Do you agree with this quote?

[N Florida Mike]

4 hours ago, Deleted account said:

Yeah, that's the random reward thing that makes gambling so alluring as well, we are hardwired for it. If we caught fish easily every time, we'd get bored with it. There was a pier in Norfolk, where you could go at night and catch striped bass every cast for hours, it quickly lost it's appeal except for a quick fix.

I’m not sure about that. The more I catch, the more I want to go !!

[Buzzbaiter]

It annoys me when people try to dictate how people should enjoy a sport as simple and harmless as fishing. That’s what this quote is. It gives off the same vibe as a fly fisherman looking down on a lure fisherman, and that same lure fisherman looking down on a bait fisherman. There’s always a bigger fish, but each one has an equally fragile ego. To me, it comes off as a way for the author to say, “you don’t enjoy the sport the way I do? You’re not a real fisherman then.” 
 

Different people value different things; your mileage may vary. Personally, if I only cared about the scenery and serenity, I’d go hiking. If I only cared about being on the water and taking in nature, I’d always go trout fishing. But the thing is, I don’t just do those things. I go fishing to catch fish. I’ll have days where I skunk, or things just aren’t working out. If things are really frustrating, I can take a break and come back another day. Am I less of a fisherman for that? I don’t think so.
 

You don’t go hunting to come home empty-handed. You don’t take a college course without intending to pass. For me, I don’t go fishing without intending to catch fish. Fishing is relaxing, to be sure. However, I don’t fish to ease pressure, I fish for the thrill. Nothing gets the heart pumping like a smallmouth smashing a topwater, or pulling into a 12 inch trout in a blueline where 6 inches is the norm. That’s just my opinion, though 

[thediscochef]

14 hours ago, ol'crickety said:

I just read this line the trout-fishing book, "At the Loch of the Green Corrie" and I'm wondering if you agree with it. If so, why? If not, why not?

 

"If you don't enjoy fishing when you don't catch a fish, you shouldn't be a fisherman."

 

I know this is true for me because I didn't catch fish when I first started fishing, but I still kept fishing. I loved and love the act of casting. And I loved and love the uncertainty, never knowing if and when. I even loved and love opening my tackle box and wondering what might work.

If you never catch a fish, can you really call it fishing? 

 

By my definition, it eventually becomes casting. Which is what I've been doing since 12/29. Been out casting every day since then, not a thing. Using this dead air space to tune my jerkbaits and suspending lipless cranks. Have a boat scheduled for late February; I expect to continue casting until then. Just the way it goes sometimes. It's not my fault as an angler that the fish are currently in a place I just can't get to.

[J Francho]

Meh, catching is the objective. Without that, the endeavor is unsuccessful. That said, there times when I catch that I feel the trip was unsuccessful for whatever reason. Other times I catch but nothing special. However, that trip may have been special for other reasons. I'm probably spoiled, but it's very rare that I blank. That might be the basis of my rationale. What's more important for me, if I bring a guest: THEY CATCH. I truly get a kick out of that, especially if they're new to fishing. 

[Darth-Baiter]

I'll do yoga if I am looking for inner peace.

 

I want to catch bass/fish.  this is directly proportional to the time/effort/distance/cost to make the trip happen.  

[WRB]

The perception that California is a large city and every lake is surrounded by homes couldn’t be further from the truth.

California is 70% National forest with the High Sierra and Coastal mountain ranges. The San Jauqine Valley is over miles long with the Imperial and Salinas Valleys are agricultural rural farming.

Wild life around our public lakes include Bald and Golden Eagles, Osprey, Pacific Flyway for water fowl, Blacktail and Mule deer, Tule Elk, a vast diverse amount of ground animals and predators like bear, mountain lions, Bob cats, coyotes, Fox, beaver etc., we enjoy the outdoors and environment.

Lakes Casitas, Castaic, Cachuma, Pyramid, Piru, the public lakes within 60 miles of my home have no homes or private docks all have the wildlife noted.

California isn’t a prestige wilderness like Alaska or Canadian fly in lakes, but it isn’t Concrete jungle.

when I go fishing catching bass is the goal but these lakes can be tough at times and getting blanked happens.

I am too old to pursue giant bass now and haven’t caught a bass over 10 lbs since 2012. Only blanked once the past decade and that last year unplanned trip to Pyramid back seating, but enjoyed the day in the water with a new friend.

Tom

[Darth-Baiter]

yea.  WRB is right.  I think there are huge hurdles to live on a lake front.  it is rare.  I could be wrong.

 

when I fish Shasta, I have to blow up an air mattress and sleep under my truck capper.  getting skunked makes for a long quiet drive home.  burping canned stew.  yuck.  

 

the goal is to catch fish.  and enjoy the process while doing so.  the entire process.  yea, some of it is looking at nature.  ticking on a distance lonely beach.  

[WIGuide]

14 hours ago, ol'crickety said:

"If you don't enjoy fishing when you don't catch a fish, you shouldn't be a fisherman."

There are so many aspects to enjoy when it comes to fishing and that's what makes it so great. The individual can choose to cater their experience to their personal liking. I think the statement is rather pointing out that there is far more to fishing than the actual catch itself and the fact that a large percentage of the time while fishing, there isn't a fish on the line. It doesn't mean you don't want to, desire to catch fish, or never catch fish, but if you don't on a trip you can still enjoy the experience.

 

The people who I feel this pertains more to is those that only find enjoyment out of the actual fish catch itself. I've fished with a few people that are like that and it makes for a miserable day. Even if it's a good day, they're just never happy unless they actually have a fish on. In my experience, they are also the poorest stewards of our waters and the sport because they're oblivious to beauty and condition of the resource. Nothing but the fish catch matters. In that respect, I agree with the statement. 

[Choporoz]

16 hours ago, ol'crickety said:

"If you don't enjoy fishing when you don't catch a fish, you shouldn't be a fisherman."

The perfect caption to those sunset pics on FB fishing group pages.

[DitchPanda]

 In theory I really like the sentiment of this quote and want to agree with it, but I would just be lying to myself. I love the homework portion of fishing: studying water temps, time of year, gear tweaking and organization the night before a trip, but the reality is I like that stuff because often times it leads to the reward of catching more fish than if you weren't prepared.

 I've also said numerous times that I can grind out a tough bite with the best of them...but that means staying focused, putting your head down and fishing while looking for the subtle clue that leads to a few fish. Without those few fish you aren't grinding it out your just another angler getting skunked. 

 Guess my point is I don't mind working harder than most and really trying to figure it out...but that is not sustainable for me if I can't indeed figure it out. I've made it a goal this year to fish for what's biting. If I push the bass thing as far as I can with nothing to show, instead of continuing to force the issue ill switch to pan fish or catfish just to feel some tugs. Just told a buddy better to catch a pile of bluegill\ crappie or a couple nice cats than stay stubborn and go him disappointed and ticked at yourself.

[garroyo130]

11 hours ago, MinDoFmejiA said:

One of my favorite quotes actually comes from king of the hill

Hank : We don't fish for the fish. 90% of what I like about this sport, and it is a sport, is sittin' in the boat for 5 hours doin' nuthin'. And the icing on the cake is when God smiles on you and you hook one. And when you're reeling it in, everything else falls away. You don't think about taxes, or traffic, or that pushy gal that's tryin' to get into The Citadel, or who's gonna take care of you when your mother and I are old and incapacitated. All there is is a man, a rod, a lake, and a fish

 

He then proceeded to fish using illegal drugs and even visited the hood to source more "bait" so yeah, catching was pretty important to him too ...

 

 

[Swamp Girl]

3 hours ago, Mobasser said:

I often launch my canoe at first light in the morning. It's a great experience to be there when things are just waking up. The fog lifting off the water, no crowds to contend with etc.                               It's a good time to just be out there.

 

[Bankc]

I disagree on the premise that I don't think it's right to tell other people what to do with their lives, even if it doesn't make sense to us.  There are about a million things that I don't understand why other people do, but they do them anyway.  And those decisions are up to them.  So long as they're not hurting anyone else, who am I to say what they should or shouldn't be doing with their lives?  

 

I enjoy fishing whether I'm catching fish or not.  And while I do enjoy catching fish, I don't need that to have a good time and make the trip worthwhile.  So I agree with the statement on a personal level.  I probably wouldn't spend much time fishing if I only enjoyed catching fish.  Because, especially this time of year, I get skunked a lot.   

[padlin]

I agree. I started fishing again as an adult as just something to do while out paddling. I will say that catching fish keeps me in the canoe longer then when not.

[Swamp Girl]

2 hours ago, Buzzbaiter said:

You don’t go hunting to come home empty-handed.

 

My dad sure did. He'd go sit in a tree day after day and see deer every day. I think he liked sitting in a tree and waiting for a trophy. 

 

47 minutes ago, WIGuide said:

The people who I feel this pertains more to is those that only find enjoyment out of the actual fish catch itself. I've fished with a few people that are like that and it makes for a miserable day. Even if it's a good day, they're just never happy unless they actually have a fish on. In my experience, they are also the poorest stewards of our waters and the sport because they're oblivious to beauty and condition of the resource. Nothing but the fish catch matters. In that respect, I agree with the statement. 

 

Thanks for ^this.^ 

[GRiver]

14 minutes ago, ol'crickety said:

Even if it's a good day, they're just never happy unless they actually have a fish on.

I know a guy that Spec fishes, has the spider rig, with about a dozen rods out. He didn’t have a good day of fishing unless limits out. Comes back with coolers full, cleans them and ready for the next day. 
Those spider rigs seem like a lot of work…… I use to kid him and tell him wasn’t fishing he was “plowing for tators” and was harvesting. Got nothing against it, just not my cup of tea.

[roadwarrior]

Hmm...

In this part of the country you are one cast away from the best day of your life.

[crypt]

18 hours ago, WRB said:

I love to fish catching is a bonus.

Tom

this is all what it's about....

[Catt]

If I wanna see nature I'll walk out my front door, 35 yds away is a bayou, 15-20 minute drive I'm totally away from civilization.

 

I wanna set hook on something!

[LrgmouthShad]

26 minutes ago, Catt said:

If I wanna see nature I'll walk out my front door, 35 yds away is a bayou, 15-20 minute drive I'm totally away from civilization.

 

I wanna set hook on something!

Exactly

[Bankbeater]

All I know is the water I fish is a lot more crowded when the bass are biting than when the bass aren't biting.

[T-Billy]

Catching is the goal, but there's so much more to it than that.

[gim]

5 hours ago, Buzzbaiter said:

You don’t go hunting to come home empty-handed.

Obviously you haven't done a whole lot of big game hunting.  Coming home empty handed from big game or turkey hunting happens a lot more often than punching a tag does.  You will fail a lot more than you will succeed.  That's just how it goes.  Muskie fishing isn't a whole lot different, despite what @T-Billy has done this fall.  They are a very difficult fish to catch on a consistent basis.  Just seeing one is considered a success.

 

I could care less about filling a tag BTW.  The idea of sitting in tree stand surrounded by nature for a week, away from work, traffic, emails, a 4 year old kid, and a nagging wife is something I welcome every single fall.  I've sat for days on end without even seeing a single deer out there.  It was not a wasted hunt either.  I know for a fact that very few people have seen a bobcat, bear, fisher, or pine marten in the wild like I have.

[Swamp Girl]

2 minutes ago, gimruis said:

The idea of sitting in tree stand surrounded by nature for a week, away from work, traffic, emails, a 4 year old kid, and a nagging wife is something I welcome every single fall.  I've sat for days on end without even seeing a single wild animal out there.  It was not a wasted hunt either.

 

You and me pappy, @gimruis!

[Mike L]

Why does everything have to be explained?

 

Why does there have to be reason to do anything?

 

Why does there have to be an answer for every question?

 

 

 

 

Mike