Fishing burn out?

[dink]

Don't think I'll ever burn out mostly because I don't plan on setting myself on fire anytime soon.

[jwo1124]

I think it's safe to say that the majority on people on this board are "serious" anglers. We are the type of people who fish that sit in the aisle of Dick's for hours, search the web for any and all information on fishing we can, we own fishing books, fishing dvds' fishing magazines, we fish at least once or twice a week, we watch every fishing TV show broadcasted. We are not the type to run into Wal-Mart buy a cheap combo, a couple lures, and then hit the lake.

We are passionate, we are dedicated, we are hungry, we are border line obsessed.

I think this is why some of us may get burnout. We spend so much time, energy, and money on an activity, hoping to at least break even; that is to say, get back at least what we are putting in. Fishing is no more a fun activity, it is a challenge; a test of knowledge, skill, patience, persistance, determination, and dedication. And when we aren't getting back what we feel is a just return, we get angered.

Some of us fish on different levels. Some are confined to the shoreline, others fish from small boats or canoes powered with an electric motor. Other have fully loaded bass boats. I am guessing those who will burn out the fastest are those who are fishing on the lowest levels.

For example, the shore fisherman can;t get to where people with boats can go: he will get frustrated easier. If he is not getting anything with in his small fishing area, what else is left to do? Also, he could get bored of always fishing the same spots, and fishing can seem mundane to him.

Guys in smaller boats can get around to more spots than bank fisherman, but they still don't have the manuverability as a larger boat, or the sonar capability to locate under water structure as well as fish.

Guys with loaded boats can reach every area of a body of water, they can see what's invisibile to the angler's naked eye. Even if they aren't reelin; them in on any given day, they can still search for "hot spots" be it areas of prime holding cover along the shore, rock piles, lay downs, timber, brush, weeds, lily pads, they can also search and find out structure to come back to at a later date.

You see when these guys aren't catching, they have a world of other stuff to occupy them. Other guys like small craft and bank fisherman, if they aren't catching the day seems like a wash. They can;t really say, "Well nothing was biting at the usual spots from shoree, but I did locate this great rock pile in 12' of water, or this great flat with a bunch of underwater cover or a creek channel ...etc."

They just say a bunch a four letter words followed by..."skunked again"

So you can see that burn out can just be caused by the lack of results and/or the frsutration felt along side. It seems in order to keep fishing interesting we must stay stimulated by it. We must keep things fresh. Things are always evolving, and fishing is no different. Even if you just read one new article, guess what? You have just evolved into a new and more knowledgable fisherman.

Even if you fish the same couple spots from shore, keep evolving, keep trying new techniques. If you have never used a certain soft plastic rig, or technique, or lure...try it, practice it, master it. This will keep you intersted, stimulated, and hopefully keep you from "burn out".

Look at every outing as practice...for what...maybe a distant tournament you may some day enter...maybe just at becoming a better fisherman...but look at it as practice. Just as an athlete would spend a certain amount of time each week practicing a sport, or an apprentice would spend time practicing a skilled trade...we are anglers practicing the art of angling. We are at the same time outside getting fresh air, enjoying nature, winding down, enjoying the great past time of fishing, hopefully catching fish and having fun.

But even if we don;t bag a limit on any given outing, or break our PB larget fish, or we lose a couple, or not even get a bite. Look at it as practice. Sure practice isn;t always fun, but it is d**n sure rewarding and worth every minute. Do you think running 10 miles a day is fun and enjoyable to a runner training for the Boston Marathon? Probably not, but that practice of doing so is going to help the runner in the long run(no pun intended   ) I'm sure a few months into training the runner will start feeling stale after running the same routes for months on end, but this is the time to push yourself, and keep the fire buring. Challenge yourself with new things.

We must keep those lights burning bright and never allow them to be extinguished by boredom or defeat.

Keep learning, keep practicing, keep evolving.

But for those who may have had enough of the grind and mind numbing that fishing can sometimes become...take a season off and take up a new hobby. Maybe fishing wasn;t your ultimate passion and burn out is just a way of Divine intervention so to speak. Maybe you'll get so wrapped up in something different and never come back to fishing, or maybe you have just had too much of a good thing, and you need some time to crave it again. Sometime you can just reach your limits of somethings. For those who feel this way, take some time, detox, look into another activity that will keep you busy and have fun.

[.dsaavedra.]

jeez i get burned out almost every time i go...unless something great happens.

usually i dont catch much and its hard to catch any and what i do is usually not of any notable size. just seems like no matter wht i try nothing will work and i get p****d.

[.dsaavedra.]

I think it's safe to say that the majority on people on this board are "serious" anglers. We are the type of people who fish that sit in the aisle of Dick's for hours, search the web for any and all information on fishing we can, we own fishing books, fishing dvds' fishing magazines, we fish at least once or twice a week, we watch every fishing TV show broadcasted. We are not the type to run into Wal-Mart buy a cheap combo, a couple lures, and then hit the lake.

We are passionate, we are dedicated, we are hungry, we are border line obsessed.

I think this is why some of us may get burnout. We spend so much time, energy, and money on an activity, hoping to at least break even; that is to say, get back at least what we are putting in. Fishing is no more a fun activity, it is a challenge; a test of knowledge, skill, patience, persistance, determination, and dedication. And when we aren't getting back what we feel is a just return, we get angered.

Some of us fish on different levels. Some are confined to the shoreline, others fish from small boats or canoes powered with an electric motor. Other have fully loaded bass boats. I am guessing those who will burn out the fastest are those who are fishing on the lowest levels.

For example, the shore fisherman can;t get to where people with boats can go: he will get frustrated easier. If he is not getting anything with in his small fishing area, what else is left to do? Also, he could get bored of always fishing the same spots, and fishing can seem mundane to him.

Guys in smaller boats can get around to more spots than bank fisherman, but they still don't have the manuverability as a larger boat, or the sonar capability to locate under water structure as well as fish.

Guys with loaded boats can reach every area of a body of water, they can see what's invisibile to the angler's naked eye. Even if they aren't reelin; them in on any given day, they can still search for "hot spots" be it areas of prime holding cover along the shore, rock piles, lay downs, timber, brush, weeds, lily pads, they can also search and find out structure to come back to at a later date.

You see when these guys aren't catching, they have a world of other stuff to occupy them. Other guys like small craft and bank fisherman, if they aren't catching the day seems like a wash. They can;t really say, "Well nothing was biting at the usual spots from shoree, but I did locate this great rock pile in 12' of water, or this great flat with a bunch of underwater cover or a creek channel ...etc."

They just say a bunch a four letter words followed by..."skunked again"

So you can see that burn out can just be caused by the lack of results and/or the frsutration felt along side. It seems in order to keep fishing interesting we must stay stimulated by it. We must keep things fresh. Things are always evolving, and fishing is no different. Even if you just read one new article, guess what? You have just evolved into a new and more knowledgable fisherman.

Even if you fish the same couple spots from shore, keep evolving, keep trying new techniques. If you have never used a certain soft plastic rig, or technique, or lure...try it, practice it, master it. This will keep you intersted, stimulated, and hopefully keep you from "burn out".

Look at every outing as practice...for what...maybe a distant tournament you may some day enter...maybe just at becoming a better fisherman...but look at it as practice. Just as an athlete would spend a certain amount of time each week practicing a sport, or an apprentice would spend time practicing a skilled trade...we are anglers practicing the art of angling. We are at the same time outside getting fresh air, enjoying nature, winding down, enjoying the great past time of fishing, hopefully catching fish and having fun.

But even if we don;t bag a limit on any given outing, or break our PB larget fish, or we lose a couple, or not even get a bite. Look at it as practice. Sure practice isn;t always fun, but it is d**n sure rewarding and worth every minute. Do you think running 10 miles a day is fun and enjoyable to a runner training for the Boston Marathon? Probably not, but that practice of doing so is going to help the runner in the long run(no pun intended ) I'm sure a few months into training the runner will start feeling stale after running the same routes for months on end, but this is the time to push yourself, and keep the fire buring. Challenge yourself with new things.

We must keep those lights burning bright and never allow them to be extinguished by boredom or defeat.

Keep learning, keep practicing, keep evolving.

But for those who may have had enough of the grind and mind numbing that fishing can sometimes become...take a season off and take up a new hobby. Maybe fishing wasn;t your ultimate passion and burn out is just a way of Divine intervention so to speak. Maybe you'll get so wrapped up in something different and never come back to fishing, or maybe you have just had too much of a good thing, and you need some time to crave it again. Sometime you can just reach your limits of somethings. For those who feel this way, take some time, detox, look into another activity that will keep you busy and have fun.

dude, just read the post....great post.

i can totally connect to that and i have empathy for every word of that post. sometimes it really sucks for me to be fishing in a dinky, tipsy, cramped, leaky 12' jon w/ my dad in the back complaining about not catching fish and the water getting in. i feel like a bad day was just a waste, considering all the time and effort i put into it and i feel like i have just gotten up early (a thing i hate to do) for nothing.

[jwo1124]

Dave,

I'm glad my long winded rants are appreciated by someone. I totally feel what you're saying also. I also fish from a small 12' aluminum row boat, mostly with my bro who couldn;t care less about fishing, which just makes things worse. He'll want to pack it up after an hour unless the bite is on and we are catching fish every few casts.

Some people outside the hardcore angling community don't get what it is like to really be passionate about fishing. And I think the more passionate you are about something, the harder it is to become burned out. You just have to find ways to rekindle that spark you had when fishing was new to you, because no matter how much you know about fishing, there are always something that will be new to you. What I am saying is, in order to stray from burn out, just keep things fresh. If you are getting bored doing the same old thing, try something new.

I just read an article about Bill Dance today, it it had something in it that said something about Bill being the first angler to really emphasize confidence and a positive mind set in fishing. And it's so true - fishing can probably be one of the most frustrating things in the world at times, and at other times it seems easier than a drunken horny girl at a party. I've had days fishing where I caught 6 bass in a two hours, other time I don't catch two bass in 6 trips. But that's fishing.

And if you haven;t seen the Jimmy Houston quote on the bassresource homepage it says "If bass fishing was as easy as we wished it was, than it wouldn't be a sport, it would be a hobby." And we must remember that it is a sport. Sure we don't need to warm-up and stretch our hammy's before we cast a line, and we don't have to be physically athletic to fish(thank god ;D )but we are engaging in a challenging event that takes knowledge, experience, skill, and a certain mental attitude in order to achieve. So we as anglers must not look at fishing like we did when we were 10 and casted out minnows and night crawlers under bobbers as we soacked up the summer sun. We must realize that we are part taking in a time honored sport that is challenging, it is hard, it can be frustrating, but to the truly determined and passionate: those are just more reasons to get back out there next time and keep trying.

The more we realize fishing isn't easy, the more rewarding every fish will be. And for those of us limited to the shoreline or small boats that are undesirable as fishing boats: Do your best with what you have. Artificial exclusive angling is tough, and sure you probably could catch a few more fish if you tossed out some shiners, but ask yourself this...What's more important, catching fish, or being successful and exceling at a difficult task? Because if you are just there to catch fish go buy some shiners and crawlers at the B&T, but if you want to excel at a difficult task such as bass fishing, you must be willing to put iin an effort and still feel defeat, but at the same time you must still keep the will and desire to suceed and not let a loss discourage future attempts at success.

[jwo1124]

Sorry for all the long posts...this one will be short...

One other way I just thought of is set realistic goals.

If you are familiar with bass fishing tournaments which I'm sure we all are, we know that a limit of bass is 5 fish. At times I have watched tournaments on TV we're some Professional anglers, guys who are so good they get paid to fish full time, don;t even catch their limit, and they have all the gear and tackle they could dream of, a fully loaded bass boat, decades of knowledge and experience...yet even they still have bad days fishing.

So be realistic, and set small goals. I'm not saying settle for under par, but realize that if a pro angler can come up short of his limit, than I guess catching two nice 1-2# bass from the bank at the city pond doesn't seem so bad after all.

Like I said above, fishing is tough, especially artificial exclusive fishing. So, when you get a win, feel d**n proud, because you just accomplished a difficult task, and when you come up short, realize that it's not that bad because it's not like you were trying to do something that is easy.

So always aim high, but realize that even if you dont make it to the moon, you may not be that bad off.

[.dsaavedra.]

dude you are an awesome writer!!!

go make an inspirational desk calaendar or something!!!!  ;D

but seriously, everything you say is so true. and even tho i get burned out alot and fishing usually sucks i still wanna go immediately afterward because i wanna go back and see why things were working and try to fix them.

[Long Mike]

Many men go fishing all of their lives without knowing that it is not fish they are after.

Henry David Thoreau

[Guest avid]

Many men go fishing all of their lives without knowing that it is not fish they are after.

Henry David Thoreau

Sigh...............will you marry me?  :-* :-* :-*

[Catt]

I didn't burn out on the fishing aspect; I burnt out on the BS associated with club members which is why I still don't belong to any clubs instead I fish open tournaments.

[grimlin]

Many men go fishing all of their lives without knowing that it is not fish they are after.

Henry David Thoreau

Wow,great way of putting it. I always thought when i went fishing i entered "my own world"...just me and nature.I probably shouldn't say this but after a day of fishing i get kinda touchy with my girl and feel just great(of course she got tired of that ROFL).Getting a chance to clear my mind really helps.

[George Welcome]

Many men go fishing all of their lives without knowing that it is not fish they are after.

Henry David Thoreau

Hey - I seen him first.

That's the absolute gospel.

[roadwarrior]

Many men go fishing all of their lives without knowing that it is not fish they are after.

Henry David Thoreau

+1   8-)

[Fish Chris]

You said > I don't know anyone who goes out for a full day (or even a couple hours) of fishing, gets skunked, then thinks, "Well, what a wonderful day that was!" <

Well you do now :-) I can, and often do have an awesome time, on a beautiful weather day, under a bright blue sky, on glass calm water, checking out the wildlife, the birds, trying to identify the species of jumping fish, etc, while never catching a fish the whole day ! But the way I see it is, a day of fishing "without catching a single fish" is just WAY better than a day of work....... and ususally, at least a little bit better than most anything else I spend my time on :-)

And the older I get, the more true this becomes. As a 'trophy sportfish' type of guy, it used to take ALL of my willpower to be patient, to sit in one spot for as long as I had to, or to cast a swimbait as many times as I had to, to make it work.

But I've been around this block enough times to know, that if you can have a good time when your not catching them, then catching a BIG one just puts it all over the top :-)

My scale of fishing enjoyment doesn't go from > a bad day to good day <

but rather, > from a good day, to a bombastic day ! :-) <

Peace,

Fish

                             

[Low_Budget_Hooker]

But seriously, I don't know anyone who goes out for a full day (or even a couple hours) of fishing, gets skunked, then thinks, "Well, what a wonderful day that was!"  Being out on the water itself is relaxing, but not if you're trying to catch fish and aren't catching any.

Now you do

Tony, Fish     Fish, Tony

There, you've even been formally introduced,lol

[farmpond1]

I love it when people pose these kinds of abstract, philosophical questions.

Personally, yes I do get burned out.  Discouraged.  Frustrated.  Whatever you want to call it.  I'm probably on the medium to far left side of the continuum compared to many of the "fanatics" on this site.  (I mean that in the nicest sense).  It isn't easy to be a fanatic or to avoid getting frustrated in East Central Illinois where nearly every decent body of water is fished to a white creamy lather.

I get the most discouraged when I'm not catching-especially when other people are.  I guess you could call it performance ***.  Or when I've towed my boat three hours away just to get socked with a cold front or 95 degree temperatures.  What's most discouraging is the time and hassel involved with keeping a boat and trailor running safely and well.  I'm one of those guys who gets a little too frustrated with tangled Christmas tree lights and trailor lights that don't work just gives me the fits.

But having said all that, it isn't long after a "bad trip" that I'm ready to get out on the water again.  Alexander Pope said that hope springs eternal and it's no more true than in fishing.  At least with me.

[fish-fighting-illini]

I love it when people pose these kinds of abstract, philosophical questions.

Personally, yes I do get burned out. Discouraged. Frustrated. Whatever you want to call it. I'm probably on the medium to far left side of the continuum compared to many of the "fanatics" on this site. (I mean that in the nicest sense). It isn't easy to be a fanatic or to avoid getting frustrated in East Central Illinois where nearly every decent body of water is fished to a white creamy lather.

I get the most discouraged when I'm not catching-especially when other people are. I guess you could call it performance ***. Or when I've towed my boat three hours away just to get socked with a cold front or 95 degree temperatures. What's most discouraging is the time and hassel involved with keeping a boat and trailor running safely and well. I'm one of those guys who gets a little too frustrated with tangled Christmas tree lights and trailor lights that don't work just gives me the fits.

But having said all that, it isn't long after a "bad trip" that I'm ready to get out on the water again. Alexander Pope said that hope springs eternal and it's no more true than in fishing. At least with me.

Hey welcome to the boards. I too am from Cen IL check your PM's

[fish-fighting-illini]

I

But seriously, I don't know anyone who goes out for a full day (or even a couple hours) of fishing, gets skunked, then thinks, "Well, what a wonderful day that was!" Being out on the water itself is relaxing, but not if you're trying to catch fish and aren't catching any. Then it becomes annoying. .

Hey Tony sometimes depending on the circumstances I do honestly just enjoy the day. Easier on those beautiful perfect weather days. Or those last minute beutiful autumn days. Sometimes I have to tell myself more so than others. It can just be so relaxing to kick back, throw a bobber on put the feet up have a beer or soda and listen to Cubs game or football or just cruise around on slow and stop and look. I need to do this more often.

Gotta admit catching a bunch of fish is best though!

Mainly just created the post because as much as I love fishing I can't quite think that I'd ever get burned out. Maybe if never catch fish but I'd just go less often probably.

[michbass]

As much as I cuss and rant about how I hate winter and cold weather, it gives me a nice little 3 month break to clean gear, get the boat in tip top shape and collect my thoughts.  I hate to even say this but I may get a little burned out if I didn't have that small break.  I guess I would have to move to Florida to find out.  But from March to November, it's balls to the wall.   8-)

I only wish the break was a little shorter. I am ready to get back out there now.

[Tokyo Tony]

You said > I don't know anyone who goes out for a full day (or even a couple hours) of fishing, gets skunked, then thinks, "Well, what a wonderful day that was!" <

Well you do now :-) I can, and often do have an awesome time, on a beautiful weather day, under a bright blue sky, on glass calm water, checking out the wildlife, the birds, trying to identify the species of jumping fish, etc, while never catching a fish the whole day ! But the way I see it is, a day of fishing "without catching a single fish" is just WAY better than a day of work....... and ususally, at least a little bit better than most anything else I spend my time on :-)

And the older I get, the more true this becomes. As a 'trophy sportfish' type of guy, it used to take ALL of my willpower to be patient, to sit in one spot for as long as I had to, or to cast a swimbait as many times as I had to, to make it work.

But I've been around this block enough times to know, that if you can have a good time when your not catching them, then catching a BIG one just puts it all over the top :-)

My scale of fishing enjoyment doesn't go from > a bad day to good day <

but rather, > from a good day, to a bombastic day ! :-) <

Peace,

Fish

                             

More power to you Fish Chris - that's a great way to look at things, and very true - a day on the water without catching a fish is basically always better than a day at work.  However, it's probably a little easier for you to have a great day on the water without catching a fish - it sounds (and looks, judging by your pictures) like there's some beatiful scenery around where you fish.  Today, well yesterday I guess, I went out for a couple hours and the windchill was in the 20's.  Obviously, I got skunked, and I was pretty much expecting that, but I think if you fished with me in those conditions, and the only wildlife you saw was Canadian geese pooping everywhere, you'd have to be crazy to call it a great day  :-? .  Don't get me wrong, I got exactly what I expected out of the day, and it was nice to get some fresh air, but it would have been even nicer to catch a couple.

I think that would be a good personal goal for anyone: as you get older, try to appreciate your time on the water more and more as an end in itself instead of a means to an end (catching fish).  That way you'll never lose.  For me, a large part of the pleasure of fishing is just being in the outdoors, but as it stands now, actually catching fish is probably a larger part of it.  

[tntitans21399]

They only burn out I will get is if I don't put sunscreen on and get burn at the beginning of the summer/hot weather months.  Once I tan I'm good to go, but it's that first 1-2 trips that if I don't remember to put it on I'll feel it latter.