HeavyDluxe

Hi all... As I mentioned in my introduction post, I fished a little as a kid with my father and the stopped until just last summer. Last year, a neighbor was cleaning old tackle out of the garage, offered some to my son, and he started to get interested in fishing. Like any dad who wants to be with his son, that meant I started to get interested (again). And, because of my personality, that has blossomed into full-bodied addiction. One of the challenges I think I have as an angler is that - when you get right down to it - I'm mostly as green as my son is as a fisherman. My father worked swing shifts, so fishing outings were relatively rare and, when we did go, dad wasn't really known for patience. So, I feel like I'm learning everything new while trying to help my son learn and enjoy the hobby. There are also a couple other kids in the neighborhood who are my son's age without fathers in their homes. They've started to occasionally tag along with us to either or the town's two ponds (though I do keep some time 'special' for just my son and I). Anyway, all that is to say that I want to learn well so I can care for these young men. I'd like them to be able to learn with/from me in a way i didn't get to enjoy as a kid. Since my dad doesn't fish anymore and is hours away from my home, I get to turn to the internets for help. So, this thread is my attempt to get 'fatherly' advice from you guys. I hope you don't mind, and I thank you in advance. I will probably post a question to this thread periodically (so as not to overload the board with new threads), and I've placed it here in the "Other Species" subforum because, while bass is a lot of what we're after, there are lots of panfish, perch, trout, and other thing that need catchin'. So, here's the first question for you guys... We're a nerdy, homeschooling kinda family, which may explain in part why I am so concerned with wanting to learn, learn, learn about fishing. What are your top books for general fishing knowledge? I'm specifically interested in species behavior/specifics that will help me 'think like a fish'. Starting with a couple solid books will help me keep the questions down for a while and fuel my second lust (books!!). Thanks in advance for your help... I look forward to, perhaps, being able to be a resource to you all down the road. - Dluxe

Hi, everyone... I'm Brian, and I live in the Green Mountain State of Vermont along the NH border. I fished a lot as a kid growing up in Delaware - mainly salt water stuff out in the Delaware and Chesapeake Bays. When I got into high school, fishing time dropped off and I just picked up a rod again last summer. That amounts to a lay off of almost 18 years. I don't have a boat, so I fish from the banks of local ponds. We're fortunate to have a really interesting body of water in my town, and I've had a blast pulling all kinds of stuff out of there. From panfishing with the kids to trying to drag some plastics through the weeds and find a bass or two, it's all fun. This year, I have even gotten to enjoy a couple trips to local streams to target native rainbow and brook trout. I caught my first good-sized 'bow yesterday. The best part of this is getting to spend times outdoors with friends and especially with my son. What a joy! Anyway, I look forward to learning more here that will help me be a better angler from the shore... Thanks!