Why do you fish?

Hey Guys,
I recently got into a heated discussion with some of my liberal friends at work, all of whom know that I am an avid fisherman. And the issue came up of "Why do you fish?". It became an hour long discussion and it struck me that many of our detractors do not clearly understand our passion,.. So I pose the question to you ,...Why do you fish?

bodfish

PS. I would like everyone to not politicize or moralize your answers, but rather dig deep and express your feelings about what it is that drives you to pick up a rod and pursue fishing. After which I will tell you how my discussion went, and the things I was surprised to learn about the perceptions of our sport by those who do not share our perspective.

Pretty simple for me...It's fun. I've been fishing since 1973. Also I don't keep any fish I catch, they are all released unharmed, as I use barbless hooks.

Is the challenge and mind test. is human Vs Nature,To use your best tricks and skills to fool the animal in its habitad studing its behaivior and suroundings. I`m talking Fishing, hunting ( with traps, not so much with riffles in my opinion) bull fighting (intelligence Vs brutal streinght) etc. Well, thats just me.

i fish because its in my DNA. I have been on the fishing from day one. my whole family comes from a fishing back ground. All my local fish are released except for sand bass here and there when out on the boat. All YT, white seabass and tuna must die

it's cheaper than a psychiatrist..

seriously,
not that I "hunt" or catch to eat.. but fishing is the last hunted or wild animals we have now.
Everything else around us is farmed.. from chickens & eggs, to cows, to anything. There is
so much that goes in to fishing.. knowledge about equipment, conditions, targeted fish, bait,
presentation, techniques, etc... goes on and on.. Plus, the anticipation and imagination of
wondering what is down there? And.. most of the time, I find it very relaxing and soothing.

With the exception of a few lake trout, I always catch-photo-and-release.

i fish cause my dad taught me to...lol as lame as that sounds...its fun, relaxing....tranquil yet thrilling...therapeutic and frustrating all wrapped up in one of the most enjoyable activities ive encountered


Thats why I fish

I could go on for hours about this...

At the basic level I love tricking a fish into taking my lure. Studying the fish, their habitat, their feeding patterns etc. and using that knowledge to essentially trick them into taking a bait is in my opinion one of the most rewarding things ever. Fishing is a thinking mans game, and is one of the last things we have in todays world of electronics, computers, & television that brings us close to mother nature.


Even deeper:

There is something that i love about being by myself in the middle od the night waiting for a fish to bite while thinking about life. Fishing is one of those things that brings us all closer to ourselves and the world around us.

Honestly i dont even know where to start on this...ive been fishing since i was a young kid and its just in my blood. The truth is, if you are talking to somebody who doesn't fish...they just WON'T get it.


Life is to short to stress out about work and bills and other BS. When im on my death bed I wont be thinking about all that crap....but i will be thinking about the one thing i love in this life, and doing that one thing with the people i love.

Well said. Your very poignant in your explanation and I agree on every point. I might add for me, fishing is primal. It appeals and conjures up an ancient part of my soul. I discovered fishing as a child but let it go for many years. My rediscovery of fishing is one of God's true blessings in my life.

There is nothing like catching a fish.

waxon67 wrote:My rediscovery of fishing is one of God's true blessings in my life.

There is nothing like catching a fish.

Amen bro!!

I just do and everyone has said it in there post I choose D all the above. But you ask them do they eat fish and how do they get there fish are they complaining when they are eating something that some one else has hunted down for a meal or are they a bunch of salad eater just asking

Um...I eat fish and other dead animals. They are delicious. I will eat fish that I catch but specific species. My outlook on some fish and the consumption of them has changed over time with my education. I no longer have an interest in say for example consuming a sand bass or calico as a worthy filet is probably a 20 yr old fish and I would like to exercise conservation.

I am also a salad eater. Wanna make sumpin of it?

Don't make me slap you with my force fin

ed5000x wrote:Don't make me slap you with my force fin

That made me laugh....

My grandfather taught me to fish at around 5-6 because I was very active and always had to be doing something. I could never just sit still for more than 5 minutes. Fishing helped me learn patience because at first I wouldn't let the bait sit in the water for more than 10 seconds before I pulled it up to see if I had a fish. After catching a few fish I realized the longer I waited and the more patience I had the better chance I had at catching a fish. It was unbearable at times having to hold that pole for what seemed like an eternity, but I realized I had to be patient if I wanted to catch a fish.

I still fish to just get away and take my mind off of things and allow all the stress to escape. That's probably why I prefer lake fishing that's more relaxing and calming.

been fishin since i was 5 or so and now i love it so much cuz its the fight of the fish trickin it into takin my bait the smell of the water the little tick u feel when they hit your bait or when they just crush it hearin that drag scream seein the fish jump out of the water i just love everything about it and cant get enough of it

Like to just get away and enjoy the peace and quiet. Hope to do more of it this year.

I fish for the rush an the stomach dropping hart pounding thrill I get with evry tick, boil or follow every miss or lost fish. I have hunted deer an turkey in the midwest an thses lil fish give me more of a rush than any shot Ive ever taken. Suprizingly its not any cheaper but so addicting an jus got started!!!!!!!!

I fish cause it's the fun of tricking the fish to bite a lure and when fishing the salt you never know what your gonna get oh and the fight love that and wondering how big it is how bout when you finally see color, sight fishing that gets me going oh and I love boils ,But most of all I lost my dad and I feel closer to him when I'm fishing.He fished too more than me lol I think being a Hawaiian its in da blood all my ohana's fish

fish on everyone fish on

"'I don't see what you're so excited about, it's just fishing.'
'It's not just fishing, it's exciting, it's an understanding. It's connecting with you friends, it's connecting with the environment on a much deeper level. It's spiritual. It's an art form, really."

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Anyone who calls them a fisherman should watch that short film. It pretty much sums up why I love fishing so much.

Its the same reason I play golf...its a rule that you can drink beer anytime of day when your golfing or fishing. I didn't make the rule, I just follow it.

I started fishing just to get outdoors more and find a hobby that didn't cost too much... boy did I have that last part figured wrong since I seem to over kill all my hobbies. But for me the best part of fishing is never knowing what is on the end of that line pulling on it wether it be the size of the fish or even what species it might be. I am not really a gambling man so fishing for me is the closest I get.

Its the kids, man....seeing a kid catch his\her first fish is the best of the best.

Falling asleep in camp next to a running stream, family all around you....it just doesn't get any better then that.