Motivation

[T-Billy]

Grandpa started me when I was 4. It's been my favorite past time ever since. Love the never ending puzzle. Learning new ways too fool 'em. The quest for a new PB. Quiet time to decompress. Fun trips with the wife and or kids. Time with my Lord and Savior out in his creation. Lots of reasons. It never gets old. After 48 years, it's still as fun as when I was a kid. There's something truly magic about it.

[The Baron]

I prefer how I feel at the end of the day, when I’ve been outdoors and active.  The challenge of fishing is a great reason to do so.

 

I’m a gear/tackle junky too - I need to overdue everything… and bass fishing is very fertile ground for someone like me. lol

 

Beyond all that, the feeling of a fish (especially a good one) on the line is hard to beat.?

[padon]

kind of hard to tell. its just what i do. i like being outside, on the water. i like trying to put the puzzle of location, presentation , bait choice etc together. I like feeling the fish pull and fight. its all those things plus probably some others im not aware of.

[fishingtx]

easy guys we all have a fishing addiction?

and there is no cure

[GaryH]

Family, friends, hunting and fishing. Things that make life great. All the reasons I need. Life is good.

[soflabasser]

I have fished for bass for several decades and I still enjoy catching bass regardless of how big they are. Have had days I caught trophy bass, days I caught over 100 bass, days I caught +30 pound 5 bass limits. I know that I can catch big fish whenever I want so I am in no rush to catch the next big fish. At this point in my life I fish to have fun and relax, that is all the motivation I need.

[Bluebasser86]

My oldest son and I were fishing together last summer and he was starting to get impatient, he asked "Are we about done?" I told him "Yes, I just want to catch a few more". He asked me "How many more do you want to catch?" I told him the truth "All of them". 

 

Everyone needs to have an escape, and something they do well at, fishing happens to be both for me. I enjoy trying to figure out the puzzle, sharing the sport with others, and the reward when a big fish is fooled into eating my bait. 

[DitchPanda]

38 minutes ago, Bluebasser86 said:

My oldest son and I were fishing together last summer and he was starting to get impatient, he asked "Are we about done?" I told him "Yes, I just want to catch a few more". He asked me "How many more do you want to catch?" I told him the truth "All of them". 

 

Everyone needs to have an escape, and something they do well at, fishing happens to be both for me. I enjoy trying to figure out the puzzle, sharing the sport with others, and the reward when a big fish is fooled into eating my bait. 

This is also how I feel. I'm not pro by any means but feel I'm above average...at least for my area. One of my favorite aspects of this whole thing is teaching new anglers and watching them get invested. I've got a buddy that I've known for 15 years that just got into bass fishing the past few months. He's fished his entire life but mostly for pan fish and catfish so he is amazed at how different bass fishing is. To say he is ate up with it is an understatement. Texting me basically everyday asking about rods, reels and tackle to buy...asking for suggestions on what to read and what YouTube guys to follow to learn new techniques. Just be a matter of time until he joins us here and starts hitting everybody up for info. Its pretty cool to see him all wound up...reminds me of why and how much I love it.

[Zcoker]

I don’t know, I guess what motivates me is the hunt, the anticipation, that feeling of never knowing what might happen. Mostly the hunt or in creating new approaches or styles that get positive results. I also tag and release sharks for NOAA (National Oceanographic Atmospheric Association) which keeps me in check quite well with the big girls off the local beaches lol So many of my tactics from the surf I bring to the fresh water world or, in my case, the Everglades. All in all, it’s about getting out there and living the life, having fun, doing what one likes and enjoying every single minute of it. I’ve often said to myself that there will come a time when I should define my objectives, one way or another, put into prospective exactly what it is I am doing. I mean, sure, I just love the peace and the tranquility, nature and all that jazz, but what it is I am exactly doing is hunting down fish, winning them over, being the victor plus making sure my captive gets put back as safely as possible with the least injury as possible. That’s kinda exactly what I am doing.

[Big Hands]

On 9/22/2021 at 6:37 AM, DitchPanda said:

 Often wondered what keeps us bass guys going back. . . . . So what is it for you? What keeps you coming back?

It's not always the same reason(s). 

 

Sometimes I:

• want to spend time with friends or family. 
• want to spend time with a fellow angler (not necessarily to be confused with friends or family).
• want to be alone with my thoughts.
• want to have some sanctuary time and get away from whatever I have been immersed in at home and/or work.
• want to try a new bait, technique, or gear.
• want to chase a big fish.
• want to feel the tug.
• want to be on the water in a boat.
• want to be outside in a more natural setting.

It could be any one of the above or a combination of them. They all can be motivation for me to go.

[huZZah]

14 minutes ago, Big Hands said:

It's not always the same reason(s). 

 

Sometimes I:

• want to spend time with friends or family. 
• want to spend time with a fellow angler (not necessarily to be confused with friends or family).
• want to be alone with my thoughts.
• want to have some sanctuary time and get away from whatever I have been immersed in at home and/or work.
• want to try a new bait, technique, or gear.
• want to chase a big fish.
• want to feel the tug.
• want to be on the water in a boat.
• want to be outside in a more natural setting.

It could be any one of the above or a combination of them. They all can be motivation for me to go.

Man, I just want to be alone. If my thoughts leave I’m ok with that too. 

[cyclops2]

I like catching Yellow Perch for a 87 year old buddy.

 

 Then I am free to go after bass on lures only.  My bay is full of C & R bass . VERY LURE wise. A real challenge.  Keeps my interest very high. 

[The one that got away]

I think we all fish because that next cast could be the one that gets the fish of a lifetime.  

Besides the thrill of the chase, it's great to be outdoors and enjoy the peace and quiet of nature.  When the bite is slow, it gives me some solitude to reflect on all the things I can be thankful for.  

And then I cast again...

[Boomstick]

First and foremost, I just love being on the water, it's my peace in life. I also like learning more about bass behavior and trying to learn a new lake or catch a new PB as well.

[Crow Horse]

Pretty much all of the above reasons. My obsession  with pursuing personal performance excellence, and unraveling the mystery of LMB allow me the perfect opportunity to offer thanks in a natural environment for the blessed life I live.

 

My obsession mirrors Ahab's quest for Moby Dick, so much so that I named my kayak the USS Pequod.......

[ajschn06]

On 9/22/2021 at 8:37 AM, DitchPanda said:

 Often wondered what keeps us bass guys going back. We spend alot of money on rods,reels,boats,trucks and baits...baits we often lose sooner than later...just to target fish we most often unhook and immediately throw back.

 For me the draw comes down to two things. First thing is the pursuit of big bass and looking for a new PB. Second and probably most importantly is im a natural problem solver. I like using logical detective skills to work thru the list of possibilities and put the puzzle together. Guess that's why im an operational plant tech 3 at a biorefinery-i like troubleshooting.

 So what is it for you? What keeps you coming back?

 

 

For me it's the process.... something to keep me going when I'm on the water or off it.  I'm not the type of fisherman who wants to carry 20 different setups for every different technique.  I want to carry 3 setups, maybe 4, and be able to have those three setups cover everything I may need to do on any given day.  Depending on the season, maybe it's a jerkbait, chatterbait, and a jig.  Maybe it's a Frog, jig, and a swimbait.  I spend a lot of time when I'm not on the water thinking of certain combinations of lures/colors,  thinking of the best times or spots to use it, making sure I'm covering any area of the water, or set up for one certain spot I want to make sure to hit.  Hitting the water and having all the planning pay off is what keeps me coming back.

 

I guess that mindset is why I never considered going on a guided trip.  Other peoples equipment, taking me to the fish and telling me what to throw and where.... I wouldn't get much out of that...

 

[Darth-Baiter]

On 9/22/2021 at 2:50 PM, Bankbeater said:

I like the peace and quiet away from everything while I catch bass.

I’m with this person. 
 

it’s peaceful for the most part.  90% peace and quiet with 10% adrenaline fueled fire drill of catching a bass.   It’s addicting 

[Columbia Craw]

I like sharing.  I like sharing time with the few I can call real friends.  I really like sharing knowledge and experience with young anglers.  I sharing my stuff.  I also like sharing my live well to those that enter it.

[HaydenS]

Because this happens when I don't fish:

 

[MGF]

All of the above. When I was younger it was fishing with my dad and cousins and a few weekend trips with dad and neighbors for musky, white bass runs or walleye runs. Later it was my kids and I. Now it's mostly fishing with my wife, sometimes my son and once in a while the grandkids. When my wife and I go out for the day it's almost always on the river chasing brown bass.

 

I've done the solo thing all along.

 

Recently I took a kid (30 year old kid) from work out wading the river. He only caught one bass but he had a blast. He's lived his whole life within a few hundred yards of the river and has never fished it. While we were out there he asked me if I did that sort of thing when I was a kid. I couldn't help but think how lucky I was when I answered "yes".