Who introduced you to fishing?

[Gerry Zagorski]

Originally Posted by Inishmore3

My father never had much interest in doing anything with me. Let alone fishing. Took me once or twice to the pond only because my Mom told him to.

I learned freshwater fishing at the North Branch of the Raritan River by learning from the old guys. I know they are all gone now but I thank them.

We used to spend two weeks in Beach Haven most summers when I was a kid. I'd go to Morrison's with my fishing pole and some squid. The old baymen that hung out there would teach me. And I would catch some fish. They tought me how to crab. My Mom took me to Fisherman's Headquarters and bought me my first crab trap and we picked up some bunker. Went back to the dock and it made my day. Catching crabs and short fluke or oyster crackers. The baymen told me about oyster crackers and what to do with them. Most of the baymen are gone. I thank them.

As far as party boats go the folks on the CA III and Whitestar in Barnegat Light is where I started. I learned from them as a child.

Once I started working and driving a car I would just fish the rivers for trout. Did not saltwater fish for a number of years. Then in the early 2000's started to bluefish on the MBL in Barnegat Light. Then switched to fluke on the CAIII in Barnegat Light. Then they told me how much fun sea bass fishing is. I was hooked. Then I would stop until the next spring. Until the fine folks on the CAIII told me about these little creatures called Blackfish........ That was it. They taught me how to blackfish and the rest is history.

Then I found this site and learned that the Atlantic Highlands past was indeed its past. Some pretty tough customers would hang out there. So I only when once when I was younger. After reading the captains and Gerry on his site I gave Atlantic Highlands a try. Glad I did. I learned from the most experienced fluke fisherman. I went from the lucky keeper to being on the board almost every trip.

The bottom line is unlike most of you learning from family. I learned from people like you. And I thank you for that.

Inish - great story. Mine is very similar... Dad worked a lot but luckily I had an Uncle and the Grandfather of a childhood friend who would take us. Made my first trip on a party boat in my late teens. A night Bluefish trip on the Cock Robin and I was hooked. Got my first boat in my early 30s and learned a lot from the old salts down at the dock.

This reminds me that people like you and I need to do our part to pass on the love of this great sport to kids. This sport of ours is something that stays with you for life.. It helps put smiles on faces, takes your mind off of the daily grind and affords us all an opportunity to catch up with old friends and make some new ones too.

Love my time out on the water and would not trade it for anything. It's threapy for me and certainly beats spending money laying on a couch talking to a Shrink.

I also met a lot of great people here, in fact some life long friends. I learned a lot too and that my friend is what this site was intended for.

It's posts like this that make me proud to be associated with the great community of people we have here. NJ's finest!

[makosnax]

My old man got me started very young. It started with trout fishing and progressed to fluking as I got older, but with time my father had lost interest in fishing. I never stopped fishing, whether it was catching shiners on little #12 hooks or catfishing in the little mudhole down the street, if there was water I was fishing. Eventually hooked up with some friends that shared the same passion and these guys are still my fishing buddies 25 years later. Although I did lose interest in freshwater fishing, my saltwater obsession could be classified as a sickness. lol The same story holds true for my passion of bowhunting, including the same group of friends.
This past fathers day I had the opportunity to take the old man fishing but this time I was the mentor, showing him what I have learned over the years. Even though the weather that day was not ideal and the fishing was slow, it was a very special day seeing that the old man was impressed with my knowledge of the salt and fishing technique. Hopefully my son and daughter will share the passion and teach me a few things when the time comes.

[Inishmore3]

Originally Posted by Gerry Zagorski

Inish - great story. Mine is very similar... Dad worked a lot but luckily I had an Uncle and the Grandfather of a childhood friend who would take us. Made my first trip on a party boat in my late teens. A night Bluefish trip on the Cock Robin and I was hooked. Got my first boat in my early 30s and learned a lot from the old salts down at the dock.

This reminds me that people like you and I need to do our part to pass on the love of this great sport to kids. This sport of ours is something that stays with you for life.. It helps put smiles on faces, takes your mind off of the daily grind and affords us all an opportunity to catch up with old friends and make some new ones too.

Love my time out on the water and would not trade it for anything. It's threapy for me and certainly beats spending money laying on a couch talking to a Shrink.

I also met a lot of great people here, in fact some life long friends. I learned a lot too and that my friend is what this site was intended for.

It's posts like this that make me proud to be associated with the great community of people we have here. NJ's finest!

Gerry, you are right. People like the baymen from Long Beach Island are gone now. When i was 21 I blew out my knee. My Mom took me to Beach Haven and brought me to Morrison's. There they were, a bit older but still around. They said they remembered us but it did not matter. I fished that day with a leg in a brace and cruches. They helped me take the fish off and an unfortunate sea gull who got tangled with me. I'll never for get that.

When on a boat I will help anyone who needs it. Because I remember the baymen who helped me. And once on the CAIII on a blackfish trip, I helped an older fellow who was new to blackfish. I gave him some tips and showed him how to get the crab to stay on. He caught his first keeper. I said to myself at the time, that was for the baymen........

[Anthony]

Me.....