You never forget your first!

[Okuma]

I caught my first walleye the other day and it got me thinking about the first time I caught some other species of fish. I didn't start fishing until I was in my early 20's so most of my firsts were caught on camera and I was able to dig through and find some of them. Anyone else have any fishing "firsts" pictures?

First Striped Bass ever caught. Was on a guide trip on Lake Lanier in GA. Even though it was small I was super excited:

First Gar, caught at a friend's lake house on Allatoona in GA. I've ever seen so many Gar in one place as I did off his dock that summer. I finally decided I was going to catch one and it took a while to get one in. Plenty of bites but they all came off. This is the first one I got:

First Carp, caught on a camping trip to Lake Lanier. Actually caught it on a live Blueback Herring if you can believe it. I think this may be the only carp I've ever gotten. I also may have had a few by the time I got this one, as you can tell from the picture:

First Walleye, caught a week or two ago on Carter's Lake. I've never caught one before and then caught two in a row, and then my buddy caught a third:

 

[AirForce]

Heck no, I'm so old I can't remember firsts, much less seconds. I started fishing when I was 5 or 6. I do remember the very FIRST time we went. Dad got me up around midnight (we lived in Joliet IL at the time or Chicago) Went with another guy and his boy. It was still dark and we crossed this bridge that had been twisted up during a previous storm (ice or something damaged it), couldn't drive on it and scary to walk across. So we pitched some tents and I ended up sleeping with other boy (can't remember if I knew him or not). Sometime that early morning I thought the sucker had pee'd in the tent and I was MAD, only to discover it was POURING HARD RAIN and coming through the tent. Needless to say we packed in a hurry and we were soaked by the time we got the car packed. End of my very first attempt at fishing with my dad. I was 9 by the time he took me again. Caught catfish and I watched him clean them, fry them and we ate good. Couple months later (Lockport IL) I walked the 5 miles to this pond/lake and only caught one little bitty catfish. I walked home, clean the guts out and fried that little sucker whole and I ate him. I was right proud of myself. Dad didn't take me but maybe 8 times before I went into service. But 10 years later when I got out, we went OFTEN and I would marvel at some of these hidden fishing holes he knew about. We'd walk miles through woods and swamps, fought off snakes, hornets, wasps and even a bull. You learned to walk slowly so the bull wouldn't make you out across the field unless you LOVED to RUN LOL.

But now thinking back, I do remember my very first BIG bass - he was about 2lbs and I caught him on a broken back minnow. It was on a pond owned by my math teacher Mr Hollingsworth. Cost a $1 a day to fish and it was on the honor system. After a week of working in the fields for $2 a day, I'd go to town (15 miles away) spurge on a hamburger, shake, fries and then go fishing for 2 or 3 days. Yep, good ole days. For years and years I wanted a boat. Didn't get one until my 2nd marriage. Yep fond memories when the wife was able to go with me.

 

[rbstern]

Thomas, great looking fish.

I remember going out on one of the bays on Long Island sound with my uncle, as a kid, nearly 40 years ago. He had a little (maybe 12 to 14') tiller outboard. We left in great weather, and bounced jigs off the bottom for flatfish. I don't remember catching any fish. What I do remember was the trip back. The wind came up. I think, if I had known any better, I would have been terrified. I have vivid memories of waves breaking over the bow, going over my head, and soaking my uncle at the stern, which I thought was hilarious.

Some of my best "catching" memories are from fishing small ponds and lakes at parks or roadside stops, and unexpectedly getting a nice bass.

 

[Scott Hammer TOXIC]

Funny thread. I'd have to get transfers made from slides to show some of my first fish. My Grandfather took me to Canada with him. I lived in NE and my grandparents lived in IA. I was 12. We went to Lac LaRonge in Saskatchewan. Last 150 miles was gravel roads. Packed in 2- 35 horse Johnsons for the boat, had an Indian guide named Tommy. He had 15 children the last time he counted (that's what he told me). We caught Pike, Musky and Walleyes. It was always a meat trip, we packed filleted fish in dry ice for the drive home. We never kept a Walleye under 8lbs and we had 4 coolers of them. My grandmother caught a 25lb Pike and I caught an 18lber on a Zebco 303 and a red/white Daredevil. Caught all of the Walleye on white hair or feather jigs. Trip of a lifetime. I was the first grandchild (out of 4) that was old enough to go. We had to carry in water and wood and you had to be able to work. We even did a fly in to another lake. Unfortunately my grandfather passed away from Leukemia a year later but he is with me every time I hit the water and the main reason I fish.

Now I do have some pics of Carlos' "first" fish. Michigan has been very good to us!!

His first Walleye (and yes we ate them).

We timed it perfect and caught them when they were running from the lake to the river. Everyday it was out last stop before we came in.

First Musky

6lb test on a tube and we had to chase it like a Marlin

 

[Okuma]

I really need to go take some musky and pike trips. How far north do you have to go to reliably catch them? I don't think we have any in GA.

 

[Scott Hammer TOXIC]

Shoot, they are pretty widespread, they catch a lot of them on the New River in West Virginia but St Clair is known as a Musky trophy lake....even though we don't target them we always catch a few. Carlos had one inhale a 3lb smallie from the tail to the gills and we almost landed it. Only pictures we got were of a chewed up smallmouth. I threw a $25 spook in the fog and although I couldn't see it, there was a huge explosion. I kept working the bait back to the boat and about 10 feet out, there was the biggest musky I have ever seen following it in. I ripped the lure out of the water much to Carlos' dismay, he wanted me to hook it up, I didn't want to lose a $25 lure!!

 

[fatrap]

Photography wasn't invented when I first caught a fish. Lake of the Ozarks on my Grandparents dock. Probably was a pumpkin seed. Then some bluegills. Growing up lots of bullheads and carp. SW Iowa isn't known for it's fishing. Caught my first largemouth on a nitecrawler think I was about 12. I was in my 30ties when I caught my first walleye. From then on I was a "closet walleye fisherman" until I "came out" about six years ago. I still consider myself as "bifishual"
fatrap

Last July Lake Oahe SD. walleye and a pike
.

1981 Bass Fishing with my new rig.

 

[BASS AKWARDS]

I really need to go take some musky and pike trips. How far north do you have to go to reliably catch them? I don't think we have any in GA.

I am down, we need to venture out more and target different fish. We also need to make an ocean run.

 

[Dan J.]

I really need to go take some musky and pike trips. How far north do you have to go to reliably catch them? I don't think we have any in GA.

Asheville, NC has muskies in the river. Not a far haul at all.

 

[Greg Meyer]

First fish was one I shared with Moses.... LOL. Have some pics of my first guide customers on Lake of the Ozarks in 59 or 60 while I worked a summer at a housekeeping cabin/resort. Bass on pre-rigged Creme Plastice worms.

 

[Scott Hammer TOXIC]

Geeze Greg, I thought you were in the back of the boat trolling when Washington crossed the
Potomac!!

 

[Greg Meyer]

Nah...trolling doesn't work on Potomac Walleyes.... Washington let me use a cannon with grape shot on the bow... Redneck fishing at it's best.