Why do you fish?

[timsford]

I fish for a few reasons. To relax, because I enjoy the outdoors, sometimes because I like fresh trout, walleye, and crappie to eat. Because I like to take my kids and teach them the joy of the outdoors. My son is 6 and loves to fish. I've taken him since he was 2. When he was 6 he reeled in a 4lber on a zebco dock demon (with 30lb braid I spooled and I also set the hook on the wacky stick worm when I saw the line swimming, but he casted it and reeled it in. I was so proud!:)). Hopefully when he gets old enough I can get him in high school and college tournaments. And I fish for bass because of the challenge. Because it's priceless when I go out and put together a 20lb+ bag of smallies from the bank and see the local tournament was won with 12lbs like last week lol. I caught a 5lb smallie at the boat ramp as a guy was loading his boat and busy telling me the whole time that he hadn't got a bite and I was wasting my time

[crypt]

because of the challenge,enjoying the outdoors,the quiet and the noise at the same time.from getting up at 4 a.m. preparing my gear,boat,truck and trailer. maintaining my reels,changing hooks. everything about fishing is what keeps me alive !!!!!!!!!

[MRBAMA57]

I fish for Bass to: To get out in the great outdoors by fishing wildlife areas as much as posssible, to relieve stress, learn new ways to fish, plan a strategy to catch more fish when weather conditions are working against you. I could go on and on.............................

[B1gD4ddy]

it is a great stress relief from the busy days of work.  that and who can ignore the adrenalin rush of catching a biggun

[Damn Yankee]

Because murder is illegal. 

[Torn Thumb]

2 hours ago, d**n Yankee said:

Because murder is illegal. 

WHOA! I can't believe you just came out and said that... in the form of an incomplete sentence.

[hawgenvy]

I don't think that the appeal of recreational angling is entirely rational.  Much of the desire is subconscious. I believe the appeal of fishing, like hunting in general, is instinctual. Perhaps I enjoy catching a fish for the same reason a dog likes to run and catch a thrown ball, or a squirrel.

[blckshirt98]

I started fishing to get out of the house since I work in an office building but after fishing for a while it's now not just about getting out of the house.  It's the challenge of trying to outsmart the fish by getting them to bite, and, the slow drip of endorphins as you're fishing.  Each twitch of the rod or crank of the reel is like scratching off a lottery ticket or pulling the handle of a slot machine..."this is the one where the I get the big one"...and then when you actually get a bite there's the whole adrenaline dump that goes on in your body from setting the hook, fighting the fish as you reel it in, and landing the fish.  Unless you're fishing a dead lake where you confidence is shot, the process of fishing is like having a morphine drip in your arm.

[Scott F]

On August 12, 2016 at 2:09 PM, Bass Turd said:

What is it about Bass fishing (or just fishing in general) that makes it such a passion and or addiction? Why do YOU fish?

I started fishing (as an adult) because the golf courses near me were way too crowded.

[BassnChris]

I like being outside. I love to fish. If I catch that's a bonus.

i fish to relax.....no phones or other distractions.

[tahoe2]

I find bass fishing therapeutic,  being on the lake, watching others land a trout while I hook into a nice bass is a beautiful thing. Trout just seem so docile compared to the ferocity of a bass. Even the little ones think they're Big!! That's why I Love Bass fishing.

[FordsnFishin]

On 8/13/2016 at 4:19 AM, Gundog said:

Because baking doesn't offer the same excitement. Unless I'm doing it wrong? Am I missing out on some awesome baking trips? Do people brag about a 10 pound chocolate cake? Is there a $40,000 oven that bakes muffins better than the other ovens? No...ok. Then I'll just go fishing.

Depends on what you're putting in your muffins and brownies. 

[Molay1292]

When ever someone asks me this question my typical reply is, "If you have to ask me,  you will never understand."  The truth is, that explanation is an easy way to avoid a long conversation with someone who may have only politely asked the question, and certainly did not expect a long diatribe for the answer.  The long conversation has many reasons why I fish.    

The first and foremost reason I fish is that I truly feel it brings me spiritually closer to my loved relatives that have passed before me, bringing me intense relaxation and intense happiness.

I use to hunt birds, pheasant, dove, quail, geese, and duck.   It give me the same feeling, but the downside to it was that in order for me to feel like I was a successful hunter, I had to kill.    I do not enjoy the act of killing, in fact it makes me feel very bad.      Fishing is a  lot like hunting, but I don't have to kill to be successful, my trophies get to live on for another angler to enjoy, and I still get the same great feeling.

This one gets a little weird but I will share with you my friends anyway, maybe some of you can relate.   I was raised by my Grandparents, and I was very lucky, my Grandparents loved me with all their hearts, and same was true for me, I loved them both very much.   They were older when I was young and I didn't  have as much time with them as I would have liked.   When I fish, sometimes it is to remember, remember what it smelled like when I would wake up in the morning and Grandma was cooking breakfast, hearing the pans bang the stove and Grandma going through the task of fixing breakfast.   It helps me remember the sound of my Grandfather's car pulling in the drive after a long day at work, knowing that he was home and I would get to spend time with him in the garden, or maybe take a brake and go fishing.   It is the smell of the giant mimosa trees that we would sit under and snap beans, me listening to stories of their youth and time spent with their Parents.     

I love fishing for a lot of reasons, and I wont bother you with the long diatribe. Just know that I do.   

 

[gim]

I used to fish because I was only interested in catching AND keeping something.  Then it was only to catch something.  Now, if I catch some fish its just a bonus because I enjoy being in my new boat and the challenge of it.  Plus, like many have said already, it can be peaceful and help relieve some stress too.

[Catch 22]

On ‎8‎/‎13‎/‎2016 at 5:19 AM, Gundog said:

Because baking doesn't offer the same excitement. Unless I'm doing it wrong? Am I missing out on some awesome baking trips? Do people brag about a 10 pound chocolate cake? Is there a $40,000 oven that bakes muffins better than the other ovens? No...ok. Then I'll just go fishing.

LMAO==I guess its better than "loafing  around"

[Catch 22]

Why -solitude===or even better than that===I`m alone.

 

 

[missouribigbass]

Tactical reasons.  I fish solely for the one big bite.  Im after big fish.  Catching 20 doesn't satisfy me. Very much like trophy whitetail hunting.  Getting those big ones is hard to do.  Finding them and out smarting them is challenging.  That's the part I love.  Just the challenge itself. I enjoy catching fish but I'm obsessed with catching big fish.....

[Gundog]

3 hours ago, FordsnFishin said:

Depends on what you're putting in your muffins and brownies. 

 Don't you wanna know! BTW reps for the username. I'm a big ford fan too. 

On 8/13/2016 at 2:26 PM, d**n Yankee said:

Because murder is illegal. 

Somebody needs a hug. 

[Onvacation]

Because saving money for retirement instead of spending it on a new rod is so boring. 

[Airman4754]

It's such a mental challenge. What worked yesterday might not even get you a bite today. It's extremely simple, yet impossibility complex. You literally have no control over any part of the equation except your gear, which essentially means you're at the will of everything above, below, and around you. That makes having success all that much more rewarding. 

Ultimately there isn't anything else I can think of where if I'm out in the pouring rain, snow, high winds, or extreme heat and I'm not accomplishing what I set out for I still want to do it all again the next day. I think everyone needs that with something in their life be it stamp collecting, photography, or whatever. 

 

[blckshirt98]

One more comment about fishing - it helps identify if something is really bothering me.  Most of the time when I"m fishing I'm focused on fishing and the fish - finding the fish, presentation, what to use, etc.  My focus is singular.  However if there's something else going on through my mind that's not about fishing - deadline at work, argument with someone, home maintenance I've been putting off,etc, then I know it's something I need to address as soon as possible when I get back to the real world.

[Brikon]

It keeps my Sanity under control. 

[YakPirate]

I really just enjoy being outdoors and the solitude plays a big role , and now that i'm Yak'ed up , i don't mind getting lost for a while on the water ..take it around the next bend

[.ghoti.]

Because I can't dance?

And it keeps my mind off those danged avocados. 

[Fish the Mitt]

Because murder is illegal and it's cheaper than counseling.