Why Do You Fish

[WTnPuddleJumper]

'cause you cant catch em from your recliner!!!!!!

 

[WIGuide]

I fish because I'm obsessed with everything about it. I have been for about as long as I can remember. While other kids were reading comic books, I'd be paging through the Bass Pro catalog instead. Other kids had GI Joes, I had trucks and boats. There's just something about trying to outsmart those fish and the satisfaction that comes with something pulling against you. Fishing is such a universal activity because you can make it what you want it to be. If I want peace and quiet and to be by myself I can do that. If I want to be more social, I can invite people to fish with me, or even have a weekend with some friends that revolves around fishing. A person can make it as simple or as complex as they want, and still have a good time either way. I also like fishing competitively. As a former college basketball player I've always had a strong competitive side, when my career was finished, the competitive nature that's always been a part of me is still left over and doesn't go away. Fishing has helped fill that void as it gives me an outlet to compete, and even though I do still play ball, I'm not dumb enough to think I'll be able to play forever. However, with fishing, I'll be able to continue that for a lifetime. Lastly, I love fishing because of the mystery of it all. I'm not old by any means but I fish A LOT and have spent a lot of time on the water. Even as much as I fish, no two trips have been exactly alike. You're never sure what you're going to catch, or even see whether it be a group of topless women sunbathing on a dock, or a bald eagle swooping down to grab a fish no more than 20 yards from the boat. 

[Robeng]

Relaxing in the outdoors on the water, a beautiful day, admiring Gods gifts, being with my son or friend, and the thrill of a bite and catch.

[Tin Man]

I fish because for me it is unfinished business. I grew up with an older and a younger brother. They are both gone now. It's just me now so when I'm out there I am fishing for us all. Owning our own boat and tournament fishing had always been our dream. We all drifted apart before that became a reality though. Since I retired this has become a reality. On a much smaller scale that we imagined but it happened. So for me it's a time to reflect and remember. 

[JustJames]

For me, it is everything you said only a slight different is,

my wife would question me everything I buy related to fishing.

my wife doesnt enjoy fishing much so I use that just to get away from her.

 

seriously though, i love the thrill of getting fish bite that tap tap thing you mentioned. Im only one in the family that enjoy fishing so mostly I fish alone.

[Jaderose]

I fished when I was a kid and then nothing for a long time.  and then about 20 or so years ago, my dad got me a rod/reel, tackle box, etc.  Just an inexpensive combo.  It was an odd gift.  I hadn't fished in years and he didn't fish at all.  I stuck it out on my front (enclosed) porch and sorta forgot about it.  One day, the (ex) wife and I got into a huge argument and I had to leave the house just to get away from it.  I was a pretty heavy drinker back then and normally would have just headed to a bar.  As I was leaving, I saw that fishing gear and grabbed it.  I stopped and got some nightcrawlers and went to a little local lake.  The rest is history.  I fell in love that day.  I didn't get rip-snorting drunk.  I didn't break anything...including the law.  I went fishing.  The marriage didn't last but my love for fishing has only grown deeper.  I will never know why my Old Man got me that little combo.  He is gone now.  But it will always be the single greatest Christmas present I ever received.  Today I am clean and sober and my life isn't as hard as it was back then but the feeling of fishing still remains the same.  I calm down...my blood pressure is lower....my life is better.  

 

That is why I fish

[Brett's_daddy]

I used to go fishing with my Grandfather when I was a boy. Every summer we'd go fishing, sometimes my Mom would come along with us too or sometimes it was just the two of us but regardless if we caught anything it was always a fun time and part of what made my childhood fun. Now that my Grandfather has passed on I hold my memories of fishing with him even more dear! Getting back into fishing about 3 years ago after about a 20 year hiatus the fun is back. It's definitely an addiction and I probably spend too much money on it (according to my wife anyway) but there are other far worse things I could spend spare cash on is how I justify it...lol. I now have a young son of my own and am hoping to get him involved more and to enjoy the outdoors instead of being glued to a TV playing video games. I just recently (last spring) bought a used boat and have had mixed success with that (the boating learning curve has bitten me a couple of times so far...lol) but hope to get more opportunities to expand our fishing forays this summer! My wife loves to eat fish so we mostly keep what we catch (unless they're too small) and eat a lot of fish (and freeze some) during the summer/fall. It's definitely an adrenaline rush to hook onto a big bass, see that explosion if you're using topwater lures and reel her in with your rod tip bent down just knowing you have a big fish on the line :D.

[lonnie g]

one of the most relaxing fufilling sports there is. the pureness of the adventure. the friends you meet. i to believe as you do, there is that something inside you just cant explain, but it is very satisfying and fufilling. we all need a time and place to think. fishing just happens to be one of the best

[CTBassin860]

Being outside and on the water is a big stress reliever for me.Fishing is the only thing that can take me down to a 2 from a 10 then back up to 10 when you get that "tap tap".When im on the water its just me and the fish.Im not thinking about anything but the fish.No matter how bad a day ive had,fishing is my cure all.Lets not forget the rush of getting a topwater blowup.Trying to figure out ambush spots.I still shake like a leaf when im taking a big girl off the hook.I hoot and holler all by myself with nobody in earshot.I love the "collecting"(tackle gluttony) part of it as rods reels and lures have long replaced sports cards.Simply put,Its my thing,and always will be my thing.

[Columbia Craw]

It provides my wife time away from me.

[weekend_hooker]

For me, it's relaxing and stress relief. Nothing else matters when you are on the water. It's like all my troubles simply disappear. Plus, it is a blast!! 

[jimf]

Such a simple but thought provoking question.   I'll summarize with a few quotes from one of my favorite authors: 

 

"They say you forget your troubles on a lake, but that's not quite it.  What happens is that you begin to see where your troubles fit into the grand scheme of things, and suddenly they're just not that big of a deal anymore".

 

"I used to like fishing because I thought it had some larger significance.  Now I like fishing because it's the one thing I can think of that probably doesn't."

 

"I think I fish, in part, because it's an anti-social, bohemian business that, when gone about properly, puts you forever outside the mainstream without actually landing you in an institution."

 

It's a noble pursuit that has no end.  You can never stop learning, never stop being amazed, and never stop being humbled.  

 

 

 

[geo g]

I do it because I like it!  NOTHING BETTER THEN A DAY ON THE LAKE WITH A GOOD FRIEND, AND MOTHER NATURE.  Any problems in life simply disappear while your out there.  

[3rdDon]

Biggest reasons for me are being outdoors and clearing my head/disconnecting. I have an office job where I'm "plugged-in" way more than I like.

 

But, fishing also fits very nicely into a few other quirks in the following ways:

My OCD loves organizing gear

My inner researcher likes to constantly study new techniques and equipment

The collector in me then likes to buy the stuff I've researched

 

And those three things are pretty much the cycle I've been in for the past 6 months. Research, buy, organize

[Ratherbfishing]

I fish, therefore I am...broke.

 

I could provide a lot of reasons such as time out in nature, the challenge, etc and none of these things are incorrect but I think it most offers me the opportunity to get out of my own head while I am pursuing my "adversary."

[roadwarrior]

Because I bought all this stuff which isn't very useful for anything else!

 

[lo n slo]

i love it too

[reb67]

Why not?

What else can you spend so much money on and not feel guilty about it.

[.ghoti.]

Because I enjoy it.

[Deeare]

On February 5, 2017 at 10:28 PM, wdp said:

Stress relief, relaxation, beautiful scenery, peace & calm. Most importantly, it's fun!!!

And to be with family and friends!    I love taking my brother in laws out and watching them reeling in a 4 lb smallie.      They do not have good form! Lol

[mixel]

To remind myself, life is not about work. It's about the experience.

 

[Airman4754]

My dad, grandpa, and I spent most weekends in a boat for the bulk of my childhood. My grandpa changing lures every five minutes, my dad complaining about him changing lures too much, and me always just catching fish lol. They've both been gone for a long time now, but I just kept doing it.

 

I don't really know why I fish anymore, but I do A LOT.

[Paul Roberts]

I'm a nature freak, and I mean all aspects of it. I want to know what is up with this place we're walking around on. This "quest" has been the motivation for most of the energy I've burned over the years. I was a terrible shy kid -and no great shakes as an academic- who got himself into an ivy school nearly through the back door. In part, some kindly prof's really liked my entrance essay. It was the only school I applied to. Years later I stayed on to do research in eco-physiology and on interview I was asked why I wanted to do science. I practically blurted out, "Because I want to see the face of God!"

 

And it all started with a rock bass. I was 5 yrs old, hyperactive and distracted, standing for the first time in a little tin boat with my dad. He handed me a sapling he'd cut at river-side with a length of line and a worm-baited hook affixed to it. I remember being distracted by the tippy-ness of the little boat, shifting under my weight. I remember the smell of mothballs in the orange life preserver crowding my neck. I was not paying attention to the "fishing". I didn't even know what that was, much less meant. 

 

Then, suddenly, I received a tug on the line. I will never forget that feeling, or my reaction. I can best explain it this way: There was something else "down there", it was "alive", and "it wasn't me". What that meant, I think, was that I was not aware of what was outside my own body, until that moment. Under that opaque sheet of water was mystery, and I made a connection with it. That feeling has never left me.

 

I then pulled up a rock bass and I remember the stunning reflective, metallic, iridescent colors -complexity that still wows me to this day. The closer you focus, the more amazing they become. And it had an eye, that appeared to look at me. I was... in awe. I still feel that way, with just about every fish I catch.

 

When I see a wild animal, any wild creature, I have one over-riding question: "What is that thing?? No, really... what IS that thing???? I have been trying to answer that question ever since.

[Turkey sandwich]

It's a lot of things for me.  Growing up, and even still, fishing is one of the few activities that really bring my dad and I together.  We're very different people and while he is nowhere near as serious about it as I am it becomes a common ground.  In fact, him introducing me to the outdoors might be the thing I'm most grateful to him for.  

 

After growing up above the Poconos where getting into nature is pretty easy, I've spent the last 12 years in Philadelphia where there isn't exactly a whole lot of wilderness.  A few years back, over stressed by the fast pace of the city, I decided that I needed to experience more outdoors.  I have a huge appreciation for nature and love experiencing it in any challenging way I can - backpacking, fishing, hiking, camping, etc. I love getting away from people and seeing how small we really are in the grand scheme of things. It has a huge calming effect on me.  I love solitude, peace, and adventure.  I love the shared experience of something difficult and unique and I love introducing new people to these things.

 

Fishing is more to me because it allows me all of the above while presenting the challenging of figuring out a puzzle that is never quite the same day to day.  Are the fish holding deep on structure? Cruising flats? Sitting in riffles or tail outs?   Are they primarily feeding on nymphs? Crayfish? Alewives? Perch? Is there a dominant hatch?  Where are the fish in their seasonal migrations?  What did yesterday's storm do to the fish I was catching three days before?  There are so many pieces to the puzzle you can never have them figured out all the time and that challenge is what keeps bringing me back to the water. 

[Mumbly]

I grew up trout fishing. Dad would take on 2 day fishing trips pretty much every weekend. Always loved those trips.

 

Fishing now is one of only a few things that make me really happy. Life sucks sometimes so thinking about fishing even in the middle of winter gives me some solace from everyday life stuff.