Fishing- Passion vs. addiction

[Rodney Smith]

Where exactly is the line?

[Dens228]

Haha, I'm lucky enough to be semi-retired at a fairly young age so I have summers off.  I go 3-6 times a week.

I'd say it's a passion...my wife would say it's an addiction.

[Todd2]

2 hours ago, Rodney Smith said:

Where exactly is the line?

Lol, not sure, I get out 1-2 times a week working full-time and my youngest is in middle school which keeps me busy with school stuff and baseball. But on my breaks and downtime, I'm often on here reading. So I guess I'm still on the passion side, close to the line...lol

[Montanaro]

Once you start selling your body to please the bait monkey...you may have crossed a threshold

[Team9nine]

I'd say it's an addiction when it starts negatively affecting other areas of your life. If you have a hard time paying the rent, or are running up big CC bills on tackle that you can't pay off; if you're calling into work sick to go fishing; if you're missing important family milestones or events because you're gone fishing; if your wife is threatening divorce; it's probably an addiction and you need to seriously consider getting help. Otherwise, if you just like spending all your free time fishing, and only blow disposable income on TW orders every other week, It's probably still just a passion.

[jim k]

1 hour ago, Dens228 said:

Haha, I'm lucky enough to be semi-retired at a fairly young age so I have summers off.  I go 3-6 times a week.

I'd say it's a passion...my wife would say it's an addiction.

I just retired as early as well. And I sometimes get the LOOK from the wife because I am out fishing or diving almost every day. 

 

  I worked since I was 17. Time to play. While I still can.

 

As long as you're not spending 40K a year on it while your house is falling apart, what the heck. It's not like we're sitting on a barstool or at the casino. We're not wasting away in front of the TV.

 

Seems to me if you have a passion for something like fishing, golf or cycling, it keeps you moving and healthier.  

 

 

[Oregon Native]

I believe it would be an addiction if you took it so seriously that family came in second.  

No family...no problem!!!

[12poundbass]

2 hours ago, Team9nine said:

I'd say it's an addiction when it starts negatively affecting other areas of your life. If you have a hard time paying the rent, or are running up big CC bills on tackle that you can't pay off; if you're calling into work sick to go fishing; if you're missing important family milestones or events because you're gone fishing; if your wife is threatening divorce; it's probably an addiction and you need to seriously consider getting help. Otherwise, if you just like spending all your free time fishing, and only blow disposable income on TW orders every other week, It's probably still just a passion.

So a lot of the professional anglers are addicted? 

[Turtle135]

I can stop fishing anytime I want to. I just don't want to! 

[Team9nine]

41 minutes ago, 12poundbass said:

So a lot of the professional anglers are addicted? 

 

I'd think most/many have to be to fish at that level. Just being passionate doesn't cut it. The number of even semi pro anglers I've known that have been through at least 1 divorce is well above average 

[OCdockskipper]

I would say passion.  

 

For me, I fished a ton in my younger years until I was able to start driving & dating.  It let up a little, but I still fished often even in my first year of marriage.  When kids came along & responsibilities grew, it tapered off to a few times a year.  As my youngest got her freedom & started driving, time opened up again and I got back to fishing more.

 

I believe that if it was an addiction, the decrease through the middle of my life never would have happened.

2 minutes ago, Team9nine said:

 

I'd think they have to be to fish at that level. Just being passionate doesn't cut it. The number of even semi pro anglers I've known that have been through at least 1 divorce is well above average 

 

They may be addicted to the competition more than the fishing.  If they are always making sidebets with other anglers, they are most likely gamblers and just use fishing as a vehicle for action.

[Jaderose]

Passion = Brings joy to life.  Addiction = Brings misery to life.

 

 

 

I'm passionate.......so far.

[Koz]

4 hours ago, Todd2 said:

Lol, not sure, I get out 1-2 times a week working full-time and my youngest is in middle school which keeps me busy with school stuff and baseball. But on my breaks and downtime, I'm often on here reading. So I guess I'm still on the passion side, close to the line...lol

 

My middle schooler loves to fish so we're out there 4-6 evenings every week during the summer. But school starts next week and the fall baseball season starts a few weeks after that so we definitely won't be fishing as much. That's kind of a bummer because in the next month or so the temperatures and humidity will finally be bearable.

[Choporoz]

4 hours ago, Team9nine said:

 If you

-have a hard time paying the rent,

-or are running up big CC bills on tackle that you can't pay off;

-if you're calling into work sick to go fishing;

-if you're missing important family milestones or events because you're gone fishing;

-if your wife is threatening divorce;

 

it's probably an addiction

so...if all five don't apply yet, I'm good?

[Team9nine]

4 minutes ago, Choporoz said:

so...if all five don't apply yet, I'm good?

 

Not for me to say...but good luck fishin'   

[dan94]

A passion that i am addicted to. If i go 7 days without catching a fish i start getting serious withdrawals 

[Catt]

All I know is bass fishing is a way of life!

Edited August 12, 2017 by Catt
Operator error

[DogBone_384]

On 8/11/2017 at 5:28 AM, Rodney Smith said:

Where exactly is the line?

 

Depends on checkbook balance, doesn't it?

[NHBull]

The Golf of water sports.......

[Catt]

Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder ( OCD):

Excessive thoughts (obsessions) that lead to repetitive behaviors (compulsions).

 

That could fit!

 

But so can!

 

Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD): A chronic condition including attention difficulty, hyperactivity, and impulsiveness.

 

Don't care subject of discussion is I'm gonna end up talking bass fishing.

 

Getting hyper to mow my lawn?

Getting hyper to go to the lake 

 

Impulsive?

I'll go fishing at the drop of a hat & I'll drop the hat!

 

Wife says I got both!

[A-Jay]

Call it what you want, but when it has me doing this ~

This ~ 

and this ~

I'll be doing it every chance I get

Thank you very much.

A-Jay

[Mike L]

It's all about the juice!!

 

 

 

 

Mike

[MichaelCopeland]

Guess I'm passionately addicted. The addiction part is mainly because I'm fairly new to it. With all the rain we've been getting here in Central Louisiana this summer, I find myself getting bummed out because of it. It'll subside eventually. The passion will always be there. Every time I reel a bass in, the passion grows.

[MIbassyaker]

2 hours ago, NHBull said:

The Golf of water sports.......

 

Golf is a good comparison. So is brewing and and wine-making. Or martial arts. Or being a musician...

 

They're all opportunities for life-long learning and self-improvement.