love to fish. I am now forty-seven years old and still can fish with the best of them. :D

[Montauk Project]

Although I mostly fish saltwater now, I got my start fishing as a young boy on Lake Hopatcong. My grandmother owned a summer home on the lake, and every year when school let out my mother would ship my sister and I from the hot streets of NYC to the cool mountain breezes by the lake.
Our evenings would be spent at Bertrands Island, which the old timers on this board will remember was a great amusement park right on the water.

My days were spent fishing, starting out at about 8 years old. No kidding...I used a white string, wrapped around a short stick with a bent safety pin as a hook. I used dough balls as bait, and caught Bluegills on almost every drop. We called them "sunnies". I know now that there was a great variety of panfish in the lake then.
The water was so clear, you could see the fish venture out from under the dock and inhale the bait in about 6--8 feet of water.
I would catch an occasional yellow perch. Catfish too !
I remember the water was just teaming with all sorts of fish, we would use beach towels while wading in the shallows to trap and catch minnows.
As I got older, My uncle bought me my first real fishing pole, and I caught a big pickerel on a live minnow on the first day. I was "hooked"for life !
That was 40 years ago.
My last trip to the area shocked me. The small summer homes and bungalows were gone ! Replaced by Condo's and shopping centers. The dirt roads and trails were gone !. Replaced by busy roads and noisey traffic.
For me, I still have my memories...
I will never forget those lazy summer days on Lake Hopatcong.

[CaptBob]

Kind of natural for me, My Dad and two Uncles were Commercial Fishermen out of Belford, so needless to say I was on the water at a real early age.

Continued with them, mated on a couple Party Boats and Private ones, then as I was nearing retirement (from the adult job) I got my ticket and deceided that I wanted to Charter.

I must say it has been one of the best experiences in my life, I get to enjoy the water, and share with people their own experiences...........nothing like the look of a youngster who ties into their first fish ;) Watching a Dad/Mom share the day with his/her kids is fantastic.

[SeaOx23]

At about 5 my grandpa and uncle took me and my older sister to Nomehegan Park in Cranford, NJ to fish for sunnies...In the summer we would fish off the docks in Lavallette for snappers and occasionally from the surf for blues and fluke...since then I have been hooked

Now while at school I fish the Susquehanna for smallmouth, walleye and the streams for trout in the sping, and when i am back in NJ you can find me anywhere from the Highlands to Cape May

[FDFisherman]

Met a girl (my wife) whose father has a boat! The rest is history. LMFAO! :D

Well actually my first fishing was when I was a kid fishing outta point pleasant for whiting in the freezing cold with my brother in law and ralphing all over the galley tables! . We caught barrels full back then! :eek:

[Life's A Beach]

Montauk - remember the cruise boats from Bertrand's Island? They were by far the biggest boats on the lake. Now that's the average size of the boats. Go into any cove on a weekend and you'll see thousands of big boats tied together drinking the day away. It has changed dramatically. Speed limits on the weekend and sobriety checkpoints. Weed harvesting isn't working and they won't approve dredging.


Lake Forest Yacht Club in the upper left hand corner; early 70s

[Richy B]

My first memory of fishing was when my Father re-married my Mom when I was eight years old. It was a Birthday Picnic with all my friends. My parents drove us in the back of my Fathers Rack Body dump truck from Ohio into W. Va. to fish in a stream. I don't remember catching fish, but I do remember when we got there I was so excited that I started to climb over one of the racks when we were pulling up near the stream, my Father hit a bump in the field, I fell back into the truck bed, and let's just say I'm glad I was able to have kid's later in life! LOL
I had one great day of fishing soon after that where my parents and I went to a farmers pond and caught boo-koo small mouth bass. We ran out of bait and were catching grasshoppers to put on the hook so we could keep catching fish.
I also fished Rahway river for trout in my teen years. then once my friends and I got to driving age, fished the Flat Brook, Steven's State Forest, New York fly fishing for trout, and catfish. We also fished allot in Round Valley and Spruce run by boat.
My neighbor got all of my buddies and I into Saltwater fishing when I was about 14. Mostly fishing for Blues and Mackerel.
I now strictly fish Saltwater and have given up on the Sweet Water unless it's a special trip for salmon.

[Montauk Project]

Yeah Lab, I remember those days very well. Bertrands Island amusement park was the place to be in the summer time. I also remember all of the pontoon boats that were on the lake. Back then the lake was used mostly for pleasure cruising. I believe that it is the largest lake in NJ, but the crazy boat traffic on the summer weekends has really changed the landscape.
My uncle was a chief in the Hopatcong FD...and I recall the firemans picnic every summer at Nolan's Point. Man...those were the days.

If anyone here fishes Lake Hopatcong this summer, I would really like to see some reports posted here. Even with all the traffic, it is still a great lake !

[MS22]

I was lucky enough to have two grandfathers that were both avid fisherman. They started me off fishing the lakes of central NJ near my home in Millstone for sunnies and small bass. After a few years, we moved to NW NJ and was lucky enough to have a large farm pond near the house that had good bass fishing. I would walk over after school and during summer breaks fishing until sundown. When I got old enough, my grandfather started taking me out on his favorite party boat which happened to be the Elaine B in highlands. An interesting group of regulars were usually in attendance(mostly older gentlemen like my grandfather) and most were very friendly...more than willing to lend a hand or provide guidance. We would get to the boat early to get our spot and allow time for my grandfather to read the paper, drink a couple cups of coffee, and catch up with his friends. My grandfather started me out fishing for fluke and I was hooked instantly. After my first trip I couldn;t wait to go again. I was always so excited to go fishing that i barely ever got any sleep(still have that problem today). Fishing for fluke became one of my favorite things to do. I loved it so much that I can remember asking him the next year to take me fishing with him in the fall and winter for ling, blackfish, and seabass. Early on those cold rough fall/winter days were hard on me as I got seasick numerous times...but always fought through it and eventually found my sea legs. The best part of the day was coming home and handing off the catch to my grandmother who proceeded to prepare a great meal of fresh fried fish and potato salad. During blackfish season I always looked forward to my grandfathers fish chowder...a great way to warm yourself up after a cold day on the water. As a teenager I continued fishing but not as much as i had used to. At this point in my life most of my time was devoted to sports and other endeavors. It wasn't until college that I really got back into fishing. Now I try and fish as often as possible on open boat trips, pbs and our family boat. I just wished i lived a little closer to the water so that i could enjoy it more often.

[msgold]

What a great question and a great deal of fun reading everyone's story how they started fishing, one of the best posts since I have been on this site. Thank you once again. Allot of great memories which we will carry with us always.

[Pennsy Guy]

It was 1944, I was 7 and my dad took me on a party boat out of Atl. City wreck fishing. One guy on the other side of the boat got seasick and caught a lot of ribbing. I remember someone saying he was chumming--I asked my dad if he thought I should chum---That made everybody laugh...What did I, a kid on his first fishing trip, know?

Didn't fish again 'til I was 11 or 12..had a split bamboo boat pole and also a bamboo surf rod. Spinning reel for the surf rod was a "Beachcomber" made by the Lionel train Corp..

My parents wintered in the Keys then and I'd wade the flats for bonefish or use the Boston Whaler to fish the reef around Aligator Light. I remember anchoring on the reef's edge, looking through a glass bottom bucket at the edge. It always amazed me at the abrupt drop-off into deep water, a 13' boat with the bow in 40' and the stern in 1000'..it scared me also, and I think that was good.
My mom and dad well both cremated and we spread their ashes in the gulf stream off of aligator Light as they wished.

Didn't do anything after that as I moved to Pennsy until maybe 20 years ago when my then boss took me out on the Queen Mary for day blues, didn't catch anything so we went out again at night and did catch 'em. Fished on her the next year and then I met Muldune and went out on the Gambler for blues. He convinced me to try a tuna trip..didn't take much convincing..and I fell in love with that and have been doing tuna, blues, stripers and fluke with Bobby and the crew ever since. I'll tell you, when I can't do the tuna trips anymore, or the inshore trips, just spread my ashes in the Hudson Canyon 'cause I won't be living!!!!!!!!!!

Who knows, maybe I'll meet up with my parents in the stream.

Chucky

[FishNDoc]

My dad took me at age 10 and two younger brothers up to Morsan to buy conventional Garcia reels which we put Dacron line on and also bought heavier poles for the surf. The first day we went down to Sandy Hook Fishing Area 2 we only caught a cold. We also learned the art of taking out birds nests. The highlight of the trip was the stop at Stewart's on the top of the hill in the Highlands (French fries, Onion rings, California burger, Root Beer).

A next door neighbor was moving and gave us a 12 ft wooden run about with a frozen 25 hp Johnson on the back. Me and my brother John worked almost ½ a summer and got it running. We used it, sold it and bought a bigger boat. After a few rounds working with Mahogany ,we did some work on other boats at Browns in Morgan and learned from the old timers a little about fishing. Finally we came over to South River where my dad became the commodore and we had a 28 ft wooden Lures. We fished all over the bay (when we could get the railroad bridge to open) not knowing what we were doing but the memories were priceless. Sadly my dad died at 52 but he showed me a place where I can get away from the rest of the world, not caring about yesterday or tomorrow. (the sight, the sound, the feel, the smell and sometimes the taste of FISHING!!!)

[Fishski]

All these sweet water reports got me thinking of how I got into fishing.... Thought it would make an interesting topic for the board. Brought back some great memories and am hoping it will do the same for others....

Please share your story....Here is mine:

I got the fishing bug from my Uncle Al in PA.... He was an outdoorsmen and loved to fish and hunt. Whenever he'd come out and visit our family he always found time to take me and my brother Joe fishing or crabbing. He was also a very colorful guy and like most hunters and fisherman, he could weave a tale a mile long. It was a gift he had. He could make a story about going to go to the grocery store a NY Times best seller and he also had a heart for kids. I could sit around listening to him for hours, hanging on every word as he'd reaccount his " adventures in the bush". He was quite a guy and one of those people you meet as a kid that has a profound effect on your life.

I also have some great memories of opening day of trout season in my youth..... It was like the days leading up to Christmas.... We'd sleep over my cousin's house in Clark and fish the Rahway River. During the summer we'd ride our Stingray bikes to Roosevelt Park and fish for sunnies and catfish with worms we dug up in Mom's garden. I remember the days leading up to opening day. I'd find myself in places like Herman's Sporting Goods for hours eyeing up all the stuff I needed and would buy with the money I earned doing chores or got for a birthday... I still find myself in tackle stores for hours checking everything out. Some things never change.

Like most everyone else, life got very busy for me in my late teens and early twenties and I only got to fish occationally. Work, school and a new family were the priorities then. However, every Spring I'd set up a fishing trip with the guys, usually up to the Thousand Islands. Been doing it for 20 years now and we've traveled to a number of different places. I'm always greatful to have this opportunity since many of us only manage to get together this one time a year. Always a good time and more materials for fishing stories.

I got into salt water fishing a bit later in life.... I was invited to go out on a night Bluefish trip and was instanly hooked..... A few years later I got a nice tax refund and came home and announced to my wife Ruth that we bought a boat. $4000 with a slip in Morgan Marina paid for the season. I had a lot of fun but dumped more money into that old tub (the boat that is :rolleyes: ) then I care to recount. Turned out that Ruth gets sea sick so I thought it only fitting to name the boat Ruthless :D .

I've been fishing and boating in the Raritan Bay and Sandy Hook areas since the late 80s, when a Striper was big news at the dock. My brother Joe and I still fish together often. It's a great chance for us to get away from the daily grind and spend time quality time together with our friends and family. It's also a great opportunity to follow along in Uncle Al's foot steps and pass along the love and enjoyment of this great sport to others.

Up until ten years ago, Uncle Al would still come to visit and I'd gladly clear my calendar for the chance to spend more time with him and to take him out fishing. The last time we fished together was with his son in law and grandson Timmy. We went out on our boat and he and I just sat back and beamed from ear to ear watching his grandson Tim catch his first ever salt water fish. It was only fitting that we slammed the Weakfish that day and all the while he was sharing his stories. I'd heard them all a thousand times but they never got old. Unlce Al has since passed on. I think about him often and still miss him very much. If there is a stream or field in heaven he's all over it, or telling stories about it.

Make it a priority to take kid fishing this season, yours or someone elses.... Leave the Gameboy at the dock and give them your undivided attention. You never know, you might just change a kids life. It certainly changed mine.



Great story Gerry! I cant wait to write mine. (TIGHT LINES TO ALL)