Has Your Fishing Style Changed As Your Life Has?

[craww]

A few years back, I went through some trying times. Fishing was an outlet for me. I went so often that I got my waters and alot of techniques really dialed in. i got to the point where catching 2lbrs didnt nothing for me, and decided to dedicate my time to pursueing trophy fish, with decent success for my area. The thing is, going after the bigger fish can be a feast or famine deal. Like hunting big whitetails, you simply have to put in the time to consistently catch them.

I'm now married with two kids, work full time, just started school, and am on the leadership team of 700 person church. So my time on the water has reduced drastically. I try to take a few vacation day here and there for all day "serious" trips with old friends but thats about it. What I've discovered is that I'm actually enjoying going out and throwing a little .05 RC crank or shakeyhead again. Where as a few years ago alot of the lures I was chucking started life in the saltwater section lol.

My son and I have a blast catching grasshoppers and worms to drown under bobbers.I sometimes forget everything is so new to him, and its awesome to hear him tell people things like "I caught my first crapper!". That gets going more than any fish lol.

Have any of you guys changed your styles as life's changed?

Josh

[K_Mac]

Josh I think most of us go through seasons in life where how we see and interact with the world changes. I used to be driven to catch fish, esp bigger ones. Now I am more concerned with enjoying the experience. The funny thing is now I don't worry about it as much I am a better fisherman. It won't be but a minute or two and you will have time to focus on lunkers again. Enjoy the moment.

[roadwarrior]

Changed? You bet!

Years ago all I wanted to do is "catch a fish". These days I don't care anything about being skunked or "catching a fish". I've adopted Big O's

Theory: Go big or go home. I want to target the biggest fish in the water

I'm fishing. On the Tennessee River that's a 12 lb smallmouth and 15 lb

largemouth!

[grimlin]

Kids will always change your life course.

My fishing style never really changed though,I still go out just to get out.

Perhaps when I get older like RW,I might think doing that also....but right now I'm just having fun and catching fish.

[tholmes]

My fishing style has changed drastically. I used to fish primarily from a boat, targeting bass, stripers, walleye, etc. About 15 years ago, I was injured in an industrial accident that severely affected my mobility and sense of balance. I will no longer go out by myself in a boat so all of my fishing is from the bank.

I still enjoy my fishing as much as ever though, it just takes some adaptation.

Tom

[bowhunter63]

Yea im introducing my daughter into fishing.So my fishing time is split between hittin the water hard and watching it threw her eyes.I love it.

[Fontana Finesse Man]

10 years ago I was all about tournament fishing. Couldn't even go out on my home lake and "enjoy" fishing, traveled all over the southeast for the thrill of making a check. I wanted everything to be a competition. Kids were growing up and into different things so I sold my boat to enjoy that. My son plays baseball in college and for 3 years that included summer ball in different states. This summer he chose not to play summer ball and stayed home. Wanted me to buy a boat again so I did. We literally spent every day on the water after work! I had the best time I have ever had on the water with him and my daughter. We caught so many fish, so many different ways just fishing.

I guess with age, I now love to fish! For all the right reasons! Catch them or not, it is still a great day. Son is back at school and baseball has started so my partner (daughter hates cold weather fishing) will be gone for about 4 months. Gives me time to chase a check!

[fishinkeebs]

My fishing has definately changed as my life has changed. Growing up all i wanted to do was catch a big bucketmouth. The memory of catching my first biggin on a fly rod is still fresh. while being in the military I was stationed out in the northwest and got to go after other species than bass. Now after some major life changes fishing is not just fun but an outlet for me, but as I have changed my understanding of fishing has changed with it. Now its not just about catching fish its bout getting out on the water and deciding whether I just wanna fish or go after a biggin and enjoying the results either way.

[SirSnookalot]

Retirement and a move to Florida changed the amount of time I put into fishing. I fish everyday and I love the species available to me, snook fishing being my favorite.

[Bluebasser86]

I used to concentrate on just catching fish. Now I work harder to understand why I'm catching fish and try harder to catch bigger fish.

[Jason Penn]

my techniques have changed more than my attitude about fishing. i've never been interested in the competition end of fishing, in fact i really don't like fishing with other people because "numbers" always seems to come up. i enjoy catching dinks just as much as big fish. i will take a day of 20 pound-pound and a half fish over a couple of big fish. i just like catching fish!

my eyes have really changed in the past 10 years. i can see just as clear through either of my eyes, but together they don't focus. my left eye takes over for anything 5-6ft out and my right eye takes over in close. this has caused me to lose depth perception. i can't throw a spinnerbait or crankbait in the areas i used to be able to, so it has caused me to really not do very well with those techniques. plastics and jigs have really become my main baits now since i can pitch them pretty much anywhere.

[Lucky Craft Man]

I once heard that there are four stages in a fisherman's life. They goes as follows (there are actually many variations of this, but this is what I remember):

1. You want to just catch a fish

2. You want to catch as many fish as possible

3. You want to only catch big or challenging fish

4. You want to just catch a fish

I am probably in stage 3 right now, but as my time on the water becomes drastically limited due to life's responsibilities, I tend to teeter into stage 4.

[Sam]

Yes.

I grew up fishing mostly saltwater in south Louisiana with some bass fishing and fly fishing when we could not go out into the Biloxi or Mississippi Sound.

Today I don't like the boat bouncing around in the waves and wind on saltwaters so I am now fishing 100% for largemouth bass on inland waters.

As for tackle, I grew up using Penn rods and baitcasters.

Today I use Shimano baitcasters and spinning reels.

And before I was married I did a lot more fishing than today. I got married at age 26, far too young, and gave up saltwater fishing for years until I could get back into freshwater fishing.

[Red]

Changed? You bet!

Years ago all I wanted to do is "catch a fish". These days I don't care anything about being skunked or "catching a fish". I've adopted Big O's

Theory: Go big or go home. I want to target the biggest fish in the water

I'm fishing. On the Tennessee River that's a 12 lb smallmouth and 15 lb

largemouth!

After my visit with Big O this past summer I am slowly gaining this train of thought. I have caught enough dinks, I want to catch bigger fish, even if that means taking a few more skunks. It is showing, my catches in the first month of this year are few, but, all but one fish have been bigger than average for my home lake. All that being said, I plan to get the boys out on the boat more this year for a day full of dink slaying!!!

Cliff

[wrat]

yeppers I was off the water for several years, I was a diehard tourney fisherman always wantin bigger and more...now I have a boat again and just want to enjoy being outdoors catching is a bonus....but the tournaments are sounding interesting again........

[craww]

Took my 6 year old out Saturday to the family farm to shoot the .22 and maybe wet a line for a few. Glad we did, got to see the bugger catch his PB lol. Awesome day!

[Nitrofreak]

For me it is the other way around, it's the fishing that has changed my life, I was a bad boy I guess one would put it.

Since my first child's birth was really my first wake up call at 26, I needed a path that would guide me in the right direction, fishing has always been a part of my life but I never knew how much of an impact roll it could play until I took my little girl fishing.

I am not a true God fearing man so to speak although I do believe in him.

I have to say I am not sure what put me on this path and why but all I know is that if it were not for fishing, the powers that be, I am sure that becoming a father would have ment being no more than just that...a father.

I have two very beautiful daughters and a wife of 24 years this comming August, that love to share my passion as not only a bass fisherman but would much rather be with DAD no matter what we do.

Bass fishing has brought a vision of what life truly is worth, I see it through their eyes more often than mine, it's the time we have when we are together, it's the time we have when we are apart, mostly it's time we do not have enough of.

Take the time to fish if you can...but whatever you do take the time you are given and live.

[brushhoggin]

ever watch Uncle steve on you tube? he fishes with ugly sticks and zebco 202's and even when he catches an eight inch bass, he's on top of the world. it all depends on the meaning you choose to give it. if you tell yourself the fulfillment youre looking for is in 10 pound fish only well guess what, more than likely you won't fill the void. i know it sounds like a sell out answer, but i just cherish escaping the world and its rat races from time to time to be in the wilderness...catching fish just makes it that much better. i like this thread

[flippin and pitchin]

Absolutely ! I used to fish a bunch of short outings on my home lake and rarely ventured out to fish other lakes or rivers. I fished for bites and fished quite a bit with a guy I have known for 35 years. I also stopped fishing for quite a while when my wife was diagnosed with cancer and I thought I would loose her. I don't fish near as much, trips wise now, but focus on fishing locations with better fish and fish much more for smallmouth. For 25 years I was two hours away from from steller smallmouth fishing and chose to fish local, fish "safe " and fish out of convenience. This change also provides me with more days to spend with my family and they are my life, not fishing.

[Blue Streak]

I went through the whole scene, enjoyed life as a beginner trying to learn everything I could, and then into tournament fishing trying to catch as many as I could, and then the trophy stage when I only wanted that big bass. Now I have reached the point where I have a lot of reasons for enjoying fishing besides catching fish. Wish I could remember the exact quote and the author that said something about a man fishes most of his life until he realizes that catching fish is not the real reason he fished. Or something like that. Maybe somebody knows the whole thing. I guess the thing is there is no right way or wrong way to fish as long as you enjoy what you are doing.

[Daniel My Brother]

When I was a kid, all I wanted to do was go fishing. In fact I can remember my Mom telling me I could only go 3 times a week one summer. She was worried that I was never around, or maybe I just wasn’t doing my chores, or maybe she resented how much my grandfather fished. I don’t really remember the reason. But the 3 times rule only made me want it more.

When I got my first car I was able to fish new lakes, rivers, and backwaters. My goal was to fill the freezer. Catfish were my favorite target.

When I bought my first boat, I got into fishing the Mississippi for catfish, then skiing, then drinking beer, and partying with friends on the sandbar. Sometimes I would forget the fishing rods.

When my best buddy married a girl with a family cabin on a lake we discovered bass fishing. As a young father myself with a couple of screaming babies at home, bassin’ was a nice, albeit rare, escape.

When my daughters were old enough to start fishing I would take them to the park to catch bluegill. We used cane poles and nightcrawlers and had a blast. Then I would sneak off in my little tin boat and get my serious bass fishing fix.

When the kids got older, I started taking them in the boat with me. Sometimes they’d fish for bluegill, sometimes bass.

Now my oldest is 21, and my youngest is 9 and they all love to fish. In fact my 14 year old loves it a little too much. I’m thinking this summer I may have to limit her fishing. 3 times a week sounds fair.

[loodkop]

3 times a week plus the weekend sounds fair to me to.