Your Greatest Moment Fishing?

[BigFish]

Great stories guys! Love reading them! The pics are also great!

Mr. Sandman.....love that childhood pic of you! Priceless!

[JohnR]

Rockfish - pass along my thanks and regards for your son please

[Dad 818]

2 years ago. Taught my son to cast his spinning reel and my daughter was using her push button. Freshwater fishing. They each caught a 2 lb. bass on their first cast. Best double I will ever be a part of.

I could catch a 40# this year and it wouldn't top that day. Now my daughter is into the girl things, while my son can't wait to fish a beach with me.

And Rockfish, thank your son for me for being one of the brave people who allow my children to sleep safe every night.

[JamesJet]

My (our)first striped bass ever. My brother and bought a couple surf rods from Benny's and went to the Chatham lighthouse beach 3 nights in a row while on summer vacation in Harwich. We fished with sand eels over on the left near the rocks (back when the water was faster over there). The tackle store gave us the classic 2 hours either side of high - so we fished around 7-11, 8-12 and 9-1. Nothing but crabs. On the 4th night we said forget it - we must be doing something wrong - we basically just chalked it up to being freshwater guys and the big surf was our match. It was 9 or so and my girlfriend who was also there with us and sick of spending nights with my sister and family said why don't we go, there is some bait left and you guys love to fish - I'll even go. So the three of us went - took lawn chairs etc and headed down.
That night at around 1AM one rod started bobbing and it was not the waves. After setting the hook my brother yells "Jim, I think we got one and its heading to England" Well a longer than necessary fight took place. We all took turns reeling it in - I ended up going in the water to literally push it on shore (couldn't figure out how to surf that last wave in...).
We all look and its a keeper. We pack up quickly race home and wake up the whole house, the dog my parents sister and 75 year old grandma. It weighed 22 lbs, taken with the scientific step on the bathroom scale with and without it method. We stayed up and cleaned it and I think the grin did not leave my face for days.
Needless to say I was hooked. I now am married to the girl from this story, and I certainly don't have to explain to her why I go out late at night and come home with a grin on my face the receipts from tackle store are a different story...

[ElSluggo]

Number one when I lived on a lake. Giving my stepdaughter a rod and reel and stocked tackle box as a first conmunion gift and seeing her catch a 2lb. large mouth on the first cast from our dock.
Number two taking my grandson (age 7) saltwater fishing for the first time last fall and hitting a bluefish blitz from a breechway. I'll never forget holding his belt so the 13lb. blue wouldn't pull him off the rocks. Must have caught at least 40 fish during that blitz. He's been fresh water fishing since age 3 and now he thinks saltwater fishing is always like this.

[Al in Westport]

A Striper from the Old Days...

This photo is of myself with a 62-pound bass taken in 1971. What you can't see in the photo are the two 45 pounders laying at my feet. We were live-lining menhaden. I’m still around and still chasing that elusive 63 pounder. A boy can dream right?

So…here is my “Fish of a lifetime”…

Al

[MAKAI]

Originally Posted by Al in Westport

A Striper from the Old Days...

This photo is of myself with a 62-pound bass taken in 1971. What you can't see in the photo are the two 45 pounders laying at my feet. We were live-lining menhaden. I’m still around and still chasing that elusive 63 pounder. A boy can dream right?

So…here is my “Fish of a lifetime”…

Al

Nice fish . . . . the belt looks like it's about to cut you in half though.

[Al in Westport]

Originally Posted by MAKAI

Nice fish . . . . the belt looks like it's about to cut you in half though.

Ya Makai, I was bust'n my gut holding that fish up for the picture. I wear suspenders now...it helps.

[Rockfish9]

Originally Posted by JohnR

Rockfish - pass along my thanks and regards for your son please

I will do that.. this evening in fact ,he's home (in NJ) until May...

[MarshCappa]

Great Thread! Everyone's stories are very inspiring. My favorite trip occured last year on the South River with my then 3 year old. he caught his first striper on his rod drifting worms off my skiff. his face lit up and he was so proud of himself. But only a fraction of how proud I was of him. It's a powerful and emotional feeling doing these things with people that you are close too. It's hard for me to explain but reading all these posts is really bringing me back to how important family and friends are. Thanks Larry for starting this thread!