What is the first fish you remember catching

[Sawdustsavage]

It was a crappie for sure. Don't remember how big but still remember how excited I got. That was 65 years ago. Still get excited with every bite.

[Eagle 1]

CATCHING CHANNEL CAT, WITH MY DAD, IN THE TOMBIGBEE RIVER ON A CANE POLE AND THROW LINES .GOOD TIMES NOT FORGOTTEN .

[Saltine]

My Grandfather didn't really ever speak to my Dad, so I would get dropped off at the sidewalk whenever I went for a visit. One evening my grandfather sent me home with a vintage fishing pole that I later found out he bought my dad when he was young. My Dad told me I could keep it, but it sat in a closest until I was almost 8 years old. Finally one day I begged him long enough to let me use it, and off we went to the creek. With a rusty hook, 30 year old line, and a dug up worm, I landed the fattest smallie I have caught to this day. That started my love for fishing, and a reason to spend time with my Dad. I still have the rod and reel sitting next to me. It is a 1956 "The Citation" by Johnson model 110a, still with the same line.

[Crappie 1]

My first fish was a Dogfish, caught on a cane pole/50Lb. test line. That thing went under and around the boat several times, my Dad finally got it in the boat for me. That has been 63 years ago, still fishing and still get excited when that bobber goes down.

[gregsayers2000]

I was maybe 6-8yrs old and on a family camping trip. It was on the Ohio/Pennsylvania border at a lake called Pymatuning Lake. We were drift fishing down the main channel when I thought I had a snag. Dad took the pole for a few seconds and handed it back and said it was no snag. Took for what seemed a long time to land him, but I had my lifetime largest walleye at 7-8lbs. I have caught thousands since on Lake Erie and in Canada but none ever bigger. I grew a foot that day I was so proud!!

[KDAVID1]

Catching a big sheephead and a stingray on the same day when I was 5 years old.

[RCC]

Catching a bluegill off a clear water creek. You could cast to the bed and they would run off, but would come right back and take the bait. My dad did the casting, I did the reeling which, at that time, I was convinced was the most important part. This was early 1960ish.

[cause]

Funny that I would find this thread today. Today would have been my grandfather's 100th birthday. My first real memory of fishing was when he took me to catch fish to stock a farm pond that he had dug out a month of so before. I have no idea how old I was but I was very young.

We went down to a small farm that he used to own, but had arranged a swap with the family currently living there because they had a larger farm and all their children were grown and left the farm, and grand dad's family was very young and out growing their place.

Any way very small farm pond that very few people ever fished. He got me set up and as soon as my line hit the water it was "Fish On." I would not touch the fish or bait my own hook, so I did lots of fishing and Grand dad did lots of fishing support. We ran out of salamanders as bait so he told me to us the bare hook. Tah duh as soon as the hook hit the water it was "Fish On." I was a fishing machine, I even hooked his arm while trying to cast into the pond. I did not realize that I had hooked him, I only knew I was stuck and kept yanking on the line until he yelled at me to stop. When I saw the hook in his forearm and blood I "Freaked out and started to cry."

I remember he cut the line to the hook, and walked calmly out of the field with me to the truck and drove us home. There he and Grandma took care of the hook and his arm. I remember being terrified that I was going to be in big trouble. Once his arm was taken care of, he came and found me and said," Well you caught those fish lets go put them in the pond."

It is one of my favorite memories of him, and I hope one day when I become a Grand dad that I have the patients and poise that my Grand dad had with me.