I wished I could say how or when I started fishing. I can remember trying to catch a fish while camping when I was very young but mostly all I can remember is I've fished all my life. I was born in '56. Back in my day of growing up us children in the neighborhood were turned loose everyday (and the screen door was locked when we went outside HA!) and all we had to do was make it in the house at 12 Noon for lunch and at 6PM for supper and in for the night by dark. If you were late for meals you didnt eat. Life was much simplier back in those days. Kids didnt get kidnapped nor was anybody doing drugs. Me and my neighborhood buddies spent every day at the creek fishing and swimming. We dug and sold worms for a dime a cup to the grown folks that came to fish and afterwards we headed to the neighborhood store with our monies for candy and ice cream. We fished with anything from set hooks to reed canes to our own rod and reels. Mostly our catches would be bream, cats, and the ocassional carp. Usually we'd tie our rods to a stump or a bush with a stringer while we swam in the running creek behind the backed up waters. Every once in awhile one of the neighbor's Dad would carry us to a catfish pond. Man, what a treat that was. Fishing has always been a BIG part of me for as long as I can remember. I was told my Grandpa LOVED fishing and was pretty good at it too. I never knew him as he died when I was just a baby but I'm guessing my love for fishing came thru him as an inheritance. And, as a bonus, my son took to fishing like a fish takes to water. I started him when he was 2 or 3 years old and he hasnt tired from it one little bit, and he's 33 yrs old now.