The Narrator is a 14-year-old boy who balances his vacation time between the school swim team, practicing his casting, and secretly admiring the girl next door. He views himself as sensitive and perceptive, spending hours trying to interpret his neighbor's moods from a distance. As an avid and highly skilled angler, he treats the sport of fishing as a deep, meaningful connection to the natural world.

Sheila is a beautiful 17-year-old from a socially prominent family spending her summer at the river resort. She fills her days playing baseball, throwing parties, and lounging on the dock, easily drawing the attention of local boys and passing athletes. She maintains an aloof, self-centered demeanor and openly views fishing as a stupid, pointless activity.

Eric is an older college student who rows on the Dartmouth crew team. He possesses the maturity, athletic status, and material wealth that the younger boys at the summer resort lack. Driving a Corvette and participating in collegiate sports, he easily captures the romantic attention of the older teenage girls.

The Bass is an enormous largemouth that lives in the New England river near the resort. It represents the ultimate catch for a local angler, possessing immense strength and survival instinct. It acts as a physical manifestation of the natural world's demands, directly challenging the skills of anyone who drops a line in the water.