Promote the sport of fishing?

[Fishing Rhino]

I hear that expression used from time to time.  

Why does one want to promote the sport, and encourage others to participate in it?

I can understand anyone who earns their income from fishing, be it the manufacturers, tournament pros, and guides eagerly promoting the sport.  More money in their pockets.

What's in it for the recreational angler?

Think about it.  The goal of promoting is to interest others so they will take up the sport.

So, we do an outstanding job of promotion, and the number of anglers doubles.

Do you really want twice as many fishermen on the pond with you?

It happened to golf.  

When I started, a round of golf, walking, generally took three and a half hours.  Now, the target is a four and a half hour round.

That target is not often met.  On some courses it can take over five hours to play a round of golf.

At least with golf, new courses were built to accomodate the burgeoning number of players.  

Not so easy to do with fishing.

[Muddy]

Hey Tom: Why? for me;

I fished when I was younger, then came a long and dark path , I chose myself to walk. It involved some 27 years of active addiction.

I got clean , a little over 17 years ago, thanks to a 12 step program I am still actively a member of

After I detoxed, which took 11 days i started to go to meetings and one of the old timers found out I liked to fish as a kid. He and a few others got me hooked up with a rod and reel and would take me fishing , off the various shore lines surrounding Brooklyn. This did 2 things, kept me in the company of recovering addicts between meetings,KEPT ME SAFE and I learned how to recreate again

It is in their honor and memory that Serenity Bassers, has been formed to PROMOTE this to 6 guys , a year ,that are in recovery . We equip them ( with a lot of help from the fellas here) Take them camping and fishing and with the help of God, they learn to have fun and stay clean. I would hope we could reach a good number of these fellas, and if it makes the lake a little more crowded, I will pray a big thank you to God.

[bilgerat]

I kind of like that fishing is off of the radar for most people. Fishing for me is to get away from it all.

I agree with you about what happened to golf. I cringe whenever some bufoon yells at the top of his lungs "GET IN THE HOLE!" after every tee shot or putt. Uttering that phrase should get you beaten with a club of the player's choosing. I don't want that guy fishing near me.

[burleytog]

Wow, and I thought I was selfish. :

Perhaps you should keep opinions like this to yourself.

I

fish

lakes of

7000, 34 000 and 33 000

acres, so I'm not too worried about crowds. The more the

merrier as far as I'm

concerned.

I guess you

would rather have kids indoors

playing video games rather than

outdoors learning to appreciate

nature.

[DINK WHISPERER]

WOW!!!!!!!!!

I agree with Burley!

[bilgerat]

Wow, and I thought I was selfish. :

Perhaps you should keep opinions like this to yourself.

I

fish

lakes of

7000, 34 000 and 33 000

acres, so I'm not too worried about crowds. The more the

merrier as far as I'm

concerned.

I guess you

would rather have kids indoors

playing video games rather than

outdoors learning to appreciate

nature.

You could not be any more incorrect, sir. My daughters enjoy fishing in addition to other outdoor activities such as field hockey, softball, soccer, etc.

If I came across as harsh as it concerns the guy in the golf gallery, so be it. It does not mean I don't want others to enjoy the outdoors. If that's the message you got, my mistake for not being clearer.

[Tin]

I think a lot of it is where you are in the country. Up here we have 30 boats on a 200 hundred acre lakes constantly and the pressure and peoples ignorance (keeping certain fish, littering, ect) has ruined most of our fisheries. So I can see exactly where you are coming from Rhino.

I think more people need to be educated before we "promote" fishing. I am always cutting hundreds of feet of line out of my trolling motor because people just throw it in, taking other anglers' hooks out of fish I catch, and throw my jig at garbage pilled up in the water that acts as cover for fish. Fishing in southern New England is awful because of too many uneducated anglers who just don't give a $%^#.

[Muddy]

It's all those &*$@ING RED SOX FANS , doing all that crap

[Bassn Blvd]

I'm sorry to hear a few of yall have such a negative attitude about promoting/teaching others about the great sport of fishing.  

It appears fishing played a role is saving Muudy's life. (I have lots of respect for you Muddy)

I'm so fortunate my dad liked to fish and that he passed his knowledge and TIME on to me.  

Being how I'm in law enforcement, I see A LOT of juvenile delinquents.  I asked these kids, every chance I get, if they like to fish or have ever been.  Their responses sometimes choke me up.  God only knows how the lives of these kids, and adults, would be different if someone took the time to share with them this great sport of fishing, or any other sport for that matter.  

I would rather have new people learn about fishing then non-fisherman polluting our resources.

[Matt Fly]

   So, for those in the game, promote the sport, and those that love to fish "pass it on".

 Simple enough!

   

[Tin]

It's all those &*$@ING RED SOX FANS , doing all that crap

Yes, this is what happens when you trade for infielders and have too many as it is when you really need more than 3 reliable pitchers. We get cranky...where's the Midol?

[islandbass]

What you say has some plausiblity with regard to fishing on the surface, and just about borders selfishness for fishing.

You're probably dead on about golf. I used to be an avid golfer myself.  I think that the increase in time for golfers is because they take too long to take a darn shot.  ;D 15 million practice swings as if the US open depended on their shot and they wind up topping their shot, which only goes about 15 yards, barely passing the women's tees or fools out there who should be playing the white tees but they feel they have to "man" and play the championship tees.

If I subscribed to your philosophy, I would not share the joys of fishing with my kids or anyone else. That would be too difficult for me to do.  Have you ever found something that gave you so much joy and excitement that you couldn't contain it and had to share it with others? That is kind of how I feel about sharing fishing with others.

I don't think saturation for fishing is likely to happen, because we need to factor in the drop out/retention rate. True anglers like us here aren't ever going to quit fishing.

Your point is well taken especially with regard to those anglers who have no respect for the land, water, and other people.  We don't need those type people out there with us. We cannot control them but when sharing our love of fishing with others we can teach them right then and there how to do it right.   I respect you for being candid and no doubt there will be a few here that share your sentiments and that's cool because it's still a free country.  

Muddy,

That was a great piece. I am glad that fishing for you was a positive agent of change in your life. Thanks for sharing.  8-)

[Fishing Rhino]

First.  I expected the "selfish" judgements.

It has nothing whatever to do with selfishness.

You have yet to see me post a thing, complaining about "jerks on the water".  Or complaining about someone jumping into a spot where I was heading.

I don't care how many fish.  

If you want to encourage your children to fish, that's fine.  If fishing enables you to spend time with your children, that's great.

Take your kids fishing, golfing, camping, to little league, to their soccer games, etc.  Fishing is no better than any of the other activities you can share with your children.

The important thing is to spend time with them, period.  

It's what we enjoy.  It does not mean others will, or should.

If it keeps kids off the street, better yet.

In fact, if anything is selfish, it's expecting our kids to participate in our activities so the time spent with our children does not curtail what we like to do.

While it's fine to encourage our children to pursue some healthy activities, it is more than a bit unfair to expect them to like something, because we do.

See how easy it is to be critical, and make a harsh judgement of others.

I find it to be typical of every other form of recreation.  Doesn't matter if it's hiking, camping, golfing, stock car racing, whatever.

They all have organizations to promote the sport.

Now, aside from the personal "selfish" judgements, why promote the sport?  How will it improve the sport?  How will it improve fishing?

Funny that not one thought to mention the influence numbers have on our elected tormentors when it comes to cleaning up pollution, or passing legislation which protects the waters we fish, or any other legislation which protects our rights to fish.

[Fishing Rhino]

Hey Tom: Why? for me;

I fished when I was younger, then came a long and dark path , I chose myself to walk. It involved some 27 years of active addiction.

I got clean , a little over 17 years ago, thanks to a 12 step program I am still actively a member of

After I detoxed, which took 11 days i started to go to meetings and one of the old timers found out I liked to fish as a kid. He and a few others got me hooked up with a rod and reel and would take me fishing , off the various shore lines surrounding Brooklyn. This did 2 things, kept me in the company of recovering addicts between meetings,KEPT ME SAFE and I learned how to recreate again

It is in their honor and memory that Serenity Bassers, has been formed to PROMOTE this to 6 guys , a year ,that are in recovery . We equip them ( with a lot of help from the fellas here) Take them camping and fishing and with the help of God, they learn to have fun and stay clean. I would hope we could reach a good number of these fellas, and if it makes the lake a little more crowded, I will pray a big thank you to God.

Muddy, it is wonderful that someone had the thoughtfulness to do that.  And, I'm thankful and more than a bit heartened to hear of your experience.

But the fellows that helped you, did not promote fishing.  They found a common shared interest.  (see highlighted area).  It just happened to be fishing.

What really helped you was the fact that someone truly cared about your well being.  They found something that you liked, and steered you in that direction.

Their compassion, and your desire, is what turned your life around.  Had your interest been gardening, and they took you under their angels' wings, and spent time with you gardening the result would be the same.

Now, let's look at the other, dark side of the coin.  How many times has a recreational activity been at the heart of the destruction of families, and individuals?

The country and western song "I'm gonna miss her" comes to mind.  That song would be silly if there wasn't a bit of reality behind it.

I personally have known many who neglect their families because they are fishing addicts, and their family is not at the top of their priority list, or at least below their pursuit of fishing.

Any, otherwise healthy activity can have the same affect that alcohol, drugs, and gambling do on families.  Two of the aforementioned three are legal.

Dale Earnhardt Senior's first marriage ended because he was spending grocery money to buy racing tires, hoping to get it back with his winnings.  There may have been other factors as well.  

I'm passionate about fishing.  Too passionate, truth be told.  The lawn needs mowing, the trim needs painting, the sticking door needs to be sanded to relieve the offending section, etc.

None of those things need urgent attention.  They can wait. I'm going fishing.

Now, I gotta feed the dogs, get them tended to, and I'm off to the pond.

God bless you for sharing your story Muddy.

[Uncle Leo]

Hey Tom: Why? for me;

I fished when I was younger, then came a long and dark path , I chose myself to walk. It involved some 27 years of active addiction.

I got clean , a little over 17 years ago, thanks to a 12 step program I am still actively a member of

After I detoxed, which took 11 days i started to go to meetings and one of the old timers found out I liked to fish as a kid. He and a few others got me hooked up with a rod and reel and would take me fishing , off the various shore lines surrounding Brooklyn. This did 2 things, kept me in the company of recovering addicts between meetings,KEPT ME SAFE and I learned how to recreate again

It is in their honor and memory that Serenity Bassers, has been formed to PROMOTE this to 6 guys , a year ,that are in recovery . We equip them ( with a lot of help from the fellas here) Take them camping and fishing and with the help of God, they learn to have fun and stay clean. I would hope we could reach a good number of these fellas, and if it makes the lake a little more crowded, I will pray a big thank you to God.

I am with you on this one Muddy, as a kid growing up on the Southside of Chicago, I had fishing, played baseball and football. I lost a lot of friends who did not. I thank God everyday. I do suck at baseball and footbal now though,  

[bigtimfish]

Around here the teens are bored, other than sports like fishing,golf, and school sports there is really nothing for them to do. So it's either get caught up in a positive thing like sports or turn to drugs.So I think it's great to promote fishing.I myself have went down both paths and luckily did some growing up and decided to live and fish than do drugs and risk going to the pen or worse.

[Devins]

First, I distinguish between teaching fishing to a child or bringing a friend fishing and actively promoting fishing through other (usually organized) means.

I will gladly admit to being extremely selfish when it comes to fishing and do not feel the need to promote it. I enjoy fishing alone and not being bothered by anyone around me. Furthermore, I'm not that thrilled when nearly every bass above 1 lb shows signs of being caught by someone else. I would rather fish for "wild bass in the wilderness" than for "domesticated bass on a farm" which is how I sometimes feel. Of course I just recently came to MD from WA where salmon fisherman outnumber bass fisherman by 1000 to 1 and I could fish certain lakes all summer without seeing another bass fisherman.

Funny that not one thought to mention the influence numbers have on our elected tormentors when it comes to cleaning up pollution, or passing legislation which protects the waters we fish, or any other legislation which protects our rights to fish.

I think that these are among the very few reasons supporting any need to promote fishing. Of course, popularity invites the passage of more regulations restricting fishing, too. In the end, its probably a toss-up in this regard.

An additional benefit I would add is that more people fishing encourages innovation by those supplying goods used for fishing. The diverse amount of lures, rods and reels, boats, and electronics we enjoy today would not be in place if bass fishing was not as popular as it is.

On the other hand. Many of the new lures and techniques are only needed because of the immense pressure that so many fishermen put on the limited bass population.

I think golf is a great example. Golf is more popular since Tiger, but for the average golfer it is not better off.

[Fishing Rhino]

I'm sorry to hear a few of yall have such a negative attitude about promoting/teaching others about the great sport of fishing.

It appears fishing played a role is saving Muudy's life. (I have lots of respect for you Muddy)

I'm so fortunate my dad liked to fish and that he passed his knowledge and TIME on to me.

Being how I'm in law enforcement, I see A LOT of juvenile delinquents. I asked these kids, every chance I get, if they like to fish or have ever been. Their responses sometimes choke me up. God only knows how the lives of these kids, and adults, would be different if someone took the time to share with them this great sport of fishing, or any other sport for that matter.

I would rather have new people learn about fishing then non-fisherman polluting our resources.

Who has a negative attitude?  I asked a simple question.  What is in it for the recreational, amateur fisherman to promote it?

Now, if you want to get down to keeping kids off the street, that's fine.  It's a reason.

But, conversely, and I asked the question in a previous post, though not in these words, how many divorces are the result of a fishing spouse neglecting their family.

How many kids grow up seeing daddy or maybe mommy heading out with their buddies to the fishing hole, leaving him or her behind?

As for polluting our resources, there are plenty of fishermen who do that too.  Go to any boat ramp, or shoreline, and look around.  Discarded fishing line is not tossed there by non-fishers.

I've seen old carpeting and boat parts from a fishing boat project tossed into the woods alongside launch areas.  Empty bait packaging strewn here and there.

It's not non-fishing individuals who discard the carcase of a fish on the shoreline after filleting it.

Fishing has its share of slobs.  We as a group are no better or worse than any other cross section of our society, though we might like to think otherwise.

[Grey Wolf]

Rhino , I understand where you are coming from. Some times bigger is not better , just look along our shore lines. What a shame.

[BassDeaton01]

Rhino I completely understand where you are coming from. Especially with the divorce thing. I try to include my daughter and wife in my fishing experiences. My wife won't have anything to do with it and I sometimes feel guilty for always wanting to go. My daughter on the other hand loves to tag along to the fishing hole when I go. So in turn that gives my wife a break from having my daughter attached to her hip all day. I try to stay balanced so we dont run into any issues. As far as the lakes getting crowded and the fishing becoming pressured....there are so many lakes to choose from and there are plenty out there that rarely get fished. Unfortunately the ones I fish are heavily pressured and the fish have seen every lure thrown by their face. I think promoting the sport is good in some ways and bad in others. If it keeps kids off the street and people off drugs then we need to start promoting it more but it is one's personal responsibility to make sure that fishing to does come between families and split them up.

[BassDeaton01]

Sorry that last sentence got messed up...trying to type too fast. I meant it is one's personal responsibilty to make sure that fishing does NOT split up their family!!

[alwayslooking]

very thought provoking thread. i tend to agree that we need enough fisherman to have a voice in matters as navagation rights, stocking of fish and other such things. i'm interested in rhino's definition of "promote". i fish with my dad, my son, with my friends, or by myself. i don't want my son to some day not be able to fish if and when he wants to, simply because we don't have enough fisherman to carry a vote.

[roadwarrior]

I'm all about kids, friends and Muddy's program, but that

doesn't necessarily equate with promoting the sport to all

those recreational boaters or for that matter, the general

public.

One of the really nice aspects of fishing on the Tennessee

River, as opposed to the reservoirs, is difficulty and danger.

We have some striper competition, but the crappie, sauger

and catfish guys fish an entirely different way than smallmouth

fisherman. It's rare to run into more than a few bass fishermen

on the river and I like that just fine!

8-)

[bilgerat]

I think a lot of it is where you are in the country. Up here we have 30 boats on a 200 hundred acre lakes constantly and the pressure and peoples ignorance (keeping certain fish, littering, ect) has ruined most of our fisheries. So I can see exactly where you are coming from Rhino.

I think more people need to be educated before we "promote" fishing. I am always cutting hundreds of feet of line out of my trolling motor because people just throw it in, taking other anglers' hooks out of fish I catch, and throw my jig at garbage pilled up in the water that acts as cover for fish. Fishing in southern New England is awful because of too many uneducated anglers who just don't give a $%^#.

Well said. That's exactly where I'm coming from. While I'm sure people who fish large bodies of water have seen their share of garbage in the water and have removed countless yards of mono from their trolling motor shafts, the problem is compounded up here where the water is smaller. So in that respect I'm a little (lot) defensive about it. I have no problem introducing someone to fishing, but have no time for people who don't even understand that littering is wrong.

[Muddy]

Hey Tom: Why? for me;

I fished when I was younger, then came a long and dark path , I chose myself to walk. It involved some 27 years of active addiction.

I got clean , a little over 17 years ago, thanks to a 12 step program I am still actively a member of

After I detoxed, which took 11 days i started to go to meetings and one of the old timers found out I liked to fish as a kid. He and a few others got me hooked up with a rod and reel and would take me fishing , off the various shore lines surrounding Brooklyn. This did 2 things, kept me in the company of recovering addicts between meetings,KEPT ME SAFE and I learned how to recreate again

It is in their honor and memory that Serenity Bassers, has been formed to PROMOTE this to 6 guys , a year ,that are in recovery . We equip them ( with a lot of help from the fellas here) Take them camping and fishing and with the help of God, they learn to have fun and stay clean. I would hope we could reach a good number of these fellas, and if it makes the lake a little more crowded, I will pray a big thank you to God.

Muddy, it is wonderful that someone had the thoughtfulness to do that. And, I'm thankful and more than a bit heartened to hear of your experience.

But the fellows that helped you, did not promote fishing. They found a common shared interest. (see highlighted area). It just happened to be fishing.

What really helped you was the fact that someone truly cared about your well being. They found something that you liked, and steered you in that direction.

Their compassion, and your desire, is what turned your life around. Had your interest been gardening, and they took you under their angels' wings, and spent time with you gardening the result would be the same.

Now, let's look at the other, dark side of the coin. How many times has a recreational activity been at the heart of the destruction of families, and individuals?

The country and western song "I'm gonna miss her" comes to mind. That song would be silly if there wasn't a bit of reality behind it.

I personally have known many who neglect their families because they are fishing addicts, and their family is not at the top of their priority list, or at least below their pursuit of fishing.

Any, otherwise healthy activity can have the same affect that alcohol, drugs, and gambling do on families. Two of the aforementioned three are legal.

Dale Earnhardt Senior's first marriage ended because he was spending grocery money to buy racing tires, hoping to get it back with his winnings. There may have been other factors as well.

I'm passionate about fishing. Too passionate, truth be told. The lawn needs mowing, the trim needs painting, the sticking door needs to be sanded to relieve the offending section, etc.

None of those things need urgent attention. They can wait. I'm going fishing.

Now, I gotta feed the dogs, get them tended to, and I'm off to the pond.

God bless you for sharing your story Muddy.

NO TOM: I am promoting it get it SERENTIY BASSERS was formed IN THEIR HONOR; We take guys fishing straight out of detoxes and jails, most of whom never fished> I>really am not being negative to you at all, and the other fellas who responded did so , BECUASE YOU ASKED THEM TO, if you do that many may not agree with you, that is far from being judgemental

 BTW the last thing i think about when I am fishing is that it is some kind of political act