What Keeps Us Going

[MassYak85]

A handful of things I guess. Just experiencing nature is a part of it. "The puzzle" as others put it is the main drive I think. I'm kind of a perfectionist so the drive to learn more and piece everything together is a thrill in itself. The tackle side of things plays into that as well. There's also a certain mystery to it. You never know what that "next cast" might bring. 

 

I don't think "the itch" is something everyone has either. I think that's what turns something from a hobby to a passion. You just can't wait to go again. Sometimes I really have to force myself to put time into other things. I truly think I could go every day if I was able to.

[jbsoonerfan]

Hunting, golfing and fishing are just an escape for me. Nothing to worry about (unless I'm in a money game on the course) just there to take it all in. I can sit in the tree stand and watch the sun rise and the woods come to life and it is so peaceful. I can hit three poor shots and then chip one in and feel like I am Tiger Woods. Fishing for me, is just a way to get out and enjoy myself. I won't lie, there have been days where I just put the rods down, take my shoes and socks off and sit on the side of the boat and put me feet in the water just to relax. If I find myself stressing about fishing, I remind myself to just relax. Sometimes it's just riding around the lake or laying on the deck listening to the radio. Fishing is when my life slows down enough to be able to reflect on many things and appreciate all I have in this world. Much like sitting in a tree stand, it allows me to just sit there and think about the life I have been given.

[Bigassbass]

Makes you think about life and all the good stuff you have, nature can't be beat for whatever ails you.

 

[WRB]

DNA/Genes, somewhere hidden deep in my soul is a desire to get out on the water when everything else is lost.

Tom

[Hammer 4]

Cuz, it's FUN, just like it was 60+ years ago.

[GreenPig]

It's my Happy Place day or night.

[Koz]

I fished as a kid, but then didn't fish for about 30 years. I never really thought about fishing as I was off doing other things. Then when my son turned 5 or 6, it was time to do the fatherly thing and teach him how to fish.

 

It's odd that I hadn't fished in a while, especially when I moved back to SC. I was surrounded by thousands of lagoons in the area, and as it turns out they all held bass. Lots of bass. 

 

As it turned out, I found that I NEEDED fishing back in my life. Sure, it was a great thing to do with my son, but it was more than that. It provided me a way to turn off the rest of the world and decompress. I went through a lot of tough stuff for a stretch of a few years, and in part fishing helped me cope.

 

Things are good now, and fishing still plays an important role in helping me keep my life balanced. I now live on a big lake and I miss bank fishing all of those lagoons. But last year I bought a kayak, and that's opened up another outlet for me. I always bring a few fishing rods when I head out on my kayak, but even when I'm not catching anything I just enjoy being out on the water. Boats are great and all, but being on my kayak just slows things down for me and relaxes me, and that's what I need to be able to put work aside. I used to do that with golf until it became more about the competition within myself and with others.

 

So what keeps me going is that fishing helps me find more peace and balance in my life. Unlike golf, it's not a competition for me. Being out there and being able to clear my mind and slow down is enough for me.

[Junk Fisherman]

A couple reasons:

1)  The adventure of it.  I enjoy being out exploring, running the boat, and observing nature.  I used to only go when the weather looked favorable but not anymore.  I enjoy even the slow days on the water.  It is therapeutic and I am recharged after spending time fishing.  

2)  Being outdoors and enjoying the weather and the changing seasons.  Like others have mentioned, there is nothing like being out at daylight.  When possible, I will launch and be on Lake Michigan when it is still dark and watch the sun come up as a I fish.

3)  The challenge.  Continually trying to improve.  

4)  Learning new techniques and technology and becoming proficient with them.  Using and learning Livescope, jerkbaits, hairjigs, and a variety of finesse techniques are all goals for this year.  

5)  All the other things that go along with fishing and taking fishing trips- camping, cooking out, roadtrips, and the nostalgia of past trips.

 

My fishing season starts in 2 weeks and I can't wait!

[schplurg]

What else is there to do?

[Spankey]

I share the same passion as the rest of y’all. Fishing for new PB, learning experiences, time with grandsons, my daughters are not young, they have kids of their own but I like taking them both out. In general bass fishing is addictive and a disease. 
 

I’m not the most religious guy but it is a connection time for me also. There are things that strike/spark me before I ever make my first cast. I love being on the water early before the sun is ever up. Water like glass. The colors of the sky where it touches the water. The rising water spouts that come up off the river. Heavy fog mornings like being in a cloud. 
 

Then it’s game on. Smallie time. 

[gim]

I like using my boat. When I throttle down and jump up on plane, the air flowing past me over the lake as I cruise to my first spot is a feeling I don’t get when I drive in my truck.

[Jaderose]

Obviously, I love to fish for the same reasons everyone else does but here's another reason.  The little lake I fish has a couple of creek channels that run off of it.  You can get back in there quite a ways.  Every spring, one of the banks of one of those channels is absolutely riotous with blooming trees and wildflowers.  It's beautiful.  It is completely inaccessible to anyone without a boat and even a bigger boat would be dicey.  In the grand scheme of things, not a lot of people have witnessed it.  Not sure this will make sense to anyone but it reminds me every year that nature does not need us to function or even be beautiful.  It just is and would continue to be exactly that way if we weren't here.  In fact, it would be better off.  It's humbling and pretty great.

[Luke Barnes]

I dont know. I guess because I'm stubborn. Ive thought about giving it up many, many times and still consider it. Got rid of my jon boat, have the outboard for it for sale, and have really thought about putting all of my quality gear up for sale. I havent done it yet so there is something keeping me going. Im a pretty black and white kind of person. All or nothing, in or out. So either I keep bass fishing and actually succeed or I hang it up because it causes me more stress and frustration than a hobby should. 

[Madmurph]

There is so much that I enjoy, from being in the boat with my son, uncle or cousin to trying new lakes, to the anticipation of a big fish and that occasional day with a huge number of fish boated.

 

However, I always tell my son, the one thing that I love the most is setting the hook on a fish and feeling that weight at the end of the line.  There is just something about it to me.