I wanted to thank everyone for contributing so much to this site. It is amazing to see so many people come together with a common passion.
I began fishing around age 6 and soon made chasing bluegill an almost daily habit. My freshwater fishing continued and by age 16 I had a pickup truck and jon boat, which was a leap in technology.
After high school I began fishing in saltwater and worked my way up the ranks, eventually spending a couple decades fishing for tuna and other ocean fish.
As I approach age 50, I have retired from ocean fishing and am returning to the same ponds and creeks where I fished as a boy. I am having more fun catching panfish than I have had in years.
Believe it or not, I still have my original Minn Kota trolling motor and a Diawa ultralight reel that I used in high school. Both have a few dings, but still work well.
I fish for bluegill when I can and have learned a lot already this season. I am looking forward to the fall and early winter here as anglers tell me that freshwater fishing gets much better.