My first REAL bass...

[Elwix]

I caught my first REAL bass when I was 15. My family was traveling from Massachusetts to Washington state, and stopped at East Crow Wing Lake in Minnesota and camped beside the lake. The camp ground was swarming with frogs and mosquitoes. Being that age, I didn't have the sense to hide from the mosquitoes, and spent as much time fishing as I could. Mom was constantly warning me about the mosquitoes, but I couldn't stop fishing. I caught a couple small northern pike, and a lot of panfish the first few days we were there. Then Dad rented a row boat. Around mid-morning I was digging through Dad's tackle box, and decided to try a lure that I'd caught a few northern pike on. It was called a River Runt and was made by Heddon. Two casts later the Runt stopped dead in the water. At first I thought I was snagged, and was in danger of losing Dad's lure, then I felt the tell tale tug of a good fish, and held on. Moments later my eyes got as big as saucers as a big largemouth went airborne. With more than a little coaching from Dad, I managed to win a memorable battle with that fish, and got it to the net. Dad immediately weighed it on an old rusty fish scale that he had - a hair under 5 pounds. I was thrilled, but anxious to catch another fish, so I cast my line out again. Boom. Another largemouth hit the River Runt right away, and lauched itself into the air. The second bass was bigger than the first, but I ended up breaking my line before I could get it in. That was one time that Dad didn't complain about me losing one of his lures. And catching my first REAL bass was an experience I'll never forget.
Anyway, that's where and how and when I caught my first real bucketmouth. Where, when and how did you catch you catch your first memorable bass?

[Dave Smith]

thanks for the cool story

[BonkBonkBonk]

i caught my first largemouth below swan falls dam on the snake river. i was probably only 10, and i had spent most of the day up the canyon chasing lizards. my dad and his friend were fishing, and hadnt had even a bite all day. i walked down, picked up my rod and said "this is how you fish" and on my first cast caught a big(or it seemed big at the time) largemouth! didnt catch anything else, but it sure was funny

[hawgcatcher]

I caught my first bass from the Willamette about five miles south of Oregon City and I have been chasing them ever since. But the bass that stands out in my mind is not mine but my wife's first one.

We took a trip to Siltcoos many years ago as I wanted to get a chance to fish the big lake. At the time, we had been married about five or so years and she really was not into fishing. I felt that if she could catch some fish, any kind, she would be hooked and we would be able to enjoy fishing together.

Well I rowed the boat over to a downed tree and hooked her up with a big fat nightcrawler, thinking she might catch a perch or crappie. I in turn tied on a big old plug and started to cast all over to show my prowness. I just knew that there was a big one with my name on it.

My wife started to mumble and say something about how she was hung up. I turned around and her pole was jumping all over. Of course I calmly told her how to land the fish, (actually I was yelling and jumping all over to help her)and she just fought the fish to the edge of the boat. I lipped the fish and brought it in. A very pretty five pound largemouth.

I congratulated her and she looked up at me and said, "OK I have mine, can we go back in now". I turned blue in the face and said we should try for another. She sat back and read a book.

Oh yes I managed to catch one too on my plug. It was a beautiful specimen of blue gill, almost as big as the plug.

She still doesn't fish. I did manage to get her steelhead fishing on the No. Fork Nehalem one time. But I don't want to talk about that trip.

[Wannabe]

The first one I remember was on Siltcoos on a family trip many years ago. Headed out from West Lake in a small boat. Dad had bought some waterdogs and I had cast mine in the tules and it was hanging about a foot or so above the water just wiggling. Well...about a 2 ro 3 pounder jumped out of the water and grabbed it while we both watched in dismay. A short time later Dad caught a 5. Been hooked ever since.
<)))><

[bassfishingnw]

I would have to say my first bass came when I was about 6 years old at Banks Lake. My dad and uncle took me out and I hooked into a largemouth and started to real in. I was wearing one of those hooded sweatshirts with one of those front pouch handwarmer things, well if you have ever tried to reel in a fish when you where that age...the butt of the pole is between your legs and the reel is in your gut! I end up getting the crank of the reel hung up in my sweatshirt so I couldn't reel anymore!!! The bass end up getting hung up on a stump and we end up pulling the bass off the stump with our hands!! Can't remember the size, but it sure looked big at that age!!

Been hooked also ever since!!

:cheers: