Was there a time, place or person that really accelerated your fishing knowledge?

[T.Willie]

my ex-wife’s father back in the 60’s, never had anything more than a jon boat but got me started and knew how to catch fish. Bless his Soul!

[ChampionNorm]

Joined a local b.a.s.s. club. Fished with different anglers. Learned a lot from them, but mainly I tried to fish with different anglers. Every time I went with someone new I try to learn something - even if its not what to do {i.e. clueless anglers). I also try to pick up knowledge from fishing magazines and shows.

[FishinSkinny]

Googan squad..

[m.t.hands]

what really accelerated my knowledge was a combination of fishing with a former professional fisherman and then fishing with several other pros in the top 100's when they were a thing, have fished with 4 classic champions, and several AOY's, but my Uncle gave me a decent base to work on, with map reading and understanding cover/structure/current/shade and a lot of other variables, try to pick up new stuff all the time whether it's fishing, hunting and life in general

[JR21RDC]

Fishing with buddies who fished then got on proam circuit learned a lot.

[pabasshawk]

I grew up in South Dakota and fished farm ponds for bullheads and brim starting with a cane pole when I was about 7 years old. When I got a little older my uncles would take me fishing but all we ever fished for were eyes and northern pike, every now and then we would catch a bass which were considered a trash fish. Didn't get into bass fishing until around 1970 after I graduated from high school and a move to the east coast when a friend talked me into joining the first bass club in Pa. Learned a whole new way of fishing from the club members.

[cubswin]

As a kid, we fished anything we could ride a bike to. From creeks, rivers, ponds, and lakes. Dad mostly fished for panfish, but he'd let me toss baits for bass. As I got older, dad would let us use the boat and we'd go fish for crappie and bass depending on what lake we were on.

Somewhere about 17-18 I caught the bass bug, and would spend 3-7 days a week fishing for them, alot of it pond fishing. Nice thing about pond fishing is you can try out baits in areas you know there are fish, and try to hone what makes bigger fish bite.

Dad and Grandpa took me fishing as a kid, instilled the bug for fishing in me. From there I spent as much time on the water as I could, and I still do.

I'm not the best fisherman in the world, just fish a local club for tournaments and we do ok, cash enough to keep us coming back. Tournaments or not I'd still be out fishing, only fish tournaments now because the little club I fish isn't really a club. Just show up and fish, have some fun, and don't have much in the way of rules.

[ColdSVT]

I was lucky enough to fish with a former touring pro and 2x classic qualifier several times 10 years ago...I learned more that summer than in my while life...biggest lesson wad accuracy

[JHelms]

For me it was Jerry McKinnis, hands down.

[Iowa Bass Hunter]

My dad. We were crappie and catfish fishermen until my dad joined a bass club that his friend belonged to. I fished my first tournament for bass when I was about 9 or 10. We fished a multispecies club together and I remember the first tournament we fished for bass. I asked him what we gonna target that dayou and he said bass. "We don't know anything about bass fishing! " I said. That was the first time I ever threw a spinnerbait. We together became infatuated with bass fishing from then on.

[mattmann7]

Time on the water. Got hooked at age 30. Averaged 20 hours or more a week on some body of water any way possible, then studying and learning by reading anything I could get my hands on when not fishing.

First fished with an 8 foot jonboat that I borrowed from a friend. Then a 13 ft ultralight fiberglass canoe that was cracked in the bottom. Fished with water up to my ankles 400 hours a year in that canoe. Probably caught more fish from that boat than any other time I have spent on the water. I could go places in stealth mode that no one else would fish. I learned and perfected more techniques in it also. I remember learning to fish a pig and jig. I would sit motionless in a river upstream from the main lake. I would drag the jig over branches and limbs in laydown piles. Sometimes taking 3 or 4 minutes per cast to creep the bait along. I would find myself not taking breaths I was so intent on feeling the bites. And bites I would get. Sometimes as many as 30 bass in the river up to 3 pounds depending on the conditions. Everything had to do with stealth.

Those days I would put in at first light and leave as the sun set. Sometimes I would wait out a bite after dark. Had some incredible action fishing that low to the water. One evening I was fishing a cove off of the same river as above. As night time neared I saw V wakes on the surface of the water heading towards Lilly pads. In the next hour I hammered bass that had entered the pads to feed and went home with them still biting. I had to paddle 2 miles back to my truck.

Joined a Federation club when I was 34. Excellerated the learning and school was out. I got to put my learning to use in competitions. Bought a 15 ft squareback Grumman canoe to continue fishing alone when not doing a tournament. That boat was almost a permanant attachment upside down on my S10 pickup. I had a mourning dove that nested in it in the parking lot at work. She would be sitting on the telephone wires waiting for me in the morning. After work I would drive off slow and watch her in my rearview as she flew away.

Did 14 years paying my dues from the back of the boat in the Federation club that had 30 members. All my time fishing in small boats taught me how to mine water. You could not just fire up and move down lake. A card laid was a card played. No stone could be left unturned if you wanted to catch fish . I clawed and scratched at every inch of water the boater passed over to catch my fish. I was in the top 6 five years straight peaking at 4th before buying my first real boat and moving to the front when I was 46. After buying the boat at one point I was fishing 5 different clubs either full or part time. One on Thursdays, another on Saturdays, another on Sundays and 2 part time night tournament clubs plus a bunch of small opens. Was doing around 40 tournaments a year.

[billius]

I started fishing at probably age 3 with my Dad and my Uncle. Been at it ever since. I learned a lot from those two men. Outside of family, I learned a lot from Dave Stewart, the top bass guide on Kentucky Lake. That was in one day of fishing with Dave down there. I believe Dave is retired now. He has a wealth of knowledge.

[Brady bass]

My dad. Fished the federation in the 80's. That's when I got. Hooked on it.

[bdda9yh]

1976, Dick Jonas, Bugg's Island.
Was a great teaching guide.
Every thing from tying knots, buzzin with a regular spinnerbait, to how to structure fish with a Texas rig.
He even counseled me on buying my first bassboat.
RIP Mr. Jonas.

[wtrwsel]

Dad fished for salmon and trout which I found wasn't to challenging; seemed almost too easy. For me it was watching all the fishing shows on TNT and the old Bass Fishing Home Page always had great stuffed shared. Reading the old BASS Master magazines and a few buddies would go out and work on what we read and compare notes. Had tons of fun and caught lots of fish.

[liljakec]

I don't even know where to begin. I can think of a few different moments that really helped me become the angler I am today. I joined my first bass club at age 13 and took 2nd place for the co-angler side in my first event and 2nd place for co-angler of the year my first year. That year was what lit the fire in me to become the best angler I could be. I learned new techniques every year. Then when I was a junior and senior in HS, the president of the club I was in took me under his wing and we fished a good majority of our tournaments together. We wrecked havoc that year and got our first win in our first tournament we fished together by doubling up 2nd place's weight. The amount of confidence I gained in multiple techniques that year let me take the next step to becoming a serious threat in my club events day in day out (unless the lake had standing timber, then I should have just stayed home).

Then when I turned 19, I bought my first boat. It was a 15 foot V-hull that my step dad and I built a front and back deck for and a trolling motor box up front. It had a 25hp mariner tiller on it. I struggled the first month with it, trying to get the kinks worked out of it. I got skunked the first 5 times out and I was getting really pissed with it. I finally started catching some fish and all was normal again. It was great being the one in control of the boat and fishing the way I wanted to fish. I was always on fish that year but just couldn't find the kickers needed to put me over the top. That year taught me a lot and helped me hone in on what my strengths were. In the 5 years since then, I have since bought my first bass boat which has allowed me to fish even cleaner than before. I have primarily focused on fine tuning my techniques the last few years and it has really helped me become even better.

This year I plan on getting back in to the tournament scene after taking a 3 year hiatus to focus on school and getting my career started. I feel really good in how this year is going to play out with what I have learned the last few years.

[LewStulePH.D.]

For me it was Jerry McKinnis, hands down.

If it were "hands up" who'd get the wave?... (Would also save Your bacon when You have to return punts...)

And with Coach City stepping down, most of us know OhioState's special teams will be in the toilet....

[bernieh]

I have fished since I was about 10 years old and absolutely love it. Was fortunate enough to spend my business career in the fishing industry sales (manufacturers rep and sales manager for several companies). I have had the opportunity to fish throughout my life with many big name pros and am able to call many of them my friends. I am also a pretty good local/regional tournament angler winning many events throughout my career. But I have to say the two biggest influences on my fishing ability were two gentlemen. H.B. Fisher (Mr. Fisher) H.B. taught me the basics about bass fishing in particular plastic worms and top waters we fished a rebel popper which him and his buddies referred to as a chugger. Another influence was Gordon Williams. Gordon was the best decision maker I ever had the pleasure of being in a boat with it seemed as though he always knew what to do. He taught me about tournament fishing and pattern fishing. Lucky to have had these two guys in my life.

[fly by night]

My dad back in the day. We always fished from the bank back then, started with a cane pole and progressed to a Zebco 33, those were the days my friend. Great memories for sure!

[Basscaster]

My Parents bought a Lake House on Table Rock in 1985. #1 we bought a fish/ski- trolling motor- let us move and catch active fish. #2 I joined Central Pro/Am- I fished off back of boat 2 days with 2 different pros for $125/$150 a weekend.. Drove 500+ miles each way.. T.R, B.S,LOZ,Beaver and Grand. 24 tournaments...#3- learned to fish slow after 4 years(too pumped up). Watched how and where guys caught fish.. Learn there is NO Fun fishing- be prepared and give in 100% every time you fish and be in control of boat or yourself...Try and fish with better fisherman as often as possible and ask questions.